a luxury camp with views of the Perito Moreno glacier and the infinite landscape of the steppe

This is a luxury. It’s this moment, it’s this place.

It is the possibility of being in Patagonian lands, next to the Rico arm of Lake Argentinowith his gaze fixed on the horizon where the tongue of the Perito Moreno glacierdescending between snow-capped mountains.

It is being able to mentally appropriate, without haste, this natural setting at all times: when you wake up and are still under the shelter of the duvet, while you have breakfast, during a trek, with herbal tea in the afternoon or when the sun is setting and The sunset immobilizes you with its changing hues.

We are at the Dos Lagos ranch, on the Colonias peninsula, 42 kilometers from El Calafate, where Pristinea luxury camp: outstanding accommodation and unique experiences.

All this begins with an early morning on a Saturday in March. A first photo taken at six in the morning at the Ezeiza airport, from the row of passengers going up the stairs, records the jaguar in the tail of the JetSmart plane.

Thus, from the mosquitoes, the drama of not getting repellent and the sticky heat of Buenos Aires we went, three hours later, to a punctual landing at the Comandante Armando Tola airport in El Calafate. The thermometer, the pilot anticipates, reads six degrees in this corner of the Southern Patagonia.

You have to leave behind the shops on Libertador Avenue and the tourist sign with the name of this city in the southwest of Santa Cruz; You have to leave behind the coastline over Lake Argentino, advance along Route 11 and reach Provincial Route 60 (this is an option; the return will be along Provincial Route 15, more direct) to feel that the vastness of the steppe catches the eye.

At times it rains; At times the sun comes out. A rainbow paints this one with colors Patagonia of great distancesof enormous expanses of land dominated by yellows, ochers and browns that combine perfectly between some stones, some sheds in the distance or old farm buildings.

Coirones, ñires, stunted vegetation resistant to strong gusts of wind. It’s all part of a randomly harmonious distribution. Master one feeling of infinityof vastness and, also, of loneliness.

Suddenly, a group of choice (or Patagonian rhea) appear moving quickly on the side of the road. Some flamingos there in the distance, in a small mirror of water. You cross a armadillothen a Hare. Some cows with their calves threaten to block the path on the gravel road.

We go from a sequence of gates, fences and more steppe, to the warmth with which Yoli, manager and guide, welcomes us, along with Ailu and Kallfu, hosts. We are in the central dome of Pristine Luxury Camp.

An armchair invites you to spread out, a delicious bruschetta to welcome us, the small table with the telescope and the Yaguareté Kora – a Guarani board game -, a lit salamander and the tables ready for lunch are part of this super cozy place that serves as a reception , dining room and, essentially, meeting place.

But the magnetic thing about this space is its huge window that cuts out triangular postcards in which the Perito Moreno glacier stands out in the distance.

This amazing view is repeated from the windows of each of the six eco domes (rooms or cabins) that are part of this “camp” and can be seen among the small trees and the undulating terrain.

They are an essential part of this great experience.

To get closer to the glacier, you have to retrace part of the gravel road we came on, then advance along Route 11 through the Magallanes Peninsula, skirting the mountains along the coast of the lake, and prepare to absorb all the magic that the glacier gives off. Perito Moreno from the most varied angles.

Unmissable basic: walk the catwalks. Please note: you must be willing to go down and up stairs (there is an elevator, but it is strictly used for people with disabilities; it does not apply to “I’m tired, I don’t give any more”).

If the budget is not enough for other types of excursions – it must be said, the prices are high – nothing happens. The walkways guarantee views that move. White and blue ice, smooth, cracked or with holes; deep gouges that promise a collapse, thunder from a distant fall, an iceberg – or several – that emerges from a collapse.

With luck – and a good amount of constant observation – you can see the entire sequence: a block of ice that breaks off, falls, sinks and refloats in pieces that are scattered in the water.

The catwalks explain a large part of Perito Moreno’s fame. Why this glacier and not all the others that are part of this enormous Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the third largest in the world? For the ease of access to a wonderful postcard. It is the best-known face of an area that protects other glaciers that can be enjoyed by navigation such as Upsala or Spegazzini. Closer to El Chaltén is Viedma, the largest.

