This is Villa Maria Lodge, set on the lower Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the most famous Sea Trout river in the world. With exclusive access to more than ten miles of double-bank water and just six rods per week, anglers have the first shot at fresh chrome-bright fish entering from the sea.
Fishing is organised as two anglers per guide, with transport by 4x4s and rotation through three to seven pools per beat. A riverside cabin allows for riverside lunches and siestas, maximising time on the water. Veteran guides bring deep knowledge of the river, with each week beginning with an evening warm-up session that often produces fish before the trip truly starts.
The lower river’s wide pools and strong current are ideal for Spey casting. Gravel bars, cutbanks and riffles all hold fish, and double-handed rods with a mix of floating, intermediate and sinking lines allow you to adapt to the conditions. The fishing is technical, with streamers, nymphs and even dries all in play depending on light and flow. Guides are always on hand to refine presentation and improve results.
Back at the lodge, modern comfort blends with warm Argentinian character. Enjoy ensuite rooms, a roaring fire, and an atmosphere that makes returning from the river a pleasure. Evenings feature fine cuisine, regional wines and the renowned service that has made Villa Maria one of the most sought-after lodges on the Rio Grande.
Book your place today and secure access to the prime river beats of Villa Maria Lodge with Sportquest Holidays.
The season runs from December to March.
Season: December to March
Peak: January to March
Weight: 5lb to 30lb
Average Weight: 8.5lb
Season: December to March
Peak: January to March
Weight: 1lb to 6lb
Average Weight: 2.5lb
Depart Any international airport - Arrive Buenos Aires
Depart Any international airport - Arrive Buenos Aires
Depart: TBA
Arrive: Ezeiza International Airport
General Note
General Note
Please note: Depending on your chosen international airport, an overnight flight and/or hotel stay may be required, which may affect your departure and return dates. Your itinerary will be finalised once travel arrangements are confirmed.
Independent flight/travel arrangements can be accommodated, though our flight-inclusive packages are recommended to ensure seamless integration into your holiday plans.
Transfer from Buenos Aires Airport to Jorge Newbery Internal Airport
Transfer from Buenos Aires Airport to Jorge Newbery Internal Airport
Once you’ve arrived in Buenos Aires and collected your bags, you’ll need to arrange a taxi (not included) for the short transfer to Jorge Newbery Airport, where you’ll catch your domestic flight.
Depart Buenos Aires - Arrive Ushuaia
Depart Buenos Aires - Arrive Ushuaia
Depart: Jorge Newbery Airpark
Arrive: Ushuaia Airport
Transfer from Ushuaia Airport to your overnight hotel
Transfer from Ushuaia Airport to your overnight hotel
Once you’ve landed in Ushuaia and collected your bags, you’ll be transferred to your overnight hotel. From there, you’ll have the rest of the day to relax, explore the local area, enjoy a bite to eat, and unwind before your fishing adventure begins.
Ushuaia Standard Hotel
Overnight Accommodation
Ushuaia Standard Hotel in a Single Room on a Bed & Breakfast basis
Travel from your overnight hotel to Villa Maria Lodge
Travel from your overnight hotel to Villa Maria Lodge
After breakfast, you’ll be picked up at around 9.00am by a representative from Villa Maria and transferred to the lodge, a journey of approximately three hours. On arrival, you’ll be welcomed with cocktails and introduced to the Villa Maria team.
The remainder of the day is yours to relax, settle in, and get your gear ready for the exciting week of fishing ahead.
Villa Maria Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Villa Maria Lodge in a Single Room on a Full board basis
Fishing
Fishing
Your first two days of fishing will allow you to experience wetting a fly on the world-renowned Rio Grande. The lodge controls over 10 miles of fishing on both banks of this famous waterway, and with only six angers per week, it offers a vast array of opportunities.
Due to the lodge’s prime location, which is lower on the river, you will get the first crack of the whip at fresh chrome, chrome-bright Sea Trout as they push into the system.
