Backpackers Paradise Hostel — Hotel in Punta Arenas

It’s one of the least organized hostels I’ve ever been to. Don’t get me wrong. Hugo, the owner, seems like a great guy, trying to learn a few words of English when we spoke. His friend Christopher was helping him out in terms of making beds and such. (I wouldn’t know what else he does for Hugo.) They even shared some food and tea when they were having lunch (they told me it was cow’s lungs cooked with potatoes). It was pretty good.

But, yes, here’s a but, the place doesn’t feel like a ‘paradise’ even for backpackers. There are two bathrooms but only one of them has a working shower. The water is extremely hot, so that’s a plus. Since it was still early in the season, the hostel wasn’t crowded and one shower may not be a problem.

But the room with 6 beds where I slept in and other rooms that I peeked in didn’t look all made and ready to take in backpackers when I arrived there. Yes, I got there early (about 11 am), but I didn’t see any maid changing the bedsheets and such. I’m not even sure Hugo and Christopher actually changed the sheets. And later when ‘my’ bed was made, none of other beds were. Really? Later Christopher came in and made them while I was resting in my bed. (And based on the fact that all of them were made later, they got the calls or something that new guests were arriving.)

I went for a walk to the beach, and before stepping out the hostel Hugo asked me to buy him 4 rolls of toilet paper as handing me 3,000 pesos for it, which I didn’t mind because I was going to stop by the nearest UniMarc to pick up something for dinner anyway. Unfortunately the market was closed due to the fact that the very day was the day when many of the Chilean citizens decided to protest nationwide, and I was told that the workers at UniMarc was on strike. I had seen people protesting in front of the market on my way to the hostel prior. But I didn’t think that it was closed. I was quite surprised that even people in such a small town in Patagonia participated in the protest.

Back to Backpackers Paradise. Hugo let the late arrivals in the same room, which was very quickly filled up with 3 French girls and 2 guys whom I didn’t get to talk to because I went sleeping by 10:45 pm. I bet though the other rooms were still free of backpackers.

Whoever in the kitchen talked and talked into midnight because I woke up to the noise, and I couldn’t imagine if I had even a bit of sleep without help of my earplugs.

Nonetheless, Hugo arranged a taxi ride for this morning so that I could get to the airport. Not a paradise. Even for backpackers. But it would work for you if you lower your...

We made 4 new friends from different countries in one night. David, the night receptionist is super kind and generous(he shared two bottles of pisco with about 8 people) and is a wealth of local knowledge. We used Punta Arenas as a one night stay before reaching Puerto Natales to enter Torres del Paine, you can skip Punta Arenas and go straight from the airport to Puerto Natales, but if you have the extra day, its worth a visit. We walked to the Magellan Strait and watched two guys take turns jumping in the cold water from the beach while the other took a photo. Theres also an island you can visit with penguins from there, we didn't have the time, but might be worth it on a...

If you compare this to more expensive hostels, it doesn’t rate well but for a hostel at this price, it’s terrific. I stayed here for two nights and then came back for one night while in transit about a week later. The staff are incredibly helpful, the location couldn’t be better, the showers are hot, and the WiFi is good. The kitchen is small but manageable, the beds are okay (not great), the dorms are small which means there’s not much room for backpacks, the bathrooms are okay (not great), there aren’t enough outlets, and the walls are thin and don’t go all the way to the ceiling (more like dividers) so light and noise (before 11:30 or so) might be a challenge for...