OVO Patagonia Review – Are These The Best Cliffside Pods?
There’s nothing like the quiet moments of awe that come from waking up at 5AM to watch the alpenglow sunrise over the iconic Mt. Fitz Roy in El Chaltén, Argentina. Normally you’d have to trek for a couple of days and camp to see such a view, but OVO Patagonia provides an alternative where adventure meets luxury. On December 31, 2025, I spent the night in a 3 floor plexiglass pod 270 meters (~885 feet) above the ground, falling asleep to the wind whipping past and waking up on New Year’s Day 2026 for one of the best views of my life.
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What is OVO Patagonia?
OVO Patagonia features a series of four egg-shaped pods situated on the side of a cliff outside of El Chaltén, Argentina overlooking Mt. Fitz Roy (famous for being the Patagonia brand logo!). In each pod, the bottom floor features a netted hammock for lounging, the middle floor is the dining/living area and bathroom, and the top floor features a large, cozy bed sleeping 2 people.
It opened in December 2024, providing a luxury adventure for travelers who want a once-in-a-lifetime accommodation and a view of Mt. Fitz Roy you can’t get anywhere else. The team behind this project spent 2 years meticulously studying the rock face and surrounding area to ensure structural integrity and minimize impact on the environment. The result is an incredibly strong structure capable of sustaining Patagonia’s notoriously high winds.
Sustainability is at the forefront of OVO Patagonia’s mission – from preserving the landscape to how they handle water & waste management to their lack of plastic. They put thought into the small things so that you can “step out of your comfort zone, in comfort” (their motto).
How to Book
You can book a stay at OVO Patagonia direct through their website. As of the time of writing, their standard rate is $1600 USD per pod for the night. That’s before tax – after tax is comes out to $1936. They do increase prices during peak dates, so for New Year’s Eve we paid $2662 per pod after taxes.
When we booked in June 2025, we could not select a specific pod, but it now seems you can select your pod at the time of booking. All pods are the same price. All the pods are identical but there are some small considerations to note:
- Pod 1 had issues with the heater. The staff came to fix it but it left a huge diesel smell in the pod in the process. The toilet in this pod also overflowed onto the bathroom floor.
- Pod 2 had relatively few issues but was missing 4 pieces of the puzzle.
- Pod 3 didn’t have a working outlet to charge their devices.
- Pod 4 is the most exposed to the wind and the most technically difficult to get to on the via ferrata (it’s still very easy). My husband and I were assigned this pod because we had the most experience and least fear of heights. Pod 4 did also have 6 pieces of the puzzle missing. Pod 4 also has a cable running past it that slightly blocks your view as you can see in some of my photos (not a dealbreaker though).
Day Trip Option
They also have a daytime trip option that is a lot cheaper ($360 USD after tax) but based on our experience, the pods would be uncomfortably hot in the middle of the day. You also miss out on the starry night and unmatched sunrise views. I personally don’t think a day trip would be worthwhile and I’d rather spend my time elsewhere in El Chaltén.
What to Pack (and What NOT to Pack)
Here’s a list of everything we brought and wish we’d brought on our trip. You have to hike up, so be sure everything fits in a backpack:
- Small backpack
- Hiking shoes (or at least shoes with good traction)
- Adapter + charger for your electronics (with multiple USB/USB-C outlets because there is only 1 plug)
- Portable charger (fully charged) in case the outlet isn’t working
- Phone wrist strap or harness
- Shower wipes (in case you don’t get the opportunity to shower)
- Change of clothes
- Jacket
- Sunglasses (here’s my favorite cheap pair!)
- Toothbrush (toothpaste was provided in the pod)
- Cash (for tips)
- sunscreen
Optional but glad I brought:
- Hiking poles (they do have some available to borrow but not enough for everyone)
- Miscellaneous toiletries (deodorant, face wash, medications you need, etc)
- Waterproof backpack cover
- Tripod if you want to take a time lapse of sunrise like we did
We brought our passports just in case but didn’t end up needing them. We also didn’t need to pack eye masks or ear plugs as those were provided as well.
What to Expect
Getting Up to the Mountain
Our trip departed from the tourist information center in El Chaltén at 4:45PM. From there, we hopped in a van and drove ~25 minutes to the privately owned Estancia Bonanza ranch. We then crossed a very wobbly foot bridge over the river, had an opportunity to use the restroom, and then got in another van to take us a few minutes to the start of the hike.
