Matias Ballarini

Expedition Leader • Naturalist Guide

Matias Ballarini | Originally from Santiago, capital city of Chile, Matías came to live and work in Magallanes 12 years ago. Ever since he was a young boy he has been a nature enthusiast. He worked for 6 years at El Colorado, a ski resort nestled in the heart of the central Chilean Andes, where he was in charge of the designing and developing the terrain park.

In 2004 he decided to move south and settle in Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia, where he can work as a guide while still enjoying nature and the outdoors, as well as working on his skills as a birder, after developing an avid interest in birdwatching. He has had the privilege of visiting King George Island in Antarctica, guiding touristic flights and excursions to that remote island, part of the South Shetlands. Between 2008 and 2013 he worked with an American company as a local guide and program director. He worked managing groups traveling to destinations such as Buenos Aires, Brazil and the Chilean Lake District, as well as both Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia.

Matias shows an interest in photography (he is a graphic designer by profession), and participates in local ecological non-profit organizations, which help take care of the local environment and ecosystems. He often joins in courses offered by local universities in order to expand his knowledge about biodiversity, guiding, and conservation. Here at Far South Expeditions he is in charge of our Wildlife and Nature Tours such as Patagonia Explorer, Pumas of Torres del Paine and other study and wildlife programs.