Villa Maria Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Villa Maria Lodge in a Single Room on a Full board basis
Fishing
Fishing
On fishing days three and four, you, your buddy, and your guide will explore more of the beautiful Rio Grande. All the fishing is based on two anglers and one guide per beat, and with three to seven pools per beat, there’s plenty of water.
Villa Maria’s veteran guides will rotate with you through all beats throughout your week while offering expert advice to help you get the most out of your holiday.
Villa Maria Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Villa Maria Lodge in a Single Room on a Full board basis
Fishing
Fishing
Your last two fishing days can be a great time to try and target one of the bigger fish the river is famous for. Studies show that the Sea Run Browns in the Rio Grande are about 17% heavier than other sea trout of the same length, and with low predation, biologically rich salt water, and a strict catch and release policy, the fish have thrived.
Villa Maria Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Villa Maria Lodge in a Single Room on a Full board basis
Travel from Villa Maria Lodge to Rio Grande Airport
Travel from Villa Maria Lodge to Rio Grande Airport
At approximately 8:00am, you’ll be transferred from the lodge to Rio Grande Airport for the start of your journey home. The transfer takes around 30 minutes, allowing you a relaxed departure after your week on the river.
Depart Rio Grande - Arrive Buenos Aires
Depart Rio Grande - Arrive Buenos Aires
Depart: Gobernador Ramón Trejo Noel International Airport
Arrive: Jorge Newbery Airpark
Transfer from Buenos Aires Airport to your overnight hotel
Transfer from Buenos Aires Airport to your overnight hotel
Once you’ve landed in Buenos Aires and collected your luggage, you’ll need to take a taxi (not included) to your overnight hotel. After checking in, the rest of the day is yours to relax, unwind, or explore the vibrant culture, cuisine, and charm of this beautiful city.
Buenos Aires Standard Hotel
Overnight Accommodation
Buenos Aires Standard Hotel in a Single Room on a Bed & Breakfast basis
Transfer from your overnight hotel to Buenos Aires Airport
Transfer from your overnight hotel to Buenos Aires Airport
Depending on your international flight schedule, be sure to allow enough time to take a taxi (not included) back to Buenos Aires Airport for your journey home. We recommend arriving at the airport at least 3 hours before your departure.
Depart Buenos Aires - Arrive Any international airport
Depart Buenos Aires - Arrive Any international airport
Depart: Ezeiza International Airport
Arrive: TBA
General Note
General Note
Please note: Depending on your chosen international airport, an overnight flight and/or hotel stay may be required, which may affect your departure and return dates. Your itinerary will be finalised once travel arrangements are confirmed.
Independent flight/travel arrangements can be accommodated, though our flight-inclusive packages are recommended to ensure seamless integration into your holiday plans.
Prices are shown per person and are based on single rooms and two anglers per guide unless stated otherwise. All prices are accurate at the time of publication but may vary slightly depending on factors such as travel dates, booking time, airline pricing, or fuel surcharges set by the operators.
Flights are always priced at the most competitive rates available at the time of enquiry to ensure you receive the best possible value when booking.
Proudly an ATOL bonded company, our trips are complete packages, including all flights, transfers, accommodation, and fantastic fishing and shooting experiences.
