Estancia Tapi Aike

Historically part of the Braun empire, the Tapi Aike sheep ranch sprawls over 60,000 hectares of steppe, but the settlement is a compact one near the RN 40 junction with RP 7.

Open November–April, the comfortable casco, reinvented as Posada Tapi Aike (San Martín 255, tel. 02966/42-0092 in Río Gallegos, bvdesign [at] fibertel [dot] com [dot] ar, US$60 pp), offers bed-and-breakfast accommodations between Calafate [1] and the border; some visitors stay here and make Torres del Paine [2] a day trip.

Besides accommodations, Tapi Aike offers simple but well-made lunches and dinners (US$15 pp), including a main dish, salad, soda, wine, and dessert.

The Viel family, descendents of the Brauns, speak English and Spanish. Estancia Tapi Aike also has a Buenos Aires contact (tel. 011/4812-3428, fax 011/4784-4360).