Patagonia Explorer |

Today, we will follow the paths of many remarkable explorers such as Magellan, Drake, Fitz Roy and Darwin among several others, as we take the ferry across and sail through the famous Magellan Straits in direction to the huge island of Tierra del Fuego – the Land of Fire. During this 2-hour crossing we will have the opportunity to spot a variety of marine wildlife: from penguins, albatrosses, petrels and other seabirds to marine mammals including Peale’s Dolphin and even Sei Whale.

We will land at Porvenir, the main town in the Chilean side of the island and explore the many alkaline ponds around. We will be delighted to see an interesting selection of Patagonian birds, including colorful flocks of Chilean Flamingo, Black-necked Swans and a variety of waterfowl and wading birds. We will visit the interesting local museum where your guide will provide thorough insight about the history and prehistory of this territory, originally inhabited by the long-gone Selknam tribe, a truly remarkable group of hunter-gatherers who left a significant heritage.

Overnight Yendegaia House, Porvenir (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide) patagonia nature tours

We will drive for approximately two hours along the shores of Useless Bay, where we expect to see Guanaco and Southern Grey Fox. The open sky country is vast and comprises rolling hills and beautiful coves, dotted by colorful farms and fishing boats. Reserva Pingüino Rey is the only breeding colony of King Penguin in South America and consequently is one of the most accessible spots to see this species in the wild. This is a private nature reserve, which aims to preserve the small numbers of Kings that visit the area and even remain year-round here, taking advantage of the excellent feeding conditions of the surrounding seas. We will have plenty of chances to observe and photograph the penguins from a reasonable distance (50+ meters).

We will keep exploring the northern part of Isla Grande, and will drive back to Porvenir by the scenic road of Baquedano Hills. Large herds of Guanaco can be seen here as well as interesting vegetation as lush stands of Chilean Firebush, a local protea. The moorlands of Baquedano are very dramatic and historic as this was the area where gold was discovered hundred years ago, attracting a large influx of immigrants to Patagonia.

Overnight Yendegaia House, Porvenir (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide)

We will catch our flight back to Punta Arenas; this is a short but scenic 15-minute flight over the mythic waters of the Straits of Magellan. We will appreciate the incredible glacial action recorded in the last 12,000 years, which has carved these famous seaways as well as the coasts of both the mainland and Tierra del Fuego. From the plane we will see the distant peaks of the Andes, located in the southern part of the island.

We will visit Estancia Cerro Negro, a working sheep-farming station, where we will watch a shearing and sheep dog demonstration and enjoy a delicious Patagonian-style barbecue. Then, we will head towards the picturesque coastal town of Natales, where there are are gorgeous vistas of Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) fjord, with tens of stunning Black-necked Swans feeding along the shore.

Overnight Hotel Costa Australis or similar, Puerto Natales (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide)

During the morning, we visit the Mylodon Cave Nature Reserve, a massive natural formation made out of conglomerate rock. We will take one of the several trails and explore its largest cave, which in ancient times sheltered a variety of long-gone Pleistocene mammals, including the Giant Ground-Sloth (or Mylodon), about 12,000 years ago when most of the surrounding area was covered by glaciers. Later, we will continue towards Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia’s premier wildlife destination and a huge protected area (227,000 hectares / 560,000 acres). Progressing from the south, we will stop at a few view points providing the most incredible views of the Paine Massif and its many jagged peaks of granite and sedimentary rock. As we move around the park, you shall see large confiding herds of Guanaco – most southerly relative to camels and the ostrich-like Lesser or Darwin’s Rhea along the road. We will enjoy the opportunity to walk in Patagonia; we will have a mild, scenic walk between Pehoe and Nordenskjöld lakes, enjoying the waterfalls, the entangled vegetation and the breathtaking mountain landscape of the Horns, the most iconic peaks of the Paine Massif. Patagonia nature tours

Overnight Hotel Las Torres or similar, Torres del Paine (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide)

The long-gone Indians of Patagonia gave the name Paine, meaning blue, presumably referring to its remarkable color when observed at a distance. We will have the opportunity to explore the southern Beech (Nothofagus) forests to study its diversity of plants and animals; we will look for Magellanic Woodpecker, Austral Parakeet and, if we are lucky, the shy Andean Deer or Huemul. We will be marveled by the contrasting mosaic of towering mountains, glaciers, lakes and forests. Lake Grey is certainly one of the highlights of the day. Colossal icebergs are stranded on the southern shore of the lake after a long and slow transit from the glacier front. From this shore we will board our boat for a 3-hour excursion through the icy waters of the lake towards the impressive and active calving front of the Grey Glacier. Grey is one of the nearly 50 outlet glaciers which originate from the massive Southern Patagonian Ice Field, world’s third largest after Antarctica and Greenland, and is one of the most beautiful and colorful in all Patagonia. The front is full of crevasses and the solid glacial ice colors vary from whitish to deep indigo. The glacier is flanked towards the east by impressive granite walls, which are part of the Paine Massif, and towards the west, by the eroded and low summits of the older Andes. Photography is great at this particular spot. We will be treated with a glass of Pisco sour or Scotch containing glacier ice hundreds, maybe even a thousand years old!

