Estancia Despedida Lodge

Estancia Despedida Lodge is a fishing-first program for serious sea-trout anglers. Limited to six guests, it delivers long hours on the water, short drive times, and access to a compact set of highly productive beats that are rotated so every angler fishes each one twice during the week.

The lodge tends to draw experienced international anglers who value a low-key atmosphere and efficient logistics. For dedicated sea-trout anglers seeking high odds and strong value on the Rio Grande, Despedida is especially well suited.

The guide team is seasoned and focused—a major reason for the lodge’s high percentage of returning guests. Accommodations are comfortable and straightforward—three double-occupancy suites with private baths—keeping the emphasis where it belongs: on consistent shots at quality fish.

Estancia Despedida Lodge sits on the south bank of the middle Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego, downriver from Kau Tapen and across from Estancia María Behety. Built in 1999 from imported Montana logs, it’s a modest, well-appointed lodge with nothing overstated or overlooked. Capacity is limited to six anglers in three double-occupancy bedrooms, each with double beds and a private bath. The log structure includes a spacious combined living, dining, and bar area with panoramic river views.

Compared to other Rio Grande fishing lodges, Despedida offers a notably intimate atmosphere. It is family-run: managing outfitter Danny Lajous, his wife Helen, and their son Tomás take a personal interest in guest comfort and fishing success. The Lajous family has operated Despedida for more than 20 years, and Tomás continues the legacy as a renowned Rio Grande guide.

Meals feature Argentine and Italian cuisine paired with fine wines. Breakfast includes fresh fruit, yogurt, toast, cereal, and eggs made to order.

Like all Rio Grande fishing lodges, Despedida anglers fish hard in the morning and again from late afternoon until dusk, when Sea Run Brown Trout are most active. After a 7:00 am breakfast, anglers drive 5–15 minutes to the river and return to the lodge for lunch and a siesta before the 5:00–10:00 pm evening session. With dinner typically ending around midnight, everyone takes advantage of the mid-day rest.

Despedida is known for having some of the best water on the Rio Grande, producing around 3–5 Sea Run Browns per angler per day with an average of 11 pounds. By week’s end, most anglers will have hooked or landed a fish near the 20-pound mark. There are outlier days that make averages irrelevant—for example, a 36-pound lodge record landed in 2008 and an evening when one angler caught 33 fish in the pool now named “33.” Other well-known pools at Despedida include the Boca del Menéndez, Cóndor, and Arturo, and all guests rotate through them during their stay.

Despedida’s Argentine guides were born in Tierra del Fuego and have fished the Rio Grande for most of their lives.

ESTANCIA DESPEDIDA LODGE
(7 nights/ 6 days fishing)

Saturday:    Arrive Buenos Aires (EZE). Transfer to the domestic airport (AEP) and fly to Rio Grande (RGA) or Ushuaia (USH.)  Guides will pick you up and transfer you 50 minutes or 3.5 hours  to Despedida Lodge. Cocktails and dinner.

Sun-Fri:    Six days  fishing for Sea Run Brown Trout on the middle Rio Grande.

Saturday:    Check out, the lodge will transfer back to the region airport for your flight to Buenos Aires.

Rate: $8,900/angler
Included: Lodging, meals, beer and wine, guided fishing and transfer to/from the Rio Grande Airport
Not included: Flights, license, gear, spirits, transfers to/from Ushuaia and services in Buenos

With over 26 years organizing trips in exclusively Chile and Argentina, we make travel planning efficient and worry free. We’ll give you the domestic flights you need for your lodge dates and our travel team ensures your international flights connect smoothly. If preferred, we’ll even have our team in Buenos Aires meet you when you land.

• After an easy overnight flight, anglers land at the Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) on Friday and transfer 45 minutes to their hotel. If you have at least four hours between your international and domestic flights in Buenos Aires a hotel overnight is unnecessary.
• On Saturday, anglers will transfer to the Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery Domestic Airport (AEP) and fly 3 hours south to Rio Grande (RGA) or Ushuaia (USH) depending on flight schedules.
• Anglers staying at Despedida Lodge are picked up at either the Rio Grande or Ushuaia Airport and driven 50 mins or 3.5 hours to the lodge.
• Despedida Lodge will transfer you back to the regional airport for your flight to Buenos Aires and home.