At the base of the hike there is a small building with lockers where you can leave anything you don’t want to bring up the mountain. We’d left all of our big suitcases at our hotel for the next evening in El Chaltén, so we didn’t need to use the lockers. They also had some hiking poles available for those who didn’t bring any, but there weren’t enough for everyone to have 2, so I’m glad we had brought our own. Poles aren’t necessary, but I find they help a lot. This is also where we signed our liability waivers.
The hike up to the mountain took us exactly 1 hour. Our guide made a couple quick stops to point out local flora and fauna along the way while we took a sip of water. There was no wind or clouds on our hike, so it was warm, but most of the hike was shaded.
Arrival
During our hike our guide asked us what we’d like to drink at the top, with a choice of beers, wine, Coca-Cola, Sprite, and tonic water. When we arrived at the top, we were welcomed into a small building with floor to ceiling windows overlooking El Chaltén. They gave us a welcome drink made with the Calafate plant and then the drinks we ordered along with a charcuterie board.
While we ate they explained the story behind the pods as well as safety protocols. Each pod had a walkie talkie to communicate with the guides (and other pods) throughout the night.
The buildings at the top also included 2 toilets (both were “dry toilets”) and 2 showers, which I’d been excited to use after a sweaty hike. Unfortunately, they said it had been to dry recently and there wasn’t enough water for the showers. The welcome building had blazing fast Starlink internet available.
Since it was such a warm day, we took a short walk up to the very top of the mountain to enjoy some views as the sun started to set. Then we went back to the arrival building to put on our via ferrata gear.
The Via Ferrata
The via ferrata gear consisted of a helmet, harness, and a C-shaped clip that kept us attached to the cable at all times. This is the more beginner-friendly setup than the typical 2-carabiner style via ferrata gear I’m used to.
We were escorted to our pods one group at a time. The guide took the lead, showed us how to clip in and make our way to the pods. My husband and I have done several via ferratas in the past and this one was extremely mild in comparison. It took less than 10 minutes to reach the pods and most of the time you were walking on metal stairs. While it was a walk in the park for us, some other people in our group who were afraid of heights did find it a bit scary.
Once we arrived in our pods we were not allowed to leave them until the morning or unless there was an emergency.
The OVO Pods
The OVO Patagonia pods consist of 3 floors. The bottom floor is a netted hammock with pillows and blankets, making it a cozy place to read or relax. The middle floor is where you enter and has a small dining table and chairs, coffee and tea station, water, binoculars, a puzzle, etc. It’s also where the bathroom is.
The bathroom is a “dry toilet” system. You go #1 into the front part of the bowl, where it drains into a tank below. For #2, you go into the back part of the bowl and then shovel some mulch (located next to the toilet) onto your business when you’re done. It doesn’t smell the best when used, but it’s manageable. There’s also a sink with 20L of running water available in the tap and soap, toothpaste, hand towels, and 2 rolls of toilet paper were also provided.
The top floor is the bed. I found it to be very comfortable and the blankets and comforter kept us plenty warm at night. There were ladders to get between each floor.
The pods do have curtains for privacy from the other pods, but you can take these down for full, unblocked views in every direction. There is no air conditioning, but there is a heater and some small windows on each floor you can open for ventilation if necessary (you are not allowed to open the main door for safety reasons).
The bottom and middle floors also feature dimmable lights. The coolest part was that you can take the switch off the wall and bring it to bed with you so you can turn the lights off once you’re in bed.
Food
After we settled into our pods, the guides came and delivered our dinner. We had been able to tell them our dietary needs in advance but didn’t get to pick the meal. From the photos/videos I’d seen online, I had expected steak, but instead we had a lentil stew with meat, pumpkin soup, sausage and empanadas, and a dessert. It was all delicious, but more food than we could possibly eat.
We also had all the same drink options available for dinner. One person in our group even brought an extra bottle of wine with them up the mountain so they wouldn’t run out, so BYOB is an option.
In the morning, they brought us breakfast around 8AM. It was very carb-heavy with lots of bakery goods and chia pudding. We also got orange juice. While it was tasty, I didn’t feel like it was good fuel for the day ahead (I don’t like to eat dessert at breakfast!).
The Wind
Since our hike up had been very calm, I had expected that to carry through all evening, but I was quite wrong. Around 6PM the wind started to pick up and did not stop until after we’d gone to sleep.
OVO Patagonia monitors the wind and will cancel the experience if wind gusts are set to exceed 95 km/hr (~60mph). The pods can withstand much higher speeds, but the decision for the guest and guide safety out on the via ferrata. If this happens they will provide you lodging in a hotel and try to reschedule you.
While we had very strong gusts (especially in the more exposed Pod 4) and the pod shook a bit, we were still well below the safety threshold.
When I briefly woke up at 3AM and then again at 5AM, the wind had ceased.
