From: £1,202
From: $1,600
You are met at the airport or your hotel in Puerto Montt and we drive you to Puerto Varas and your hotel.
Puerto Varas is a beautiful town with strong German colonial influences. Founded in the 1850s by German immigrants, it has a very scenic lakeside location with beaches and plenty of water sports, such as rowing, sailing, swimming, etc.
Have a wander around to enjoy the distinctive German-style houses with wood shingles made of durable, lightweight and water-resistant Alerce Andino wood. The town’s Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, built between 1915 and 1918, is one of the most iconic landmarks on a hilltop town centre.
Today the adventure begins.
You will begin your adventure by being picked up early from your hotel in Puerto Varas, followed by a transfer to Hornopirén and a crossing to Llancahue Island.
After lunch, you will practice sea kayaking for 2 to 3 hours and get settled into your boat and used to the equipment.
The day ends with loading the kayaks in preparation for the next day, a relaxing soak in the hotel’s thermal pools, a pisco sour, and a delicious dinner.
10 km kayak
Hotel.
Enjoy an early breakfast at the hosteria before setting off on a kayak trip that begins early to avoid the midday winds.
The journey takes you from Llancahue Island southeast to the entrance of Quintupeu Fjord, passing impressive cliff walls, where the Andes meet the Pacific. Lunch will be enjoyed on a beach with the option to shower under a waterfall, followed by more paddling to the end of the fjord where you will set up camp and prepare dinner.
We head to bed early to recover our strength and prepare for tomorrow.
20 to 25km kayak
Camp overnight.
This is the most demanding day, starting before sunrise to maximize favourable tidal conditions.
With snacks on hand, you will paddle into Cahuelmó Fjord, timing the entrance to avoid strong winds and to ideally take advantage of the tidal flow.
Once at Cahuelmó River, we paddle onwards to the famous hot springs, where you can soak tired muscles before setting up camp and enjoying dinner in the forest.
20 to 25km kayak
Camp overnight.
After a hearty breakfast and a final visit to the hot springs, you will pack up and paddle toward the sea lion colony.
At the mouth of the estuary, you will meet the support boat to load the kayaks.
The group will return to Hornopirén for lunch in the village before the final leg back to Puerto Varas, arriving at approximately 7:00 pm. Hotel.
10 km kayak.
Hotel accommodation.
Depart today or add some cycling or walking.
We use locally-run hotels and wild campsites.
This trip is aimed at those who are fit, and participate in regular sports and activities. As you are at sea level there is no high altitude to worry about on this tour.
Packing list:
Almost all dietary requirements can be catered for – please ask.
You usually wake early, around 0600. Your breakfast will be ready, a mix of hot drinks, cereals, fruits and toast with jams, plus there is usually some delicious Chilean kuchen (cake).
After breakfast, you set off.
You will have substantial picnics for lunch and we recommend you carry plenty of water and snacks for in between times, dinner at camp.
The local staff are professional, nature and outdoor sports lovers. Most of the guides are Chilean with a deep knowledge of the region. All the guides are trained and certified in storm water rescue (iria.org) and first aid in remote areas. Safety is top priority.
A smooth, expertly organized Patagonian trekking journey through El Calafate and El Chaltén, filled with beauty and care.
A flawless Patagonian trekking adventure through Chile and Argentina, blessed with perfect weather, great guides, and camaraderie.
Join a guided 4-day sea kayak expedition in Pumalín national park, in the Chilean Lakes.
The magnificent Pumalín national park, is a vast conservation area in Chile’s Los Lagos and Aysén region, founded in 2018 by conservationist Douglas Tompkins, to help protect this amazing wilderness.
On this guided, self-supported, kayak trip you’ll paddle through the heart of the park on the turquoise waters of the Comau fjord.
As you paddle you have a perfect view of the richly biodiverse Valdivian temperate rainforest, cascading waterfalls, and the lush coastal landscapes of northern Patagonia. Cormorants, kelp gull, southern lapwing, buzzard eagles and chimango soar overhead. You share the water with sea otters, dolphins and sea lions and coastal forests are home to foxes, the rare pudú deer, huemul and puma.
