Eco Lodge/Wilderness Adventures
Argentina
Important: THE LODGE IS CLOSED FROM MAY TO SEP. DONT APPLY FOR THESE MONTHS. ITS OUR WINTER TIME AND WE DONT HAVE AN OPERATION RUNNING. ALSO: WE DO NOT, AND WILL NOT, ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FOR LESS THAN 25 DAYS. WE WILL NOT MAKE ANY EXCEPTION.
We will privilege curious, outdoorsy, adaptable, intuitive and experienced people. If you have NO experience with gardening, plants, animals, please do not apply. We are not a teaching institution. We REALLY need the helping hand.
Described by The New York Times as ´Argentina's Private (and Secret) answer to The Galapagos´, Bahia Bustamante is a seaside Lodge surrounded by 360° of pure nature, located in Patagonia, in an area recognized by its relevant biological biodiversity. Only in a few places in the world its possible to find such a number and diversity of seabirds and marine mammals, which is why it has been included in ´Patagonia Austral´ National Park & ´Blue Patagonia´ UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is also an IBA (Important Birding Area).
We are a Lodge with 25 years of operations and 11 cabins for guests. Several activities of wildlife exploration in 60 kmts of seaside coast.
WWOOFERs are welcomed since 15 years ago (only from October to April), and thanks to these collaboration exchange we have been able to make the best of our veggie production and hens and eggs breeding. Wwoofers also enjoy the paradise where we live in and aquire language skills and conservation concepts as well as some organic farming experience.
We have space for up to 5 wwoofers per month in single or double rooms with shared bathrooms. We offer 3 meals (simple cooking, not gourmet), washing machine, wi fi, nature experiences, and free pass to fabulous beaches.
VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
We expect 5 hours of work per day. Divided in 2 turns. 6 days a week.
Working days start very early in the morning. If you are not a morning person, this is not your place.
WE are a place of work. Our staff works on a very intense pace, many hours a day. We are a place of nature and contemplation. Silence and respect are the premise. So we will not accept wwoofers who are looking for late nights , drinking, parties or loud reunions in rooms or common room. We also prefer non smokers.
If you are looking for a place with a social experience with drinking, parties, music and loud fun....PLEASE do not apply here.
Organic methods: No agro.toxics used. No chemicals used at all.
We work with composting, horse manoure and purins.
Certifications: We dont sell our food. Its grown to provide the restaurant of the lodge.
Current projects: We have a Biodynamic Veggie Garden and a vineyard to care for. It involves composting, watering, removing weeds, planting and harvesting. The space is around 1,500 sq meters so we need to cover a big area with fruit trees, red berries, and all sorts of veggies. WE APPRECIATE ACTIVE and COMMITTED PEOPLE WHO LOVE PLANTS.
We have a chicken coop to care for. We feed them twice a day, change their water and collect eggs. We need help to care for them.
Internet access available almost all day
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Sheep or goat farming
Beekeeping
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Methods or systems
Biodynamic agriculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Production farm
10,000
Hectares
|
24,710.5
Acres
Astrid
Member since 2018
Languages spoken:
English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 2 days
Argentina
Bus from Comodoro Rivadavia or Trelew Cities in Chubut Province (DON OTTO Line) to Garayalde Gas Station in Route 3. Communicate day and time of arrival and we pick you up on the gas station to take you to the farm.
Reviews
Nicholas
United States
•
April 2026
My time at Bahia Bustamante was better than I could have ever imagined. This place exceeded all my expectations. Work consisted of working in the garden, watering and composting, preparing the beds for winter, harvesting fresh veggies. And tending to the chickens. Also there is always extra tasks if you are one who likes to lend a hand. Come with some enthusiasm and ready to work, put in the effort during work hours and on the free time enjoy the amazing place for what it is.
Exclusive, secluded and remote, surrounded by so much nature and wildlife. The perfect place to disconnect from city life, and enjoy being in the present. Having the chance to join expeditions depending on the weekly schedule, we even got to help harvest salicornia, do our part in helping to clean up the coast, and end the day enjoying matés on the beach. Some of the best sunrises and sunsets I have seen in my life. And the sky and stars at night, is just unbelievable.
Astrid is always doing the most to help us enjoy our time and feel comfortable, whatever you may need, just ask! She makes sure we all get to enjoy the experience as much as possible. If you come, work, and do your part, and in return get to experience this wonderful place. It is a very fair exchange, lunch and dinner served, and plenty provided for breakfast. Everyone is so welcoming, the workers and staff are all amazing.
I came to volunteer on a farm, not expecting it to be some of the best few weeks of my life. Truly an amazin...
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Reply from Astrid
You were the BEST! We miss you!!!
