Chaitén has abundant budget accommodations but fairly little in either midrange or above. Family-run Hospedaje Ancud (Libertad 105, tel. 067/731535, US$7.50 pp with shared bath and breakfast) prepares additional meals as well. Young Israelis favor Hospedaje Casa de Rita (Almirante Riveros and Prat, tel. 065/721502, US$7.50 pp with shared bath, plus US$3.50 for breakfast).

Other affordable choices include Hospedaje Anita (Pedro de Valdivia 129, tel. 099/8423713, US$11 pp), also offering camping (US$4 pp); Residencial Astoria (Corcovado 442, tel. 065/731263, US$11 pp); and Hostería Sebastián (Almirante Riveros 163, tel./fax 065/731225, US$11 pp).

It’s hard to imagine rates won’t rise at German-run Casa Hexagon (Río Blanco 36, tel. 098/2862950, info [at] origami-life [dot] de, US$13 pp), a two-story polygon both comfortable and stylish—rooms open onto a central atrium with a spiral staircase, supported by an ulmo trunk and “paved” with loose granite stones mimicking the nearby river bottom. Owner Stephan Weber has decorated the sleeping quarters, some with river and mountain views, with modern art posters and tapestries, not to mention his own origami. Its only drawback—arguably an advantage—is its out-of-the-way location at the northeast edge of town, a seven-block trudge in the rain. Each floor has one spacious shared bath; breakfast costs US$4.50 extra.

Comparably priced, more traditional choices include Hostería Corcovado (Corcovado 408, tel. 065/731221, corcovado [at] chile [dot] com, US$11–13 pp with an ample breakfast), also a restaurant that serves homemade meals, including seafood, in the US$5–8 range; the waterfront Hostería Llanos (Corcovado 378, tel. 067/731332, US$13–15 pp with shared bath or private bath and breakfast); and Hospedaje Don Carlos (Almirante Riveros 53, tel./fax 065/731287, mali178 [at] hotmail [dot] com, US$11 pp with shared bath, US$31 d with private bath).

Owned by Pumalín visionary Doug Tompkins, tobacco-free Hostería Puma Verde (O’Higgins 54, tel./fax 065/731184, reservasalsur [at] surnet [dot] cl, US$47/65 s/d but no IVA discounts) is an intimate B&B whose dining room also serves meals to nonguests. A spacious lawn, planted with cherry and apple trees, separates the main house from a separate outbuilding that’s quieter. Rooms themselves are an upscale version of the south’s traditional shingle-covered houses, with steep-pitched roofs; the antiqueish beds and other furniture are solid, the mattresses firm, but the showers are a bit small. Befitting a Tompkins property, framed conservation posters and photographs cover the walls; in fact, Tompkins has upgraded the entire block with trees and flower planters.

Hotel Mi Casa (Av. Norte 206, tel. 065/731285, www.hotelmicasa.cl, US$36/52 s/d) exudes old-fashioned charm: wallpapered rooms with wood paneling, armoires, twin beds, central heating, and small bathrooms. Rates include a substantial breakfast (bread and cheese, strudel, tea or coffee); its restaurant is worth consideration for lunch or dinner as well. Some beds may seem soft because they have two mattresses rather than a mattress and box spring—check before taking the room.

Comparable places include attractive Hotel Schilling (Corcovado 230, tel. 065/731295, hotel_schilling [at] telsur [dot] cl, US$33/56 s/d with private bath), Hostería los Coihues (Pedro Aguirre Cerda 398, tel. 065/731461, US$52/56 s/d), and Cabañas Brisas del Mar (Corcovado 278, tel. 065/731266, fax 065/731284, cababrisas [at] telsur [dot] cl, US$46–74 s or d with breakfast and cable TV).