Refugio Tinquilco, on private property at the Lago Verde trailhead 2km past the park entrance, is a luxe two-story lodge offering much more than a bed, a meal and a quiet place to get away from it all – it's an experience. After hiking, be sure to submit yourself to the addictive forest sauna/plunge-pool treatment (CH$14,000).
Your host, Patricio, turns out hearty home-style Chilean cuisine with welcome touches, such as French-press coffee and an extensive wine list, and is a helluva guy to share a bottle of Carmenere with. He also produces an invaluable field guide to the park that is leaps and bounds beyond anything published by Conaf.
Designed by an architect, a writer, an engineer and an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, it's the kind of place people lose themselves for a week and lost souls find their way. Lunch or dinner is CH$10,500.
