Patagonia Photo Expedition

Each day, we will have an early start in order to be in location to photograph the Paine Massif at dawn. We will concentrate on photographing the ‘Horns’ and Paine Grande peaks, located in the southern face of the Massif. Today we will explore the southern and western regions of this huge national park, extending for 600,000 acres (242,000 hectares). The omnipresent Paine Massif, a magnificent set of rugged peaks, formed out of granite and sedimentary rock, dominates the landscape. The long-gone Indians of Patagonia named it Paine, meaning, “blue”, presumably referring to the hazy coloration when observed at a distance. We’ll have the opportunity to explore the Nothofagus or Southern Beech forest and its diversity of plants and animals; we will try for Magellanic Woodpecker, Austral Parakeet and if we are lucky the shy and scarce Huemul Deer. The contrasting mosaic of towering mountains, glaciers, wetlands, steppes and forests will delight you.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 journey from the glacier front. From this shore we will board our boat (the M/V Grey II) for a 3-hour excursion through the icy waters of the lake towards the impressive and actively calving front of the Glacier. Grey is one of the nearly 50 glaciers that originate from the massive Southern Patagonian Ice Field, world’s third largest after Antarctica and Greenland, and is one of the most beautiful and colourful in all of Patagonia. The front is full of crevasses and the solid glacial ice colours 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. The photography is great at this particular spot; we will be treated with a glass of Pisco Sour containing hundreds- possibly thousand-year old glacial ice! This evening we will have again an optional photo outing for sunset and the dramatic cloud formations.

Overnight at Hotel Rio Serrano or similar, Torres del Paine. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide). Patagonia photo tours

Again this morning we will have an early start in order to photograph the Horns with the first light of day. In the right light, the mountain base turns to orange colours and the scene becomes very dramatic with peculiar lenticular clouds moving fast above the peaks. We’ll explore the alkaline ponds and reed-fringed lagoons located in the eastern part of the park. There are approximately 120 species of birds and nearly 500 species of plants in the park and we we’ll see a considerable number of them, all very interesting subjects for observation and photography. During the southern spring and early summer (mid-October through late January), the myriad of flowers that bloom in these magnificent landscapes are an unforgettable sight. After our return to the hotel and enjoying our delicious dinner, we will have another chance to photograph the mountains and clouds, this time at sunset.

Overnight at Hotel Rio Serrano or similar, Torres del Paine. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide). Patagonia photo tours

The lookout from the Eastern corner of Sarmiento Lake commands the most incredible views of the towering peaks of Las Torres, the Towers, the granite spires that name the park. As we move around, you may observe confiding herds of Guanaco, the southernmost camel relative, the curious-looking Lesser Rhea and the imposing Andean Condor gliding along the road. During the morning we will visit the eastern side of the park and enjoy the views of one of Paine River’s impressive waterfalls and if it’s clear, the fabulous Paine Massif from Laguna Amarga.

During the afternoon we will visit Mylodon Cave Nature Reserve. This outstanding natural formation – consisting of a massive cave carved by the waves of an ancient lake in the rock conglomerate – was used as shelter for a large array of long-gone Pleistocene mammal species, including the Giant Ground Sloth or Mylodon, Mylodon darwinii, when most of the surroundings were covered by glaciers. The palaeontology of the area results fascinating and we’ll learn some interesting accounts from our guide, in the field as well as by visiting the interpretation centre of the reserve. We will have the rare opportunity to explore other minor caves at Benitez Hill; these smaller shelters, fairly easy to explore, were primarily used by pre-Columbian inhabitants, who reached these latitudes several thousand years ago.The trail goes through Southern beech woods, with great chances of seeing new forest birds as well as raptors and soaring Condors. We will also study the flora of the area; one of the most remarkable and dominant plants is the Chilean Firebush (Embothrium coccineum), a relative to African proteas, whose flowers paint the hillsides in incredible scarlets.

Overnight at Weskar Lodge or similar, Puerto Natales. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide).

We will leave Puerto Natales, hopefully with many rewarding memories of our explorations and wildlife encounters on this beautiful corner of Patagonia. We will drive east across the vast wind-swept steppes and along the border with Argentina, which here is literally a straight, seemingly endless line. Pali Aike National Park and its many extinct cinder cones is a place that breaks the uniformity of this vast, big-sky country. Long-gone Indians extensively occupied the area, and it has a very rich archaeology and paleontology. The birdlife of the area is very interesting too, as we may find intriguing species such as Least Seedsnipe, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Chocolate-vented Tyrant and the colourful White-bridled Finch. We will take a short ferry ride across the narrowest portion of the Magellan Straits, where we expect to see the delightful and local Commerson’s Dolphin. We will drive along the shores of the huge embayment of Bahía Inútil, Useless Bay, to see the recently established King Penguin breeding colony. This is a private nature reserve, which aims to preserve the small numbers of Kings that remain year-round and breed here, attracted by the bounty of the surrounding sea. We will have ample opportunities to observe and photograph the penguins from a reasonable distance (maximum approach distance will be given by your guide and must be respected at all times during your visit).

Overnight at Yendegaia House or similar, Porvenir. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) (Guide). Patagonia photo tours

Tierra del Fuego, the ‘Land of Fire’ is another landmark coined by the skilled navigator, Ferdinand Magellan. In 1520, while crossing the seaway that now honors his name, he and his crew spotted a line of bonfires along the coast of a huge landmass. Tierra del Fuego is now a land of endless wind-swept steppes, rolling hills and lush temperate forests; sheep-farming stations, locally known as estancias, are interspersed amidst these picturesque and colorful landscapes dominated by dramatic skies. We will enjoy a leisure morning while exploring around the town of Porvenir to photograph and learn about the particular wildlife and history of this remote corner of Patagonia. We will visit its alkaline pools where there are large aggregations of migratory birds such as sandpiper and plovers, and our main goal here will be Chilean Flamingo. Later we will explore the coast to see some of the many shipwrecks that have made these seas infamous over the years. After lunch we will be heading back to Punta Arenas by ferry.

Overnight at Hotel Diego de Almagro or similar, Punta Arenas. (Breakfast, Lunch) (Guide). Patagonia photo tours

Complimentary transfer to the airport. End of the trip. (Breakfast)