Café Caleta Gonzalo

waited 1 hour for a brown water they dare to call a coffee. beautiful interior, one superslow waiter a typical tourist trap. Avoid.

This was an amazing place to stay. Beautiful views, excellent staff, very clean, great hiking near by. We stayed for 2 nights. Highly recommend!

I don't understand why all guidebooks are so enamored with this hotel. First of all, it has a very problematic location as it is basically part of the car ferry terminal, which means that you are living in a parking lot: lines of trucks, buses, motorcycles waiting to get on the ferry (or getting off it) multiple times a day. I am attaching real pictures from my cabin to my review, not the fantasy ones that the Lodge has on their website. The cabins are seriously uncomfortable: they are so small there is no place to store your things, so we were using our car as a closet. The ceilings are so low that my husband at his 6' tall smacked his head repeatedly on ceiling beams and doorways. Tiny windows, dark and damp, no place to sit, they only accommodate a bed and no other furniture. The furniture and the furnishings are beautiful and high quality, but at this point it doesn't help. Staff is nice, though, sweet and efficient, all of them from reservation guy to the maids. I liked their restaurant, though: nice atmosphere good food. It is hugely overpriced: we paid close to USD300/night during high season and, frankly, I would be comfortable with $80 for that quality. It is not a wilderness lodge where you can relax and enjoy nature, which is what their prices suggest. You can use it as a stopover for the night if you need to catch a ferry early in the morning.

We loved our trip to Caleto Gonzalo and Pumalin National Park. Our experience was similar to many other comments here. The cabins are small and cozy and comfortable, the food is excellent, staff are very friendly and helpful.||We flew in on the four night stay that included many experiences with a fantastic guide. Highlights included walking among the 3000-year old, huge Alerce trees, and hiking to the top of the Chaiten volcano with incredible views of the mountains, lakes, rivers, and bay. The day trip by boat-car-boat-short hike to the hot springs was also phenomenal. Our guide (Marco) was impressively knowledgeable, friendly, and responsive to our interests. The Pumalin visitor center was an expected highlight that we highly recommend!||The logistical aspects of the trip were handled perfectly as well. We were picked up at our hotel in Puerto Varas, transported to the small aerodrome in Puerto Montt for the flight, met at the airport in Chaiten by Marco and a driver, and then all the same in reverse on the way out. The lodge staff even prepared us a lunch to take for our travels back as we were going to have many hours at the small airports with limited food options. Pre-trip communications with the lodge were consistent and all our questions answered quickly.||We were fortunate with weather with just one afternoon of rain, but the forest is beautiful because of all the rain so be ready even in the summer relatively dry months.||We highly recommend staying at these cabins for several days, with a guide, to explore Pumalin National Park.

Excellent service and food.|Staff was great, cabin was great once the heat got going.|Access to the ferry was perfect.|Christian is a great advocate and employee. |The trails nearby where well marked.|Be aware of the road from chaiten, the last 10 km to the port is rough.

Located right at the ferry landing across the Argentinian fjords from Hornopiren this welcoming wee group of cabins feels homely. There is nothing else for miles and the prices reflect this. We paid around 100,000 CLP for a two person ordinary dinner each night. There is no catering for non-residents and a choice only of meat or not-meat dishes. |Local walks into the temperate rainforest are spectacular: dense, dripping and full of wildlife, a cacophony of sounds and heady scents. Then there's the 3000 year old Alerce trees and photogenic waterfalls. The price of dinner is not what we'll remember.

Probably slightly past it's prime. The cabins are quite small and dark but comfortable as they should be for the price! The shower was fine if not a bit dark. It's the sort of cabin you expect Gandalf or Snow White to knock on the door!|The dinner was very good but the one annoying thing was that when it came to wine they only appeared to have the expensive bottles left. There is no excuse for that as they could buy wine in Chaiten or Puerto Montt quite easily.|The staff were helpful. One has to remember that the Lodge has nothing to do with the park anymore. CONAF run the park and the lodge is owned by another company. Gone are the days when the Tomkins were involved and all was one.|The lodge has wifi and takes credit cards for food etc.

We stayed two nights in the Hobbit cabin and one night camping and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. The location is stunningly beautiful, quiet, and close to spectacular hiking trails. The entire lodge property was thoughtfully constructed and crossing the suspension bridge over the river to access the camping area and Hobbit was a thrill every time. Step out the door of the Hobbit and on to the cobbles of the beach at the mouth of the Gonzalo River and bask in the beauty of the Reñihué Fjord. The camping areas have communal covered tables for cooking and eating, bathrooms, and drinking water. Pitch your tent on soft grass! There is WiFi at the main lodge and dinner was carefully prepared and served by gracious and helpful staff who are fluent in English. Walk through the brand new park museum located on the grounds to gain a deeper appreciation for the park, its flora and fauna, and for the accomplishments of Doug and Kris Tompkins. The Lodge at Caleta Gonzalo provided the most enjoyable accommodations that we found in northern Patagonia, with its perfect blend of rustic charm, warm and friendly staff, and spectacular setting. I can’t wait to return.