| From | To | Days | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31/12/2026 | 09/01/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Enquire |
| 07/01/2027 | 16/01/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Sold Out |
| 14/01/2027 | 23/01/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Sold Out |
| 21/01/2027 | 30/01/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Sold Out |
| 28/01/2027 | 06/02/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Sold Out |
| 04/02/2027 | 13/02/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Sold Out |
| 11/02/2027 | 20/02/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Enquire |
| 18/02/2027 | 27/02/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Enquire |
| 25/02/2027 | 06/03/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Enquire |
| 04/03/2027 | 13/03/2027 | 10 | £15,153 | Sold Out |
| 11/03/2027 | 20/03/2027 | 10 | £13,565 | Sold Out |
| 18/03/2027 | 27/03/2027 | 10 | £13,565 | Sold Out |
| 25/03/2027 | 03/04/2027 | 10 | £13,565 | Sold Out |
| 06/01/2028 | 15/01/2028 | 10 | £15,773 | Enquire |
| 13/01/2028 | 22/01/2028 | 10 | £15,773 | Enquire |
| 20/01/2028 | 29/01/2028 | 10 | £15,773 | Enquire |
| 27/01/2028 | 05/02/2028 | 10 | £15,773 | Enquire |
| 03/02/2028 | 12/02/2028 | 10 | £15,773 | Enquire |
| 10/02/2028 | 19/02/2028 | 10 | £15,773 | Enquire |
| 17/02/2028 | 26/02/2028 | 10 | £15,773 | Enquire |
| 24/02/2028 | 04/03/2028 | 10 | £15,773 | Enquire |
| 02/03/2028 | 11/03/2028 | 10 | £15,773 | Enquire |
| 09/03/2028 | 18/03/2028 | 10 | £14,106 | Enquire |
| 16/03/2028 | 25/03/2028 | 10 | £14,106 | Enquire |
| 23/03/2028 | 01/04/2028 | 10 | £14,106 | Enquire |
If your preferred week or travel dates do not appear in the calendar above, please get in touch. Many lodges release availability in stages, and some dates depend on tides, seasons, guide schedules, or short-notice changes. By speaking with us directly, you will receive the most up to date availability and clear guidance on securing the strongest options before popular weeks fill.
Enquire now and we will check live availability for the dates you are considering.
Our ATOL protection, means you have financial security on your booking.
All our destinations are thoroughly researched by our team of experts.
We have worked hard to be able to provide you with the best prices possible.
We offer complete holiday packages, making booking a holiday simple.
"I was in VM lodge for a week looking for seatrout in Rio Grande. All the service was excellent and the fishing too. Amazing fishes, great food, very nice people. A MUST"
"Some places are ok, some are good and every now and then you find one that you know you just will return again and again. Thanks for making our dreams come true."
"Hi, we have just returned from our first and defiantly not our last trip to Villa Maria Lodge. Having the whole place just to ourselves was amazing, the lodge staff and fishing was way above our expectations, big thank you to everyone who is involved in organising and running this superb operation."
"Hi Peter many thanks for organising our annual trip to Argentina. weather was bit crap but fishing was great. Speak to you again soon"
"Absolutely fantastic hospitality and food among with world-class trout fishing, simply the best experience that you can get.
I would highly recommend anyone to take the time to travel to VM you will not regret it in anyway."
"We have been to Villa Maria now 4 times and each time the hospitality has been second to none.
We have been lucky on all our trips to catch both the weather and fishing in perfect conditions which has made for some excellent trips."
"Unfortunately we had a very difficult week, the water levels were very low and most days we did not have a breath of wind. Everyone struggled and the best fishing probably the only time worth fishing on our week was the last hour of the day in to darkness.
We have listened to many stories about this lodge and everyone talks very highly so we are sure that our week was not normal, just bad luck, but thats fishing."
"Tough week due to bad conditions, however all the guides knew exactly what to do. Even though the fishing was tough we all managed to catch fish (Thanks to the expert guiding) It is times like this when you realise the importance of good guides.
Nothing else for it but to return and hope for better conditions."
Villa Maria Lodge was designed to house angling guests while offering a very comfortable stay. The main lodge features six en-suite double and single rooms decorated in modern furnishings and handcrafted from local woods. As the lodge only caters for six anglers each week, each person gets their own space, plus some rooms are suitable to bring along your non-angling partner. Each room has bedside cabinets with reading lights, a dressing table and chair, and large windows, making the rooms feel very spacious. Inside the main lodge, you can sit and share stories in a communal, spacious living area. There will be a roaring fire ready to greet you from a longs days fishing and the bar will be well-stocked during the evening.
