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January 16 2018

The 5 best hostels in southern Chile


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If you are backpacker mode, these lodgings are ideal for travelers looking for adventure while enjoying the beauty that the south of Chile has to offer.

This selection of hostels mainly consists of accommodation alternatives that offer you the “warmth of southern Chile” experience. Some stand out for their architecture, while others for the service. All of them are excellent choices.

 

Five cities, five experiences


1- Chili Kiwi Lakefront/Pucón

This Chilean hostel won the Hoscar Awards 2016 by renowned hosteling site Hostel World. Found right across Villarrica Lake, in Pucón, its fantastic landscape views and convenient location explain the award.

One of its founders, New Zealander James Graham, arrived in Chile a couple of years ago while backpacking Latin America. He fell in love with this city and the nature and landscapes surrounding it.

The hostel has been operating for a little more than 3 years and offers lots of common spaces to promote a sharing environment among travelers. In that spirit, they don’t plan to expand any time soon.

Therefore, if you want to make a reservation, we recommend you schedule in advance. Also, because of its young adult atmosphere, the hostel does not accept children. The idea is to host adventurers and lovers of outdoor activities like rafting or climbing the volcano.

2- The Singing Lamb/ Puerto Natales

Puerto Natales city offers more attractions than just being an entry point into the Torres Del Paine National Park. And The Singing Lamb is an excellent base of operations to discover them all.

This hostel has ranked first place in Puerto Natales for the past five years and qualified as “fantastic” according to tourists in Booking and Tripadvisor.

Why? Its warm atmosphere, superb location -5 minutes from the main square-, top advice for excursions, and a delicious homemade breakfast, are just a few reasons.

This lodging also boasts an “S Seal” (for sustainability), given its efforts to save energy and recycle trash, food and trekking supplies as much as possible. That is why Tripadvisor gave it the eco-friendly Green Leader logo.

The Singing Lamb offers double rooms with private bathroom and shared rooms for between 6 and 9 people.

3- Waiven Palafito/Chiloé

The moment you set foot on Chiloé island, a classic image will catch your aye: an array of colorful “palafitos” adorning the bay area. These constructions, which seem to be suspended above water, are part of the culture and identity of the place.

Staying at one of these buildings can be quite an experience.

Palafito Waiven is in the heart of the Gamboa borough overlooking the Castro city bay.

Its interiors feature plenty of wood and traditional Chiloé decorations. It is attended by its owners and is well heated to avoid the cold nights typical of southern Chile.

It currently holds a Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor. And in 2015, in its first year of operations, it scored 9.2 points in Booking.

4- Entre Vientos/ Punta Arenas

This was the first hostel in Punta Arenas on TripAdvisor.

Located on the banks of the Magellan Strait, this is the favorite place of those who have visited the living room on the second floor, which has a spectacular view of the strait.

It offers several types of rooms, from doubles to shared rooms for 10 people.

The spaces are well lit, and all looks very homey; guests can use the kitchen or end the evening playing taca taca (how Chileans call table football).

5- Galpón Aire Puro/ Puerto Varas

This warehouse was built in 1920 by the Agricultural Society of Osorno, for potato storage. Today, it hosts a boutique guesthouse, craft and local gourmet shops for visitors to take home the flavors of Puerto Varas.

Although it was completely renovated, some details remain like the original facade.

In the interior, almost everything is made of native wood.

Its owner, Vicki Johnson, an American who came to the city more than 30 years ago, takes care of everything.

Besides being a welcoming place, this hostel claims to have the best breakfast in the city. Also, rooms can be shared but a maximum of 4 people.

It is found in a historic area, five minutes from Downtown.

 

Conclusion

These 5 best hostel alternatives will let you live the local experience and share your experiences with other tourists while backpacking the south of Chile. You just have to decide when to make the journey!

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