Bridget
United States
•
March 2026
such a great experience! this is such an awesome, unique area, and the opportunity to go on expeditions with the guides from the lodge was really incredible! the work wasn’t too much, and there was lots of free time for reading or walking or doing whatever!
Joshua
United States
•
March 2026
I had a great time at Bahía Bustamante and definitely recommend it!
The work is straightforward; lots of watering in the dry climate, wormery/chicken care, harvesting what can grow, and some odd jobs around the property.
The hours are also fair; there’s lots of time during the day to see the area, and one day off a week. Astrid was always including us in the tours when possible, and even took time to take just us volunteers around the property to swim, picnic, chat, etc. It’s a beautiful location, and walking around was one of my favorite ways to spend time.
The accommodation was simple but private, and there is no cooking obligation; everything comes from the kitchen. It’s important to make sure everyone is all on the same page…for a while we weren’t in sync and had some issues until we talked to Astrid and she sorted everything out.
My favorite part was the other people I was able to meet! The managers, waitstaff, chefs, and guides were all interesting people and really nice. The guides especially spent the most time with us, and I always loved learning from them and just enjoying their company. Astrid and Matias were also very friendly. A few reviews said Astrid can be rude…sometimes she was overly harsh or blunt for no good reason, but overall it was manageable. After spending time with her, it’s clear that she’s a friendly person and puts a lot of effort into the volunteers’ wellbeing and enjoyment.
Thank you Astrid for the experience! ¡Espero volver de nuevo!
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Reply from Astrid
Thank you Josh!! Take care and enjoy!
Manon
France
•
May 2025
Expérience dépaysante à Bahia Bustamante! Le littoral est très beau, et les animaux grouillent ;) surtout les guanacos ! Mais également pingoins, maras, tatous...
Les habitations sont spartiates mais mimis et surtout individuelles (grand luxe dans le monde des baroudeurs ;) ) . Vous pourrez allez faire des ballades le long de la plage lors de vos temps libre, admirez les couchers de soleil.
Il faut bien penser a acheter ce dont vous avez besoin au préalable (pour le petit dej, les gouters... des apéricubes?) car AUCUNE possibilité d'aller faire des emplettes une fois sur site (très isolé, donc à moins d'avoir un hydravion?).
Si vous venez prendre des vacances sans trop travailler, ce n'est pas l'endroit. Car en contrepartie d'etre logés et nourris, il vous faut bien aider ! Les poules et le jardin n'attendent pas.
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Simon
France
•
May 2025
We spent 3 amazing weeks in Bahia Bustamante, thank you Astrid!
We saw some recent negative comments and strongly disagree. If you come with unrealistic expectations or aren’t open to the experience of volunteering in a remote area, stay at home. Don’t be stupid, and you’ll have an unforgettable time.
Work:
Tasks included caring for the vegetable garden, plants, and chickens. If you’re enthusiastic, Astrid gives you more variety—kitchen help, cleaning, vineyard work, even helping with dogs. We were lucky to join the vine harvest, which ended in a special celebration. Days were diverse and flew by. Work hours were typically 8–10 am and 4–7 pm.
Place:
Bahia Bustamante is stunning, with plenty to explore—nature walks, the lodge, and amazing excursions (which Astrid made sure we joined—thank you!).
Accommodation:
Volunteers have private rooms (!!) with a sink and desk, and shared warm-water bathrooms. Common areas are super welcoming.
Food:
The food is AMAZING—no cooking required! Warm meals at lunch and dinner, breakfast with bread and jam. There's also a fridge and kitchen if you want to store extras.
PS:
One of the personal highlights was the wonderful staff—we made real connections. Their kindness made our stay even more special.
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Imogen
United States
•
April 2025
Our stay at Bahía Bustamante was truly extraordinary and we can’t recommend it enough! Astrid was an amazing host and was very communicative about our responsibilities, needs, etc. She has fair expectations about the work and always tried to create fun experiences for us in our free time. She was also very understanding and accommodating when we had to change our departure date due to travel logistics—just be sure to communicate in advance.
Our room was perfectly comfortable and had everything we needed. When the weather got colder, Astrid made sure we had floor mats and enough blankets. The food is good and we were well fed, but we would recommend bringing some snacks—especially for the morning because breakfast is not served—you can always ask the kitchen for ingredients and cook something yourself.
While we knew Bahía Bustamante would be stunning, we were consistently blown away by the vastness of the surrounding nature. There really is nothing like it and you will find new beauty in the land every day. In addition to having a great group of wwoofers during our stay, the full time staff is incredible and we definitely made some friends for life. Thank you Astrid and Matias for everything—we had the time of our lives and already miss it so much!
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