On our recent trip to Argentina, we had intended on buying airline tickets to Mendoza once we had arrived. Big mistake! The rates literally had tripled and the prospect of taking a 12 hour overnight bus ride was a bit daunting. So we scrambled to find a substitute.

We came across La Pascuala Delta Lodge in one of our guide books — it was a good review, but no one we asked (travel agency and the staff at our hotel in BsAs) knew anything about it. So, we gambled and booked three days/two nights. We were lucky and hit the jackpot! La Pascuala Delta Lodge is a treasure upriver. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, the rooms were luxuriously comfortable, and the food…ah, the food. Each day centered around the meals — simply amazing.

Situated on a small island in the Delta, the hotel is truly isolated. So if you’re looking for some peace and quiet and a place to relax — this is it. The only mechanical sound we heard during our stay was the occasional boat going upriver. There’s not much else to do but relax — it’s forced upon you. No television in the rooms (there are CD players, and in the library they have a bevy of music from which to choose), a big huge bathtub with a huge window that opens out to the woods making you feel that you’re taking a soak in the great outdoors. There’s plenty of board games and cards in the well appointed game room (Scrabble in Spanish for people with only a rudimentary knowledge of the language was a blast!), and plenty of books in English. For exercise, there’s a mile long hiking trail, kayaks, and paddle-boats. If the weather were a couple of degrees warmer at the time, we would have challenged swimming upriver and back as well.

We did have a couple of challenges however. The first was paying for the room. It must be done via cash or bank transfer, they do not accept credit cards. Once you’ve booked the room they’ll let you know the process – but it can get quite complicated if you’re not familiar with the system. Our second challenge was actually getting there. We decided to take the train to the marina, but the directions the lodge gave us were vague and we ended up taking the wrong line. The lodge will arrange for a raimis (hired car) to collect you at the hotel for a small fee. I highly suggest it, unless you’re up for an adventure.

But, if you get the chance, stay a couple of nights at La Pascuala. We stayed at the Inn at Blackberry Farm a few years ago and this place is totally comparable.