To complement the experience of the walks in front of Perito Moreno, you can do boat rides on the north or south face of the glacier and even, depending on the weather, kayak to the ice mass.

One of the most famous excursions is the minitrekking. The walk with crampons on the glacier costs 210,000 pesos per person (with transfers from El Calafate and guided tour along the walkways, 250,000). Despite the price, in high season you have to book in advance to secure your place.

It is ten o’clock on a sunny morning and Eric, a descendant of german pioneers in this area of ​​Santa Cruz and expert horseman, awaits us to go on a horseback ride and learn a little more about the surroundings of Pristine and the Dos Lagos ranch.

At the pace that marks the Bautista and Carrot horsesand the attentive dog-like gaze of Pinta, one tries to absorb the landscapes without losing balance, and to understand the country life in a very beautiful land, but also hostile.

Eric takes care of the field and enjoys it. While we go from the Rico arm to the shores of Lake Rocatells us about the movement of cows and sheep in winter and summer, the exchanges that still resolve part of life in these lands, the isolation that snow brings, the advantages of having solar panels in the hull of the ranch or the strategies to prevent foxes and pumas from destroying the flocks.

His brother Stefen takes care of the walk we do in the afternoon and takes us through other corners where we can see remains of ancient settlements.

In some cases, parts of foundations and structures still remain; in others, the arrangement of fruit trees (apples, pears, rose hips, calafate and cherries) and poplars to block the wind.

He last sunset seems made for longingto feel like you can’t stop looking out the windows of the dome (or hanging out outdoors).

Orange and reddish among the clouds and mountains. The Rico arm is acquiring a silver tone and there, in the background, the glacier. When the night closes, that landscape falls asleep and it is time to watch the stars.

The name “Pristine” is already setting a trend in Argentina in the field of glamping, luxury camps and unique experiences. It started in November 2021 with the opening of Pristine Salinas Grandes (Jujuy), continued with the Misionera Jungle suites (44 kilometers from Iguazú, in Misiones) and in December 2023, just for the summer season, it opened here, at the Dos Lagos ranch, very close to El Calafate and the Perito Moreno glacier.

This last accommodation has six domes – they hope to reach ten for the next season -, each with its private bathroom with shower, salamander and alcohol stove, king size box spring (separable to twin), minibar and an outdoor deck with a heated tub to enjoy. the view also outdoors.

“Comfort and sustainability in total harmony”: this is how this venture is defined and allows us to understand how it works.

Comfort means that you will have super personalized attention, a very comfortable wooden eco dome, with absolute privacy – everyone is very far apart and protected from prying eyes -, and unforgettable gastronomy (so that it is understood: did you see when you savor every bite wishing it didn’t end the plate? This is what it’s like to eat here.

An interesting detail: the wines offered during meals are all Patagonian. Some are included in the rate; others are paid separately.

The Sustainability is seen in countless details. To begin with, the construction of the domes, designed in such a way that everyone has an incredible view, but with low environmental impact, on pillars so as not to interfere with the morphology of the terrain. They seem hidden, totally integrated into the natural environment, without generating “visual noise”.

Hay solar panels -it is one of the largest fields of solar panels in hospitality in the province of Santa Cruz- and upon check-in a friendly but emphatic recommendation is made not to throw toilet paper in the toilets (they work with biodigesters for safe handling of waste), use water and electricity conscientiously, taking into account that they are scarce goods, and consider whether it is really necessary to change towels and washcloths every day: linen is washed in El Calafate.

Plastic bottles are not used either and they offer metal bottles for rides.

Among the activities, there are walks, horseback riding, mountain biking and even cooking classes.

• Pristine’s season in El Calafate ends at the end of April and they will receive guests again from October.

• To give you an idea of ​​prices, the Pristine Nature program costs 525,000 pesos per night in a dome for two people, with full board and hiking (+54 9 11 6033 7460; elcalafate@pristinecamps.com; calafate.pristinecamps.com).

• JetSmart flies three times a week from Buenos Aires to El Calafate. It leaves from the Ezeiza airport and returns to the Jorge Newbery Airport. For rates and reports: jetsmart.com/ar/es