Condors & Wetlands of the Last Hope |

You will depart early in the morning as your guide picks you up from your hotel in Puerto Natales.

The mountain scenery of Última Esperanza is striking, offering expansive views of fjords inhabited by Black-necked Swans, cormorants, Crested Ducks, and many other species. You will travel north, passing the paleontological site of Mylodon Cave, where patches of Nothofagus forest provide habitat for Austral Pygmy Owl, Southern Caracara, and Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle.

Cerro Castillo is a small border village located close to the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. The wind-swept steppe supports large herds of guanacos, the primary prey of the Patagonian puma. Their carcasses in turn sustain a significant resident population of Andean Condors, the world’s largest and heaviest flying bird. You will spend the morning visiting a well-known condor roosting site, offering excellent opportunities to observe and photograph these impressive birds both in flight and perched. In the distance, the iconic peaks of Torres del Paine rise above the landscape, while to the east the vast Patagonian plains extend toward Argentina.

Later, you will visit Vega del Castillo, an excellent birding hotspot and protected wetland located within a private sheep farm. The reed-fringed lagoon supports a rich variety of waterbirds, including Silver Teal, Chiloé Wigeon, Yellow-billed Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Spectacled Tyrant, and Many-colored Rush-Tyrant. Several observation hides provide shelter from the wind and ideal conditions for photography. The surrounding steppe also offers opportunities to observe mammals such as Chilla and Culpeo foxes, Large Hairy Armadillo, and Humboldt Hog-nosed Skunk.

After a rewarding day exploring this remote corner of Patagonia, you will return to Puerto Natales, where the program concludes at your hotel.

Note: Your guide will bring a spotting scope with tripod and will share with you an e-bird list with today’s records.

Full Day Excursion

This trip is available from September to April.

Meet/Depart

Departures from Puerto Natales, Chile.

Duration

Approximately 10 hours.

Rates

All prices are per person and expressed in US Dollars. Payments are processed in US Dollars.

What the trip includes / excludes

The trip price includes: Private vehicle and driver, naturalist guide, packed lunch, bottled water, and entrance fees to the nature reserve.

The trip price excludes: Accommodation, domestic flights, gratuities, travel insurance, à la carte meals, snacks, beverages, telephone calls, and any items of a personal nature.

To book this tour, please complete the online registration form and pay a deposit of US$100 per person. Full payment of the tour fee is due 30 days prior to tour departure.

Cancellation Policy

Notice of cancellation can only be accepted in writing from the person who signed the booking form and takes effect on the day such noticed is received by us.

Refunds are made according to the following schedule:

• If cancellation is made 120 days or more before departure date, the deposit less US$ 50 is refundable.

• If cancellation is made between 120 and 60 days before departure, the deposit is not refundable, but any payments covering the balance of the fee will be refunded.

•If cancellation is made fewer than 60 days before departure date, no refund is available.

This policy and fee schedule also applies to pre-trip and post trip extensions, as well as any transfers from one tour to another. We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance to protect yourself.