Che Lagarto is the largest chain of hostels in South America. We are located in 5 countries and have 14 years of experience in the business.

What is a hostel?

It is an establishment of a hotelier that provides inexpensive accomodation, food, and entertainment focused on younger populations. It has different types of rooms, guests can opt for shared rooms or for the traditional options offered in a hotel (private rooms: individual, double, triple, or family). As well, have common spaces, for example, a living room, television room, kitchen, game room, bar, etc.
The definition that we found in Wikipedia is: "Is a youth hotel, known also as hostal, it is a place that rents acomodations, particularly encouraged are activities in open air and cultural exchange between young people from different countries.
The guests rent a bed (sometimes a bunk) in a dormitory and they share a bathroom, kitchen, and common rooms. Frequently, private rooms are available as well. The primary benefits are: first, the low price of accommodations compared to other alternatives, like hotels, and that the guests can meet travelers from all around the world. In the past, they imposed an age limit on guests, but nowadays it is common that they accept people of all ages. Despite this, the great majority of guests are between 18 and 26 years old.

Hostels provide the opportunity for a multicultural learning experience. There is more interaction between guests than there is in a traditional hotel, and many of them provide free or low-cost activities for guests."
Come get to know the Che Lagarto of South America, we offer hostels in many of the major destinations in South America.
In Che Lagarto we are passionate about travel and we want to accompany tourists as they travel through South America with us. It is for this reason that travelers can find a hostel from our chain in the most attractive tourist destinations.
For people who like to travel, enjoy their vacations, get to know incredible places, build relationships with new and interesting people, and have intercultural exchanges, the best option is to stay in a hostel! You can find many different kinds of people, which is one of the more interesting and enriching aspects of staying in a hostel.

In each Che Lagarto you have the possibility of working in exchange for accommodation, so you can travel through South America for work and travel experience. This option is very helpful for those who are staying for a longer period of time, and who love to travel and get to know the destination they are traveling to.
Travel to South America with Che Lagarto, if you stay in more than one hostel in our chain, you get a 20% discount on your next reservation.
The meaning of the name CHE LAGARTO emerged because many years ago, in the beginning of Che Lagarto, our guests (traditional European backpackers) shared many characteristics with a very nice animal that gives origin the one part of the brand name: LAGARTO.
In that moment, backpackers were people that went through life with freedom, in small groups or individually, they liked a life of open air, sun, nature and did not work very hard living a relaxed and peaceful life.
For this reason we compared their behavior when they travel to the attitude of the LAGARTO, iguanas, or geckos, since they frequent the same areas as backpackers, among themselves, the mountains, deserts, and beaches; they are very nice animals and they come in different types, sizes, and colors.
These days the behavior of our clients has changed – and very much – because of the incorporation of a youth accustomed to traditional hotels that demand excellent quality of services.
The part of CHE arises from identifying the name with a typical element of Argentinean slang, since CHE LAGARTO was born in that country although in actuality works in many countries of southamerica
"Che" is an Argentine idiom often used among the young population for getting the attention of another person and when backpackers arrived in Buenos Aires it was one of the first words that they learned to say. Also, in the aboriginal dialect it means "people or a group of people", that gather to take up residence and habits of behavior, for example: the Mapuches and the Tehuelches, terms that identify some of the original Latin American communities.

Traveling can be the most incredible way to meet new friends, start new adventures, live intense love, or fall in love with all of life.
In Che Lagarto we live every day with stories like this. If we were to count the number of lover affairs there are per day in the 18 Che Lagartos… ufff! But relax… WHAT HAPPENS IN CHE LAGARTO STAYS IN CHE LAGARTO.

Would you recommend traveling through South America?
Without a doubt, because apart from encountering new things, people, and places, it opens your mind. One knows that other customs and other ways of thinking exist in different countries, but when one lives in a different country he or she really becomes aware of what that really means.

What advice do you give to guests of the Che Lagarto?
Take maximum advantage of every moment, try to see as many places as you can, and when you go to discover new places, stay for as long as these places merit, because sometimes when people travel, they are very rushed and they are unable to know many parts of the places they visit. You must give yourself enough time to know what these destinations are really like. Again, traveling opens your mind to the fact that the way peole live where you were born is not the only way that people live. Other ways of thinking, other mentalities and other customs exist. Traveling and seeing new places teaches you things that are important in life.

Actually, we have 18 locations in 5 countries:
in Argentina: Iguazú, Calafate and Buenos Aires.
in Perú: Lima and Cusco.
in Brasil: Florianópolis, Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana, Ipanema and Copacabana Suites), Paraty, Búzios, Salvador de Bahía, Morro de São Paulo and Itacare.
in Chile: Santiago de Chile and Viña del Mar

If you are reading this, it is because you love to travel and stay in hostels with a lot of character, for this your opinion is very important to us! We would love for you to send us your comments on what your ideal hostel would be like, what it should have, where it should be located, what services you would like to receive, everything you think they should have to be number one. Actually, we are the biggest chain of hostels in South America, but we are not satisfied with this. We want to be the best, and not just in South America, but in the world! For this we need your help, your suggestions, your feedback.