You will find a well-stocked tackle shop at the lodge with all the items you may need during your week from, Sage rods, quality reels, flies, lines, clothing, and other items that you may need. In addition to the tackle shop you will also find a fly tying station and a room to store your gear.
If the main lodge wasn’t enough, you also get to make full use of the riverside day house to augment the fishing rotation. Returning to the day house for lunch, there are three cosy warm rooms perfect for a quiet midday siesta after a big meal and lots of wine.
The kitchen at Villa Maria Lodge comes to life through fresh, and locally sourced produces such as fresh, locally grown vegetables and stunning meats. Each plate of food is carefully created using delicious flavours by the top-notch team of experienced national and international chefs trained in classic and avant-garde techniques. The chefs, each day, will produce fresh pasta and fire-roasted meats like their famous Patagonian Lamb, which is slow-roasted gaucho-style over charcoal embers; alongside the meat dishes, there will be daily ocean-fresh flavours such as King Crab.
Don’t forget to save room for one of the delicious desserts on offer, such as fresh homemade ice-cream and classic sweets and pastries.
To wash this all down, the lodge serves some fantastic wines from Bodega Catena Zapata, which are the perfect blend and renowned wines that compete globally. They hold a special place in the Argentinian culture, and they are very proud to serve them to you.
One thing is for sure you will be spoilt all week and are never going to come home hungry.
Villa Maria Lodge is nestled on the world-renowned lower sections of the Rio Grande and was established in 1994. Only six lucky customers per week who stay at Villa Maria Lodge have access to over 10 miles of fly fishing on both banks of this very famous Rio Grande River. Due to the lodge’s location, which is lower on the river, customers will get the first crack of the whip at fresh chrome bright Sea Trout as they push into the system. With gravel bars, deep cut banks runs, and pools mean today, a twenty-pound fish is, on any given day, now classed as the norm for the lodge.
Villa Maria Lodge Argentina is a paradise for serious spey anglers who like long casts and expansive pools. Fishing is based on only two anglers and their guide per beat, with three to seven pools per beat. Villa Maria’s veteran guides will rotate with you through all beats offering expert advice this way, you learn more and enjoy more. One nice touch we like about Villa Maria is each week starts with an evening warm-up session as there’s nothing better than blowing off the cobwebs of one’s casting. It’s not unusual that customers will catch a Sea Trout or two the first night they arrive. Another great advantage is to maximise time fishing on the river; there is a cabin on the river bank for lunch and siesta, all in a stunning setting of the wilds of Tierra del Fuego, which allows you to fish more and drive less.
In Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the Rio Grande flows from west to east, coming down from the Andes and flowing out into the Atlantic Ocean and approximately 60 miles of Argentine territory. The stunning but sparse landscape of Tierra Del Fuego is reminiscent of something you would find in Scotland’s low lands. In 1953 an Englishman named John Goodall first introduced Brown Trout to Tierra del Fuego, and some 60,000 Salmo trutta eggs were dispersed into two tributaries of the Rio Grande. These Trout have since found their way into the open ocean, where they grew large before returning to the river to start the whole process again.
Studies show that the Sea Run Browns in Tierra del Fuego’s Rio Grande are about 17% heavier than other sea trout of the same length. Their size and high return rate are low predation factors, biologically rich salt waters and a strict Catch and Release policy employed by all lodges. Rio Grande’s Sea Run Brown Trout population was last estimated at around 75,500 adult fish.
Standard days fishing on the Rio Grande will see you leave the lodge around 9 am after a good hearty breakfast with your guides, and you will head to the river in the lodges 4×4 vehicles. You will fish the various pools in your given zone until around 1 pm, where you will return to the day lodge for lunch and a well-earned siesta.
You will return to the river late in the afternoon to fish a new beat and its various pools with a new guide until dark. Actual fishing hours will change depending on the time of year.
