Exploring Patagonia National Parks Starting in Santiago

Arrive in Santiago, Chile’s mountainous capital. Transfer to the Ritz-Carlton (or similar).

Join the recommended flight from Santiago to Puerto Natales, Chile’s gateway to Torres Del Paine National Park. Transfers to the airport and luggage assistance will be provided. Transfer to the harbor to embark the ship.

Early this morning, dock in picturesque Puerto Natales before heading out to explore majestic Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Set out by foot or by vehicle across the windswept, rugged landscape, which spans more than 550,000 acres and harbors an astounding variety of geological forms, from the soaring granite pillars of the “horns” and windswept grasslands to rivers, glaciers and gem-colored lagoons. Keep an eye out for guanacos, rheas, foxes and armadillos.

Explore Tierra del Fuego, one of Patagonia’s crown jewels and the southernmost archipelago on Earth. Venture through a landscape of glacier-carved mountains, sub-Antarctic forests, pristine lakes and deep fjords framed by dramatic moraines and U-shaped valleys.

At the heart of this wilderness lies Karukinka National Park, one of the largest privately protected conservation areas in the world. Established in 2004 and managed in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society, the park spans more than 1,160 square miles of forests, peat bogs, rivers and mountains. Explore Jackson Bay, where rugged peaks descend to the sea and black-browed albatrosses nest on small offshore islands. Keep watch for Andean condors, guanacos, foxes and other wildlife as you discover this remarkable corner of Patagonia.

Sail through a pristine landscape of soaring snow-capped mountains, massive glaciers, verdant islands, serene lakes and cascading waterfalls. Wind through dramatic fjords, exploring by Zodiac and kayak in protected waters and hiking along rugged shorelines where brilliant blue ice contrasts with lush forests and wildflowers. Keep watch for Andean condors, albatrosses, grebes, petrels, shearwaters and other seabirds that thrive in this remote wilderness.

This vast region of incomparable scenery is seemingly untouched by humans except for a few fishing villages perched at “the end of the world.” Over the next few days, you’ll have multiple opportunities to hike, Zodiac cruise and kayak among snowcapped mountains, thousands of islands covered with forests, lakes, soaring granite walls and waterfalls.

One of the many highlights is the Pio XI Glacier, the longest glacier in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica, running some 60 miles from the Patagonia icefield to the fjord, where it noisily calves off gigantic ice masses at a rate of one every several minutes. Get up close to this impressive natural wonder on Zodiac rides.

Today, choose from two options. Take a morning excursion to Aiken del Sur, a privately owned park set in a beautiful evergreen forest with lovely lakes and waterfalls, including a 75-foot-high cascade. As you walk the well-maintained trails, keep an eye out for ringed kingfishers, woodpeckers and a variety of forest birds. Cap off the walk with a Patagonian lamb barbecue (with vegetarian options) and entertainment by local musicians.

Alternatively, take a full-day excursion to the Coyhaique National Reserve, driving up into a scenic valley nestled in the Andes, with views of the snow-covered peaks. The starting point for the day’s hike is Laguna Verde, “Green Lake,” which you’ll reach after passing through evergreen forest full of giant rhubarb and ferns into the transition zone of deciduous Nothofagus forest. An array of animals can be found here, including three Chilean woodpecker species, passerines, diurnal and nocturnal predatory birds, pumas and foxes. After the hike, enjoy a picnic lunch followed by time in the city of Coyhaique to see its central plaza and artisans’ stalls.

Located in the wildest and most remote territory of the Great Island of the Chiloé Archipelago, Tantauco Park is made up of evergreen forests, millennial cypress groves, bog plains from the last glacial period and imposing lakes and rivers. A formidable diversity of flora and fauna, including many endangered species, are concentrated within, and the park has been declared one of the 36 key sites of biodiversity on Earth, as well as a priority conservation spot in Chile. You will have a choice of walks or hikes through the forests with your naturalist guides and an opportunity to visit the museum and information center to learn more about the history, ecology and conservation work in this remote and rugged region.

Spend the day exploring Chiloé Island, which is known for its unique palafitos, colorful fishermen’s houses precariously built on stilts along the water’s edge, as well as its wooden churches, collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town of Castro has shops and a large open-air market where the Chileans show their wares, such as alpaca sweaters and lapis jewelry. You may choose a trip to Chiloé National Park to see its forests, wetlands and wildlife, with a selection of longer or shorter walks. Alternatively, visit some of the welcoming small communities that dot the countryside and learn about their traditional rural way of life.

Spanning 750,000 protected acres in Chilean Patagonia, Pumalín National Park is one of the last areas where the unusual alerce forest remains. These huge trees compare in size and age to California redwoods, with some specimens reaching 2,000 years old. The Pumalín Project was established in 1995 by the late American conservationist Doug Tompkins, who wanted to preserve some of the remaining virgin forest in Chile. Walk through the forest with naturalists, visit a hidden waterfall or climb along a rushing stream and look for forest birds along the trail. In the afternoon, head for the Golfo de Corcovado in search of Magellanic penguins, sooty shearwaters, dolphins and, with luck, whales.

Disembark in Puerto Montt and enjoy free time to explore before transferring to the airport for your recommended flight to Santiago and onward connections.