Guide to Panguipulli
The way my family ended up on this ranch is a long story involving Henry Kissinger, blocks of gold, and a Swedish sailor who hates when women curse.
Last year, I noticed on instagram that a trio of ex-MNZ girls — Shayna Arnold, Paulena Lynch, Emma Kate Sayer — had formed a new brand called Sensoria. I noticed the brand first (sleek, oblique). Later, I realized it was an online vintage store. (They said—in maybe the chicest letter of intent I’ve read—that their new business was “an exhilarating exercise in pure inventory management.”) They were offering “a twist on traditional off-season and archival sample collection sales.” In other words: They are an antidote to the glut of cheesy and overcrowded sample sales, offering highly-curated drops you can shop from the privacy of your home. I thought it paired two hyper-relevant things: sustainability and hot girls downtown. Soon they launched menswear (I got my husband a lovely white cable knit sweater), and a consulting arm for other brands.
Co-founder Paulena Lynch’s family has a ranch in Chile in the Andean Foothills just outside a town called Panguipulli. It’s far south and very “in the country.” I asked Paulena to give us a guide to her hometown and the surrounding areas. Everything in this guide is within two hours of Panguipulli!
Panguipulli
The way my family ended up on our ranch is a long story involving Henry Kissinger, blocks of gold, East Texas, and a Swedish sailor who smokes tobacco out of a pipe and hates when women curse…
Lago Panguipulli: This exact swimming spot is on the way up the mountain to my family’s ranch. You have a postcard view of the active Volcano across the lake and it’s usually pretty empty during weekdays. The water is cold but perfect.
La Felsinea: A tucked away restaurant for pizza and beer on the side of a river. They also have the best gelato. Sit outside in the shade, and say hi to owners Philippe & Catalina for me.
El Mirador: Spacious patio restaurant overlooking the lake. Go for dinner and watch the sunset while eating fresh fish.
Day Trip / Destination Portion
Thermas Geometria: Hot springs in the middle of the forest designed by architect Germán del Sol. Found at the end of a very bumpy unpaved dirt road, if you think you’re lost just keep going. This is my all-time favorite place.
AWA Hotel: Good place to stop for a drink, a meal or an overnight. One side of the swimming pool is glass and its lakeside.
Frutillar: There are some towns in the south with heavy German influence because of immigration laws implemented by the Chilean government in the mid 19th century. This feels like a toy replica of a traditional German town, very charming. You can swim at the beach and eat German food on the main road. Order the Chilean-German beer called the Kunstmann.