Staying at Villa Maria, you have the benefit of fishing the lower portions of the Río Grande, where its braided waters are home to some of the freshest, fiercest sea-run Brown Trout in the system. This section is ideal for Spey casters due to its longer and broader pools that cater beautifully to the swing. Generally speaking, the Rio Grande Sea Trout will move upstream primarily early morning, favour cutbanks during the midday, then carry on with their upstream movements during the evenings and night-time hours. In low water areas, you should target the riffles as the Sea Trout prefer this well-oxygenated area. If you are targeting the cutbanks, then a well-presented swing as near to these as possible will be the preferred method; whether this is an upstream and across, straight across or downstream and across, you will need to work this out as each day could well be different.
You will need to vary your presentation from pool to pool until you have worked out the right formula of fly, fly line, drift or swing, and your retrieve speed. This fishing style is very technical, and great importance must be given to working it out, but once you have achieved this, things will start to fall in to place. Lastly, always listen to the guides; they spend most of their time on rivers like these and are experts in the style, dedication and finesse that it takes to fish big windswept rivers like the Rio Grande.
For fly rods, double-handed multi-piece Spey-style rods are the No. 1 choice, although single-handed rods also work well during specific lower water times. Light two-handed switch rods are increasingly popular. They allow you to cast longer distances with less effort, particularly when the wind blows. Two-handers mend and control line effectively because of their longer lengths. Use rods 12 to 14 feet for 8- to 9/10-weight lines. If you are new to two-handers, the lodges expert guides will help hone your skills. We also recommend 9- thru 10-foot single-handed rods in the 8- to 9-weight class. These rods simplify fishing when casting downstream with the prevailing southwest wind at your back. When casting into the wind, 8- or 9-weights also have the muscle to punch large flies through heavy gusts. Given the river’s moderate flow and generally even gravel bottom, these rods are capable of battling large sea trout up to 25+ pounds while ensuring good action with smaller 5- to 12-pound fish.
Reels need to be of good quality with solid and smooth drags are essential for playing big sea trout. Reels (and spare spools) should have the fly line’s capacity and 100+ yards of 20+ pound backing.
For fly lines, weight-forward is the go-to choice for single-handed rods on the Rio Grande. For low-water conditions, use floating lines during early morning and evening hours when fish are more surface oriented. Also, combine floating lines and heads with poly leaders and other intermediates to extra fast-sinking tips. A full selection of poly leaders is key. For single-handed rods, 5 to 10-foot tips are preferred. Use longer 10 to 15 footers for two-handed rods. Complete sinking/shooting taper lines also excel here: Teeny T-200 and T-300 lines, for instance. Pack at least one or both of these. Also, we recommend RIO’s Outbound floating lines. We suggest packing a range of heads for two-handed rods, including Skagits, Scandis, and even tweeners. Skagit heads load the rod with less line, quickly turn over heavy tips, and effectively chucking big, heavy flies…, or casting into the wind. Scandis, on the other hand, are great for low, warmer-water conditions that call for more delicate presentations. Good running lines are available from Loop, Scientific Anglers, RIO, and Airflo.
Prevailing southwest winds can be used to your advantage by roll-casting or Spey-casting, eliminating the need to backcast into heavy tailing winds. In many cases, simple roll casts can move large streamers 35 to 50 feet across-and-downstream or far enough to cover good holding lies. Weight-forward lines also roll-cast well by hauling and shooting during the cast.
For leaders, Rio Grande sea-run brown trout are not particularly leader shy. More important is the need for diameter and strength to turn over large flies and to play large fish fast without breaking them off. Pack spools of monofilament and fluorocarbon in 10-15 lb breaking strengths Seaguar, Maxima, RIO. Check leaders, tippets, and their connections regularly for wind knots and abrasions. For floating lines, use knotless tapered leaders from 9 to 12 feet with 0X tippets (13-15-lb). You can also use two-piece leaders built from straight Maxima.
