Expedition into the Land of Fire and Ice
Chile Expedition 2018
November 17 – November 24, 2018 (8 Days 7 nights)
Led by Amazonia Expeditions
Tahuayo Lodge Owner/Tour Leader Dolly Beaver
Group Size: 16 Traveler Limit
Difficulty: Easy
Interested in joining us for this expedition? Let us know here!
Trip Highlights
Throughout this journey, you will get to experience the great diversity of Chilean wildlife and the beautiful vistas.
Some highlights of the trip include:
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Experience Torres del Paine National Park, where the Grey Glacier’s blue icebergs drift atop the lake
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Visit Magdalena Island, nestled in the middle of the Strait of Magellan, and meet one of the largest penguin colonies in Chile with an estimated 60,000 breeding pairs of Magellanic Penguins
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Travel to Alerce Andino National Park, the largest surviving Valdivian Rainforest, covering over 40,000 hectares of land and home to the magnificent Alerce, one of the oldest species of trees in the world
Accommodations
During your adventure, you will experience several parts of Chile. Amazonia aims to provide you with the best possible experience and will be traveling to the following locations. Please note that hotels are subject to replacement with equivalent accommodations based on availability.
Full Itinerary
November 17
Arrive Santiago, Chile
- Transfer from Airport to Santiago – Private service with English speaking guide
- 1-night Hotel Fundador, Superior room with American breakfast buffet
November 18
Santiago to Torres del Paine
- Transfer from Santiago to Airport – Private service with English speaking guide
- Fly to Punta Arenas
- Transfer from Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine, stop to explore Milodon cave.
- 2 nights at Hotel del Paine, Standard room with breakfast
November 19
Full Day Excursion Torres del Paine National Park
- After breakfast, we will enter the park stopping to get a look at the scenic Serrano River, then cross the Grey River and head to the Grey Lake’s beach, from where you can see the Grey Glacier in the distance. Then we head back to the administration center to get an introduction to the park. We continue our trip through a forest zone following the path that this impressive glacier carved into the landscape long ago. Along the route witness blue icebergs which have broken off from the glacier and are now floating in the lake. Will make stops to see and photograph some of the wildlife of the park including Guanacos, foxes (which are common and tame enough to get with 2-3 meters), Darwin’s Rheas, colorful plovers, black-necked swans, and much more.
- We continue our trip north until we arrive at the Paine River, which is the main tributary in the area and will guide us through the lake system in the National Park. Near there, the turquoise color of the Pehoé Lake will surprise us. After that, we will arrive at Pudeto shelter for a short walk for a wonderful view of the Paine central mountain range and hear the deafening sound of the Salto Grande waterfalls.
- Next, we will head to the Amarga Lagoon where (weather allowing) you can see the lake transform into an amazing mirror reflecting off the distant peaks. Next, we will find the Azul Lagoon where the water is a deep blue color. After the Azul lagoon begins the return to the hotel.
- Picnic lunch and entrance fee Torres del Paine National Park included
- Difficulty: Medium-Low. / Duration: 8 hrs.
November 20
Salto Grande – Horns Viewpoint
- Departure from your Hotel toward the Lake Pehoé sector (Pudeto sector) where we will walk from the parking to the Salto Grande which has a height of 14 meters. Then we will follow the path that will take us to the Horns viewpoint in which we will appreciate the
varied flora and fauna of the area (Orchids, Lady’s Slipper Orchid, Palomita, Calceolaria, etc.) appreciate the view from the lookout are Paine Grande, the Horns, French Valley, and Lago Nordenskjold. At the end of this excursion, we will continue to Punta Arenas. - Excursion Difficulty: Low. – Duration: 3/4 hrs.