The Valdivian forest resounds to the sound of the Magellanic woodpecker hammering on the trees, frogs croaking and the Chucao Tapaculo. This small, bird is known for its loud, distinct call and can be found hopping around the lower branches in the forests. Keep an eye out also for the Green-backed Firecrown hummingbird that flits around the forest edge feeding on nectar.
Chile is the land of contrasts, from verdant vineyards to driest desert, deep fjords and towering glaciated volcanoes.
A narrow but incredibly long, snake-like country, Chile’s unusual geography features more than 5,000km of South Pacific Ocean coast. The country is almost 4,400km long but barely more than 160km at its widest.
It is best divided into general regions, all of which offer spectacular landscapes and identities of their own.
This variety means Chile is the land where almost every activity is possible. Hiking, biking, rafting and kayaking.
Or climbing, cruising, fishing, horse riding, wine tasting.
Or simply eating great food, relaxing and exploring.
Festival: Festival de la Canción Viña del Mar
International song festival
Location: Viña del Mar
Festival: Tapati
Culture, dance, music, song, sport
Location: Easter Island
Festival: Carnaval de Invierno
Street parade with floats celebrating mid winter
Location: Punta Arenas
Festival: Fiesta de La Tirana
Religious festival – culture, mass dance parades
Location: La Tirana, Atacama
Festival: Independencia
Independence day – celebration of Chilean culture – various activities
Location: Country wide
Trekking heaven. Paine National Park lies in Patagonia and features some of the best trekking in South America. With no altitude worries here, hikers enjoy an unrivalled mix of access to wild flora and fauna that exists in this massif. It is at once windswept, and then balmy. Paine National Park is a must see for walkers visiting South America.
Northern Patagonia is the least densely populated part of the country – spectacular virgin scenery make this a hidden gem and superb area for trekking, boating and horse riding.
And that’s before you think about possibly cruising through fjords, or kayaking them, flying to Antartica or staying at a working hacienda.
Iconic, Easter Island is an archaeological treasure. Here you will find the famous Moai stone statues, as well as caves and rocks decorated with etched petroglyphs and painted pictographs.
Northern Chile features the Atacama, the driest desert with the clearest skies in the world, is alive with active volcanoes replete with spitting geysers mixed with archaeological wonders and fantastic rock formations.
Central Chile is the heart of Chile and includes the capital Santiago. With its Mediterranean climate of hot dry summers and mild wet winters, this central valley produces some of South America’s finest wines, Colchagua Valley to name but one.
Here, the Andean mountain chain soars more than 6,000m above sea level. Chile’s traditional symbols such as huaso (cowboy) and cueca (national dance) originate here, an area which is rich in agriculture and produces most of Chile’s export fruit.
In winter, skiers are attracted to this tasting the promise of some fabulous snow on the huge peaks which overlook Santiago.
Lush and verdant, The Lake District area is the place to climb snow-capped volcanoes by day while relaxing next to stunning glacial lakes by evening. You can walk, bike, raft, cruise and drive your way around this beautiful region.
Central, southern and Patagonia Andes all present different challenges to mountaineers and trekkers. Options are varied in the central Andes with many of the Patagonian peaks remaining unexplored and unsummitted.
Good kit is vital for every trip.
Book with Andean Trails and get 15% off Páramo’s fantastic ethical and high performance outdoor gear.
We provide everything except a bike, personal equipment and clothing.
During the day hopefully it will be generally sunny enough for shorts and T-shirts though having a fleece and rain gear handy is advisable. It can and will get cold, especially in the evenings so bring a warm fleece jacket, a good waterproof and some warm clothes including thermal underwear, gloves, scarf and woolly hat as well as one set of smarter clothes for cities.
Below is a more detailed guide.
A smooth, expertly organized Patagonian trekking journey through El Calafate and El Chaltén, filled with beauty and care.
A flawless Patagonian trekking adventure through Chile and Argentina, blessed with perfect weather, great guides, and camaraderie.