Sunrise Overlooking Mt. Fitz Roy
Despite staying up until midnight to ring in the New Year, we set our alarms for 5AM to watch the sunrise. It’s really something you don’t want to miss. It took 30-45 minutes for the full alpenglow to hit Mt. Fitz Roy, but I just sat in bad, cozy in my blanket mystified by the beauty for well over an hour. Condors flew overhead as the mountain turned a vibrant shade of red.
In December, the sun sets and rises off to the left of El Chaltan, and the view over the river was just as gorgeous as the iconic mountain peaks.
After sunrise was over, I pulled my eye mask back on for a couple more hours of sleep before breakfast.
Departure
After breakfast, we packed up our stuff and the guides returned to escort us off the mountain. From there we did everything from the day before in reverse – the via ferrata, hiking down the mountain, and taking the van back to El Chaltén.
What Went Wrong
We had an incredible stay, but that’s not to say it was perfect. Here’s a quick list of the issues (most of them small!) we encountered:
- Our guide didn’t speak great English so there were points where it was hard to understand her. Thankfully, 2 of the people in our group did speak fluent English and Spanish so they kindly translated for us.
- Not getting to use the showers was an unpleasant surprise. We wish we’d been informed ahead of time that they were not in use.
- WiFi (or lacktherof) – while the building at the top has Starlink, the pods do not. This is intentional to allow you to disconnect from the outside world, but it was false advertising on their website. We did however have data on our phones from the pods.
- One person in our group was served a vegetarian meal despite not being vegetarian or marking so on their pre-arrival form. I was served a gluten-free meal as requested but it wasn’t clearly marked so I think I actually ate my husband’s regular meal instead.
- The heater wasn’t working in Pod 1, but the guided did come and fix it. However, this left a strong diesel smell in that pod that took a long time to dissipate.
- Pod 1 also had their toilet tank overflow and pee ended up all over the floor of the bathroom. Either the tank is very small or it wasn’t emptied from the previous visitors. When they told the guides about it the response was just “ya that happens.” Pretty gross…
- The only outlet wasn’t working in Pod 3.
- Pods 2 & 4 were missing pieces in the puzzle. Pods 1 & 3 didn’t do their puzzle so we don’t know if those are missing pieces as well.
OVO Patagonia vs. SkyLodge Adventure Suites Peru
We have had the privilege to stay at both OVO Patagonia in Argentina and SkyLodge Adventure Suites in the Sacred Valley of Peru. SkyLodge is more than a decade older, opening in 2013 and it really pioneered this pod-on-a-cliff concept. We stayed there in October 2023 and it was our first time ever doing a via ferrata (spoiler alert: we got hooked on via ferratas and have since done many around the world).
Here’s the key differences between the two experiences:
- OVO Patagonia has the better view – nothing beats the sunrise over Mt. Fitz Roy!
- Skylodge is cheaper – the price has gone up since we visited but for 2 people, Skylodge is now approximately $975 USD.
- Getting to/from the pods at Skylodge is more thrilling. You do a real via ferrata to get up to the pods, including crossing a wire bridge and making your way straight up a 1300 foot wall. To get down, you take a series of zip lines back to the start.
- OVO is much more luxurious and aesthetic than Skylodge. However, the company behind Skylodge also owns Starlodge on the other side of the same mountain where you take an easier via ferrata and get access to a hot tub on the side of a mountain. This is their less-adventurous, more luxurious option.
- At Skylodge we ate our meals with other guests in the dining pod, which is nice if you’re with a group. At OVO, we came with our family but all ate our meals in our individual pods.
- Skylodge is higher off the ground – 400 meters compared to OVO Patagonia’s 270 meters.
- Skylodge doesn’t have showers (not that we got to use the ones at OVO anyways)
- Alcohol and food were included at both and were of comparable quality. I liked the breakfast at Skylodge more (which featured made-to-order eggs!).
- At Skylodge, the pods can sleep up to 4 people, but there are only 3 pods.
You can read my full SkyLodge Peru review here.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning a trip to Patagonia and will be in El Chaltén, I do think this is a worthwhile experience. The sunrise over Mt. Fitz Roy is incredibly special and a memory that will be burned into my mind forever. However, OVO Patagonia is also verryyyy pricey and not part of everyone’s budget. The price can be very hard to swallow (especially knowing there are still some kinks in the operation), so don’t go broke to do this!
If you book a trip to OVO Patagonia, I hope you have as great of weather as we did. Mt. Fitz Roy is often covered in clouds, so we were very lucky to see it in it’s full glory.
Be sure to pin this post for future planning!
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