The rooms are spacious, nicely decorated, clean and have fully functional utilities. The staff is friendly, efficient and accommodating. English is spoken well. The restaurant is excellent, but available only for limited hours for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you read the other review, I think that you will agree that a rating of "one" was given by mistake because the reviewer thought that was the best, not worst, possible rating. The village is tiny but does have a fuel station offering both gasoline and diesel. I used this hotel as my base to drive to Futaleufu and Lago Verde. The name of the village appears as La Junta at times and as Las Juntas at others.
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The tourist season was drawing to a close and we (my traveling companion, Jorge and I) had gotten a late start from Coyhaique. Heading North along Chiles Carretera Austral, I knew we would encounter few towns and even fewer opportunities for comfortable accommodation. Having spent 5 months in Patagonia, fishing, however, I had learned that flexibility and a positive attitude are perhaps the most valuable assets a travel can bring along.
As we pushed through Queulat with its lush, temperate rain forest, darkness was rapidly falling and I began to feel uneasy about our hopes of finding lodging of any sort. I knew we would reach Puyuguapi around 10:00 PM, however, and remembered as the sleepy little tourist village I had visited seven weeks earlier. I was shocked when we found it essentially closed for the season, as were the few other inns which are sprinkled sparsely along this route.
Pussh-on! became our cry as each opportunity evaporated. I knew that La Junta was less than 50 kilometers up the road and prayed that it might furnish something better than a night in a sleeping bag with a steering wheel in my ribs. I was not to be disappointed.
It was after midnight, I believe, when we pulled into La Junta and sure enough there was a lit sign for the Espacio y Tiempo Hotel. Cost be damned, I growled as I tumbled out of the drivers seat and propelled my cramped hulk towards the beckoning entrance, eight teeth-rattling hours on the twisting gravel roads, dodging the odd salmon truck, had not improved my mood and the gnawing in my gut, which had seen little sustenance all day, did not help much either.
Two sharp raps on the door and I was met by the most charming young woman, who in perfect English informed me that, Yes, they had rooms available, and would be glad to prepare a couple of weary vagabonds a simple repast! This was my first introduction to Connie, who with her husband Alan owns and operates the hotel. The improvement in my attitude was immediate and continued as we were ushered into the little dining alcove off the living room and provided, in short order, with steaks (cooked to perfection), bread, a salad and an excellent bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the hotels excellent cellar.
You know, said Connie, as we were finishing dinner. You were lucky that there was a good movie on the Dish tonight or we might well have gone to bed a couple of hours ago. We do not get many visitors at this time of night.
Lucky, indeed! We spent three unplanned days with Connie and Alan, and each one provided numerous opportunities to experience practically indescribable levels of attention and service. But it was more than that we became friends! I must declare that of all the places I visited in six months in Chiles South, this one chance encounter eclipsed all others.
Not only would I recommend it for anyone seeking accommodations, between Futaleufu and Coyhaique, I would state without fear of contradiction that Espacio Y Tiempo should be considered a destination in itself.
How convinced am I? Next year, I intend to sped many months in the vicinity. I look forward to further exploring the excellent fishing in the area and am not at all sad that there will be many nights enjoining the company and food offered by this wonderful establishment.
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