overview
If there is one place on earth where stark, pure beauty takes your breath away, it has to be Patagonia. Located at the southernmost tip of South America, the Patagonian Andes are shared between Chile and Argentina. Here, almost at the end of the world, you'll find an unspoiled wilderness of soaring pink and white granite rock spires, jagged snowy peaks, and golden grasslands bright with wildflowers, dramatic ever changing skies, glaciers forgotten by the last ice age, and a wealth of sparkling lakes of the most incredible hues. Civilizations with magical rites, sailors and pioneers have also contributed to Patagonia’s fame. It is a mythical place of enduring natural beauty.
This trip takes you from the area that stretches from the Strait of Magellan to the Southern Ice Field in Chile to El Chaltén in Argentina.
In Chile, the trip is centred around the Torres del Paine National Park, using the Hotel Salto Chico as a base.
Torres del Paine comprises just under half a million hectares and is surrounded by the impressive Cordillera del Paine mountains. With unusually shaped mountains, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls, plus unique flora and fauna, Torres del Paine is considered one of the most beautiful places in the world. Outstanding features of the park include an astonishingly rugged mountain rage of 3000m peaks and the Cuernos del Paine (Horns of Paine) reaching 2100m. The park was designated a Unesco Heritage site in 1978.
In Argentina the journey focuses on the village El Chaltén, which is located at the foot of the spectacular peaks Torre and Fitz Roy. Both locations offer trekking to the bases of incredible summits, guests travel through valleys and past glaciers that offer access to exceptionally magnificent natural landscapes.
The crossing between the two locations El Chaltén to Torres del Paine is an impressive experience. Guests travel along the Argentino and Viedma lakes, the River Santa Cruz and the River La Leona.