Cabañas & Hostería Illihue

The name says it all for those who know Mapuche: illihue means “beginning,” and the owners chose it deliberately. Arriving at these cabins on Ruta 40, in the Jardines del Chimehuin neighborhood, is literally the starting point of a Patagonian experience unfolding amid legendary fishing rivers, volcanoes, and lenga beech forests.

The complex sits 300 meters from the Chimehuín River and five minutes by car from the Junín de los Andes civic center. The location on Ruta 40 — Argentina’s great western backbone — provides direct access while keeping the town within easy reach: restaurants and shops in the center are a short walk away. Lanín National Park and the Lanín volcano lie a short distance to the north, and Lake Huechulafquen stretches through the landscape that made Junín the national capital of trout fishing.

The cabins are built in stone and lenga wood, the defining materials of regional architecture, used here with purpose: thick walls that hold winter heat, a cold-entry vestibule that prevents heat loss when the door opens, and central radiator heating throughout. Two main types are available: one-bedroom cabins for two or three guests, with a 140 × 190 cm bed and a sofa bed for a third guest, and two-story two-bedroom cabins for four or six people, where the rooms can be configured with twin or queen beds depending on the group. All units have a fully equipped kitchen-dining area — complete dishware, microwave, electric stove, refrigerator, and solid algarrobo wood furniture — a bathroom with tub, individual barbecue grill, and covered parking. The complex also offers a two-room apartment with a kitchenette and Smart TV, and inn-style single, double, and triple rooms with breakfast included.

The property’s breakfast has earned a reputation: homemade bread, cakes, and preserves served in the dining room, which guests’ reviews consistently praise for the personal touch of the staff. The same space serves as a bar and café through the day and can organize special dinners on request. Housekeeping is included in all cabin stays.

What sets Illihue apart from other cabin complexes in the area is its own spa: an ozonized jacuzzi, dry sauna, steam baths, and massage chairs available to guests. This is uncommon for a complex of this scale in Junín, and it turns a stay into something more than a base camp for day trips. Reception also organizes guided fishing and manages excursion bookings for the surrounding area, simplifying logistics for first-time visitors to the Comarca.

Junín de los Andes is a different town from San Martín de los Andes: smaller, quieter, without the tourist density that in peak season turns its southern neighbor into a bottleneck. For those who come to the Comarca for the lake, the volcano, and the river rather than for the main street and its ice cream shops, Illihue offers solid infrastructure, generally more accessible prices, and a human scale that comes through from the moment you arrive at reception.