Pack a range of flies in various sizes to address changing conditions on the river. We recommend using barbless hooks for both the fish and your safety in high wind conditions. Double and treble hooks are not permitted. Sea-run brown trout can be puzzling. Trout that smashed small salmon patterns yesterday may require flies with white rubber legs tomorrow. Over the years, most Rio Grande fish have been taken on large streamers. However, recently, more large sea trout are taken on smaller wets, nymphs, and even dry flies. Don’t leave home without a well-rounded fly box. If you don’t own the proper selection of flies for the lodges beats, don’t worry, the lodge has got you covered. They keep a vast selection of the best flies in the world on hand at the lodge.
A question that gets asked many times is it possible to extend my stay? The simple answer is yes, you can stay at Villa Maria Lodge for as long as you wish; however, the fishing is sold in set weeks. Sportquest also has many additional destinations in Argentina to offer either full or half week add ons. We can arrange for you to fish different rivers for Sea Trout, fish smaller rivers for wild Brown Trout, Chase monster Chinook Salmon and even Golden Dorado fly fishing. Being the UK leading specialist in fishing holidays to Argentina, we can tailor your itinerary to suit. Please feel free to ask, and we will always work something out for just you. View all tours in Argentina
I was in VM lodge for a week looking for seatrout in Rio Grande. All the service was excellent and the fishing too. Amazing fishes, great food, very nice people. A MUST
We are glad that you enjoyed your trip from door to door. Also thank you for the pictures a great cracking shot of a jumping fish.
Some places are ok, some are good and every now and then you find one that you know you just will return again and again. Thanks for making our dreams come true.
It was our pleasure and we hope to do it again for you someday soon. mel
Hi, we have just returned from our first and defiantly not our last trip to Villa Maria Lodge. Having the whole place just to ourselves was amazing, the lodge staff and fishing was way above our expectations, big thank you to everyone who is involved in organising and running this superb operation.
That is great news that your group enjoyed the run of the place and the fishing. It was a treat to deal with you all and I look forward to all your future arrangements.
Hi Peter many thanks for organising our annual trip to Argentina. weather was bit crap but fishing was great. Speak to you again soon
Paul, sorry to hear that the weather and water was not playing its normal ball. However I am pleased that you all still enjoyed the trip and that you all managed to land a good few fish. Thanks for your custom and I hope to assist you again.
Absolutely fantastic hospitality and food among with world-class trout fishing, simply the best experience that you can get.
I would highly recommend anyone to take the time to travel to VM you will not regret it in anyway.
Tim nice destination review thanks a million
We have been to Villa Maria now 4 times and each time the hospitality has been second to none.
We have been lucky on all our trips to catch both the weather and fishing in perfect conditions which has made for some excellent trips.
Andrew so glad to hear that you have had 4 amazing trips, also thank you for completing a destination review as we are sure customers will find your review / comments helpful.
Unfortunately we had a very difficult week, the water levels were very low and most days we did not have a breath of wind. Everyone struggled and the best fishing probably the only time worth fishing on our week was the last hour of the day in to darkness.
We have listened to many stories about this lodge and everyone talks very highly so we are sure that our week was not normal, just bad luck, but thats fishing.
Thank you so much for your destination review. I know only to well what fishing is like when conditions are against you. The fishing can be tough. Our customers who have been to VM always have good things to say so we are sure that your week was just down to bad luck. You will have to return to set the record straight.
Tough week due to bad conditions, however all the guides knew exactly what to do. Even though the fishing was tough we all managed to catch fish (Thanks to the expert guiding) It is times like this when you realise the importance of good guides.
Nothing else for it but to return and hope for better conditions.
Trevor, thank you for your destination feedback. Sorry to hear that when you travelled the conditions we not perfect. We do agree with you about good guides and we have always found the guides at VM to be first rate.
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