- Transfer from Torres del Paine to Punta Arenas: 6 hours
- 1-night Hotel Finis Terrae – Standard room with American breakfast buffet
November 21
Magdalena Island
- Travel by boat from Punta Arenas to Magdalena Island, nestled in the middle of the Strait of Magellan. To get there we will follow the same navigation route used by some of the most famed explorers in the world such as Sir Francis Drake and Charles Darwin. When we disembark on the island there will be a variety of avifauna waiting for us such as cormorants,
sea gulls and one of the largest penguin colonies in Chile. Here the population of Magellanic Penguins is estimated to be more than 60,000 breeding pairs. After taking some pictures, we will follow a trail that will lead us to thelight house of the island. From here we will have great panoramic views of the island and the surrounding areas. (This trip is subject to climatic conditions) - Transfer from Punta Arenas to the Airport to fly to Puerto Montt (please book a flight after 15H30-16H00), where we will be met and transferred for 3 nights at the Cabañas del Lago Hotel
- B – can buy lunch at the cafeteria at the airport
November 22
Petrohue Waterfalls & Osorno Volcano
- On this delightful excursion, we will head towards the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. Along the way, we will make a variety of small stops including Mirador Los Riscos (a beautiful lookout point featuring the Osorno Volcano) and Mirador
Onces Bellavista a very nice spot to observe wildlife. (This park is home to 30 plus species mammals and 80 plus species of birds) Once inside the park, we will pass a lagoon home to the famous Torrent Duck and then continue to the Petrohue River and the Petrohue Waterfalls. There we will take the time to explore our surroundings to the fullest and take some beautiful pictures. - Afterward, we will continue a little further up the path and arrive at the Todos Los Santos Lake where will take a 30-minute boat ride across the emerald water. Subsequently, we will then board our vehicle for a 40-minute drive to reach the famous Osorno Volcano.
- Once there we will take a small trek to a lookout point where we can admire from a distance the Llanquihue Lake and its surroundings. A few steps further we will reach the notable Burbuja Crater and a little further up the volcano, we will be able to appreciate the Rojo Crater, both impressive and remarkable.
- Entrance fees (waterfalls), picnic lunch.
November 23
Alerce Andino National Park
- Travel to the Alerce Andino National Park this park covers almost 40.000 ha and it is, therefore, the largest surviving
Valdivian Rainforest. Most of the trees are native Alerce, one of the oldest trees in the world. We will explore the National Park by doing some easy hikes to get closer to these amazing giants, some of them of around 3,000-4,000 years old. Search for native fauna such as foxes, pudú (small Chilean deer) and the charming monito del monte (a cute little mouse opossum). In the late afternoon, we will say goodbye to this wonder of nature to return to the hotel. - Picnic lunch
- Duration of Activity & Difficulty Level: 6 Hours/ medium
November 24
Transfer from Puerto Varas to the airport to fly back to Santiago
- Private service with English speaking guide
Reserve Your Expedition Today!
$2,990 per person (double occupancy)
For a single room + $700
Place a deposit today
Reserve your spot now with a $500 deposit (per person) or give us a call at 1-813-471-8810.
3% service charge waived for deposit
This Trip Includes:
- Private Transfers & Excursions with English speaking guide
- 01 overnight in Santiago 02 overnights in Torres del Paine, 1 night in Punta Arenas & 03 overnights in Puerto Varas
- All breakfasts
- All entrance fees of the places mentioned in the above program.
- 01 Box Lunch on Day 3 on Day 06 & on Day 07
- 01 bottle of water 500cc per day, per person
This Trip DOES NOT Include:
- Flights, airport
and taxes - Early
check in - Late check out
- Private expenses
- Anything not listed in the above program
Erika
Our time in the jungle was an absolute highlight on our trip to Peru! Truly amazing! …Again, we had the most wonderful time. Almost more than words can say. The jungle and the Tahuayo Lodge hold very special places in our hearts and CAN NOT WAIT to return. Thank you again for offering such an amazing trip.
Renee
Our trip was INCREDIBLE. The lodge was great, the food was amazing, and the staff were all so friendly. We loved our stays at the B&B, the main lodge, and the ARC.
Tia & Paula
It was incredible and a trip of a lifetime Paul! My sister Paula and I had an amazing time and loved everything — your facilities and staff are top notch and I want to come back with my husband and daughters!!