Overnight Hotel Las Torres or similar, Torres del Paine (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide)

We have organized a busy schedule of outings for pumas in the area. We will inspect the puma hunting grounds located in the eastern flank of the park and throughout the property of Estancia Laguna Amarga, where we have special granted access and an excellent relationship with the owners. The area is comprised by the northern coast of Sarmiento Lake, Laguna Amarga and Laguna Azul is well known for holding one of the largest concentrations of pumas in the wild. We will have the support of a 4×4 vehicle to move inside the ranch but we can also have easy to moderate walks, so a minimum degree of fitness is required in order to be able to keep up with the group. Topography is usually not too demanding but there might be differences in altitude of around 50-250m / 160-1,000ft sometimes, although your group will walk at a slow and gentle pace. Maximum elevation during this trip will be 300m/1,000ft above sea level. Pumas are normally quite active at night, early in the mornings and late in the evenings. Our activities will gravitate around these preferred times by cats, when they are usually patrolling their territory, hunting guanacos and other prey, interacting with their offspring or commuting from their hunting grounds to their dens. We will have two sessions each day, a morning session and an evening session (app. 4 hours each). During the middle of the day, we will not be watching pumas in order to avoid disturbance at a critical time, when they are resting, sleeping after a long night hunting elusive guanacos.

Overnight Hotel Las Torres or similar, Torres del Paine (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide)

This morning we will have an early start in order to be ready to photograph the Towers or the Horns at dawn. With the right lighting, the mountain base turns to orange colors and the scene becomes very dramatic with peculiar lenticular clouds moving fast over the peaks. After breakfast, we will leave Torres del Paine in direction to Cerro Castillo, in order to continue towards El Calafate, Argentina. Once we arrive to El Calafate, we will have the chance to recover after the long drive and enjoy the quietness of our hotel. There is an optional activity for this afternoon, to explore the tiny but productive Laguna Nimez Nature Reserve. We will be amazed by the large variety of species we will be spotting on this urban wetland including swans, geese and many waterfowl including Red Shoveler, Andean Duck and others. Acrobatic Cinereous Harriers are usually seen flying over the reed beds in search of prey or attending their nests. From one of the hides/blinds we hope to have great views of colorful Chilean flamingos, a usual visitor to the shore of the Argentino Lake.

Overnight Hotel Kau Yatun or similar, El Calafate (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide)

The trip we have selected for you today include a great circuit visiting several old estancias (the local term for ranch). This is a very scenic route and with far less traffic than the main road to Perito Moreno Glacier. Our first destination will be Estancia Nibepo where we will see a sheep shearing show and learn about the activities of this old ranch operation. The natural setting of Estancia Nibepo is magnificent with commanding views to Argentino Lake and its Southern Arm. We will have a delicious typical lunch at the local restaurant. Afterwards we will board our boat and set off to explore the lake in order to enter the national park. We will have one landing and the opportunity to walk for half a mile and explore one of the Lenga forests of the area. Afterwards we will linger in front of the souther branch of Perito Moreno Glacier and its outstanding ice walls. Right after we will visit the astonishing circuit of viewing platforms and board walks in front of the glacier. The timing is great as is more quiet during the afternoon with less visitors than in the morning. Perito Moreno is one of the largest glaciers of the whole Southern Patagonian Ice Field and one the most sough-after natural wonders of South America. We may see a soaring Condor in the area as well as Magellanic Woodpecker and other charismatic birds of the sub-Antarctic woodlands. patagonia nature tours

Overnight Hotel Kau Yatun or similar, El Calafate (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide)

The trip ends after breakfast. Complimentary airport transfer available before noontime. (Breakfast) patagonia nature tours

The trip price includes: All accommodations, meals and guide services as stated in the itinerary, private ground transportation during the tour, boat trips on Grey Lake, Lago Argentino and to Magdalena Island, ferry fares to Tierra del Fuego, flight Porvenir – Punta Arenas, and park entrance fees (Mylodon Cave and Magdalena Island nature reserves, and Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares National Parks).

The trip price excludes: Domestic flights, tipping for drivers (one in Argentina and one in Chile), local guides (one in Argentina), puma tracker, tour leader, restaurants etc.; travel insurance, entrance tax to Chile, excess baggage charges, private excursions, à la carte dishes, snacks, drinks, laundry, telephone calls and anything else of a purely personal nature.  patagonia nature tours