Charito: Pure Patagonia

Those arriving on an international flight will be met at the airport by the tour leader or a local representative. There will be time to relax before exploring the city and visiting a few of the many museums, markets and parks of this cosmopolitan capital.

In the afternoon your guided city tour takes you to all the major sites of this fascinating city concentrating on Santiago’s bustling historic centre, which in recent years has taken on a new lease of life. Awakening from years of neglect, the traditional residential neighbourhood of Lastarria is a delight to explore, replete with shops, arty cafés and characterful hotels. Nearby, leafy Parque Forestal was inaugurated in the early twentieth century to celebrate the first 100 years of the republic. It is just a few blocks from the beating heart of old Santiago, the Plaza de Armas, the capital’s main square which is graced by elegant Chilean wine palms with their characteristic bottle-shaped trunks. Grouped around the plaza are Santiago’s Cathedral, the main post office, the National Historic Museum and the Municipalidad de Santiago (city hall). From here, if time, visit San Cristóbal Hill by riding the cable car to the top. On clear days there are spectacular panoramic views across the city towards the Andes.

Today there is an optional visit to Chile’s second city, Valparaíso (2 hrs by bus). This lively seaport is built on a series of hills which form a backdrop to the wide bay, with views over the seaside resort of Viña del Mar. You can wander through the steep, winding streets and among the brightly-coloured colonial homes built for 19th century British and German merchants, or take a ride in one of the creaky wooden funiculars which link the cliff-top communities.

Time permitting, you may wish to visit one of the vineyards close to Santiago, to sample some highly respected Chilean wine.

A 1 hour 45 minute flight takes you south to Puerto Montt, followed by a short drive to Puerto Varas on the shores of Lake Llanquihue in the Chilean Lake District. The town is set amid lush, green, rolling countryside and was colonised by Germans at the turn of the 20th century. Its architecture and sedate style still reflects this. The town’s main attraction is an alpine green lake framed by tree-clad hills and beyond, one of the most perfectly shaped snow-capped volcanoes in the world – Osorno.

The afternoon is free to explore the town or travel out to the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, to visit the Petrohue waterfalls. Formed by a lava flow of volcanic rock and set amongst a 1,000 year-old forest, the falls make an impressive site.

Today we have a full day excursion to the mysterious island of Chiloé. Although located just off the coast of mainland Chile it often feels like a world away. We travel by road and ferry to Chacao where we will be met by our local guide. Once here we visit the plaza and the guide will explain the traditional architecture, which includes the famous wooden churches is famous for. We’ll continue on to the Bay of Caulin, known for its great birdlife and do a quick oyster tasting before continuing to Ancud for lunch. Travelling  through the ‘campo’ we arrive on the rugged Pacific Coast, where birdlife including penguins congregate on desolate beaches. In the late afternoon we’ll return towards Ancud to a family farmhouse for a traditional curanto, a local pitbake and uniquely Chilote experience. Return to Puerto Varas in the evening.

Transfer back to Puerto Montt for your flight south to Punta Arenas. On a clear day you have views of the southern icecap, its fjords, volcanoes and glaciers. Approaching the city you see the rust brown Patagonian steppes, pitted with small lagoons, stretching out towards the Straits of Magellan. On the other side of the water rise the mountains of the windswept island of Tierra del Fuego.

Punta Arenas which was once an important, British-influenced trading centre before the opening of the Panama Canal turned it into a backwater; the region’s fortunes were only briefly revived during a short-lived gold rush. To add to its woes, the sheep-rearing business has never recovered from the catastrophic collapse of the price of meat and wool. It’s now a gateway to Chilean Patagonia and the nearby National parks.

From here continue by bus to Puerto Natales, a small town with a frontier feel on the shores of Last Hope Sound, frequented by pelicans, black-necked swans and cormorants and your base for 3 nights to explore the nearby Torres del Paine National Park.

For 2 full days the group will explore the Torres del Paine National Park by private vehicle and on foot, leaving early in the morning and returning to the comfort of Puerto Natales by evening. Whilst exploring the park they’ll be stops to visit some of the best viewpoints such as Lago Nordenskjold and Salto Grande. The scenery is overwhelming; the granite massif of the Cuernos, milky lakes dotted with icebergs and, soaring above, condors riding against perpetual fierce winds. Spend the rest of your days exploring the national park on foot. Follow a number of different walking trails winding alongside the glacial lakes and rivers with close-up views of tortured rock towers and needles rising 3,000m into a tempestuous sky.

The difficulty and length of the available walks in the park vary hugely, and some may not be suitable for all passengers. The most famous hike is to the ‘base of the towers’, but this is also the most strenuous lasting at least 8hrs. There should however be something for everyone, so consult your tour leader about which hike would be best suited to you or for alternatives such as horse riding. Water and windproof clothing, as well as suitable footwear, are essential as weather can be very unpredictable.

Travel by comfortable coach towards Argentina across the Patagonian steppe: a bleak and scantily-populated landscape. Keep a look out for guanacos, rheas, and flamingos, as well as for the views over Lago Argentino, the largest lake in the country.

On the shores of the lake is El Calafate, where you are based for the coming days. This small frontier town has grown rapidly over the last twenty years and is a tourist hot spot for visiting the local scenery of stunning lakes and steep mountains as well as the stopping off point for visitors to the Perito Moreno glacier, one of the most dynamic in the world. You arrive in the afternoon and if you wish there should be time to visit the fascinating Glaciarium Museum, located in an interesting building with fantastic views just outside time. Once you have spent time learning about all things glacial, there is also an ice bar on the premises for a relaxing drink.

This morning drive out towards the huge wall of ice which is the Perito Moreno Glacier, still one of the most dynamic in the world. The road follows the lake before turning up a wooded valley, dense with beech and birch trees, and continues alongside shimmering lagoons bordered with bright crimson and heather lichens.

Just looking at the cliff-edge of the glacier, which towers 60m above the water surface and is an extraordinary 5km wide, is awe-inspiring in itself. But after a time you hear the unforgettable sound of the glacier calving a vast wedge of ice the size of a tower block and sending it smashing it down into the lake, where it divides and floats away as an iceberg.

There is an optional mini-trek on the glacier. Walking out on the ice is an extraordinary experience; atop this immense ice sheet you feel exposed to the elements, and you can explore the craggy, desolate landscape, peering into crevasses and deep water pools, squinting against the incredible blue of the ice. It is a 1-2hr walk on the ice led by a local guide, and crampons are provided this is one optional excursion we book in advance to maximise the chances of availability. There are age limits in place so please talk to your consultant for more details).

Fly to the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires (3.5hrs), an elegant and cosmopolitan city famed for its fascinating districts and being the birthplace of the Tango and Diego Maradona. Evenings can be spent sampling the juicy world renowned steak, tasting the famous local wines or enjoying an evening tango show.

There is plenty of time to explore its lanes and boulevards as well as make the most of some free time to shop, have a drink and a pastry in a tea-room or peruse the items on display in one of the many markets.

A guided tour of the city takes you to the most famous spots the city has to offer. Starting in the centre of the city, the historic heartland, where government buildings and churches mingle with chic shopping districts, which have a nostalgic, Parisian feel. The quintessential district La Boca with its cobbled streets and brightly painted houses is a must, as is the bohemian district of San Telmo, full of quaint old houses interspersed with antique shops, tango bars and expensive restaurants. Slightly further out of town is the Recoleta district, even more evocative of belle époque French and Italianate architecture. The area is home to the cemetery where Evita is laid to rest, and huge tombs line the alleys.

If you want to visit one of the city’s iconic Tango shows speak to your tour leader who can arrange one for you for the evening.