Santiago - Torres del Paine - El Calafate

One thing my husband asked me when I was planning this trip was “Fran, you say that Torres del Paine is like a more rugged Montana and they have lots of meat like Montana. But, why are we going through the effort to go somewhere that’s so much like home?” It was hard for me to answer. The best thing I could do is just show him. Toby’s jaw dropped when we saw the incredibly beautiful peaks of Torres del Pain jutting from the flat plains. He whispered to me when we got into our cozy suite dome “I get it now”.

The reason why we traveled thousands of miles and for over 24 hours was apparent and you only needed to see it in person. We entered into a world that we imagined Montana was like years ago when glaciers still hugged the peaks of the Missions. The lines where the glaciers powerfully carved the earth were still defined, the lakes surrounding Torres del Paine painted every different type of blue you could imagine, and the scraggly mountains continuously took my breath away. You see photos and think, wow, they really zoomed in, or geez that color was edited. False. Standing in front of the landscape made me realize how easy it was to capture its beauty. Toby and I came away in awe of Torres del Paine and honored for having the opportunity to see it in full glory each day. Whether it was windy, raining, sunny, or cloudy, you couldn’t have a bad day exploring and learning from your guides – eyes popping out in wonder around every corner.

 

I was so excited when I saw my first guanaco. It reminded me of a llama mixed with an antelope! Our guides said it was such a wild creature that so many had attempted to domesticate it and failed miserably. After two days, I realized they were like seeing a white-tailed deer at home. They were simply everywhere! Although, I was never sick of spotting them and neither was Toby. He kept telling me to take a picture of the one on the hill, the one crossing its leg, or the two chasing each other. They were so quirky and fun to watch. We saw a handful of Nandu which I was always calling an Emu…because they look JUST like an Emu. The Caracas were gorgeous, but another boring bird to the locals – like a seagull! Since I’m a hawkaholic, I was constantly snapping pictures of these majestic, scavenger birds. What surprised me the most was seeing Patagonian Flamingos! We were lucky enough to visit Magdalena Island on our way to the park from Punta Arenas.

The cute Magellan penguins waddled all of the island, mostly ignoring the gawking humans. Some had become the most awkward teenagers with adult bottoms and fuzzy torsos. I came away from Magdalena on a cloud thinking of penguins. Our drive to the park revealed a bird that looked like it was from Australia – the Nandu, not Emu – and then it was as if I was in a Florida lawn when I saw those beautifully pink Flamencos Chilenos. I had Antarctica, Australia, and the US rolled into one day from a whole gamut of birds.

Our hike in the French Valley revealed some lovely Upland Geese, also known as Caiquen. Our wonderful guide, Pablo regaled the story of how each female goose chooses a male…or five. These males stay with her for life. If one of them dies, she simply finds a new handsome goose to add to her gaggle. But, if a female dies, all of her faithful beaux remain alone and without their beautiful brown lady love. It was the most romantic, love bird story I’d ever heard. Now, our most exciting fauna spotting came on our second day – Valentine’s Day. I felt as if we’d received a box of chocolates from the park. A box of five….yes, five…puma chocolates.

We were on our way to our dome away from home when we spotted a stopped vehicle. Anyone who’s been to Yellowstone knows that this means you should stop as well and peer into the same direction they’re looking and find what caught their eye. Sure enough there were five huge pumas hanging around one very dead guanaco. One was chewing on their kill, three were happily sprawled out nearby with full bellies, and the momma puma was keeping a watchful eye over her adolescent kiddos enjoying the meal she probably provided. It was amazing. Even our driver, who inched ever so closely to the pumas was incredibly excited to see these beautiful creatures. We were bouncing in our seats on the way back to EcoCamp, eager to brag to everyone else about our amazing day. One of my favorite animal “encounters” was the day we did the Big Ice Trek outside of El Calafate, Argentina.

We were trekking up to the point where we began hiking on the ice and I see a huge shadow zoom over my head and onto the ground in front of me. There were wings and a head and I knew instantly a condor flew overhead. I glance up and it is SO close! This massive bird, about 9-10 foot wingspan was only about 20 feet above our heads, riding the winds. Toby and I stopped to gawk as the rest of our group continued to trek around us. You can truly see why this is called a Wildlife Safari. We were lucky to see as many animals as we did. We hope you do too!


 

I didn’t even bother to look at the forecast for when we were in Torres del Paine because I just knew it all would change in an instant. A question I am asked constantly is – what weather should I expect? Expect NOTHING. Prepare for everything. I have told all of my travelers to bring layers when they are in Patagonia. I told them this because that’s what I was told to tell them as I was trained in this destination. I’m so glad I followed my own advice because that’s how I maintained my comfort each day. I had a tank top, long-sleeve shirt, puff jacket or fleece, and gortex shell. Sometimes I was wearing everything minus the puff, a tank and shell, or just my tank top. All in one day. Our first day in the park was just gorgeous. It was the day we went to Laguna Azul. We had calm winds and lots of sun at the beginning when walking around Lago Sermiento. Then, we made our way to the Laguna Azul. Winds, torrential winds, greeted us. The small Blue Lagoon had incredible whitecaps and sprayed us with water. It was so much fun to finally experience that famous wind I heard about from returning travelers! The wind died down after lunch and I was down to my tank top for our short hike to the lookout. From there, we were able to ride bikes when we were close to the Cascada Paine. It was still a bit windy, but easy enough to navigate the bikes.

The second day was sheer perfection. Sun, pretty much no wind, and we could see every single peak. As we returned to EcoCamp from Grey Glacier, clouds began to form when we spotted our pumas.

This led to our third day being simply overcast. It was as if the clouds were breathing in and out slowly above us. They undulated up and down the mountain sides, never quite revealing the peaks. Luckily, we never really had any rain that day, just cloudy and misty.

Our last day, we had saved for the Trek to the Towers on my birthday, drizzled all day. Our guide, Pablo, had to set our expectations straight and warned us that he may ask us to turn back if the rain got any worse. Luckily, it just stayed at a steady misting the entire day and we made it to the base of the towers and back in record time. We were on a mission. To make it, and to stay warm, so we kept moving at a steady pace. When we arrived at the base, everything was still in a wet shroud of clouds. Sadly, I didn't get to have that iconic picture of me jumping with the granite towers in the background, but I can say I did it! I hiked those 14 miles on my birthday and loved every minute. We returned to EcoCamp at 5:30 PM which Pablo said is one of the earliest days he’s had a return! Needless to say, prepare for everything and expect nothing. Patagonia will give you what it gives you and you should enjoy every second, rain or shine!

If you ask my husband what his favorite part of our trip was, he will say the food. Santiago had excellent options as far as seafood, meat, ect. I ate ceviche every chance I had. I have found that food is sometimes the best way you can experience a new culture. I don't think I had one meal that I didn't like! I discovered that a lot of the Santiago cuisine had been inspired by Peru (especially the ceviche - delicious to perfection).

Our lunch at Matetic in the Equilibrium restaurant was probably the best meal during our entire time in Chile.  We found great food in Punta Arenas as well. We were told to try the Patagonian lamb, king crab, and sea urchins. We didn't find the urchins, but I enjoyed a king crab bake and Toby consumed a tender leg of lamb. EcoCamp was beyond exceptional. For it being such a rural location, we couldn't believe the amazing dishes in front of us each night. EcoCamp combines Chilean, Altiplanic, Patagonian and international food for their meals.

My absolute favorite was an appetizer of octopus at EcoCamp. It tasted like tender crab meat and packed incredible flavor. Toby and I kept looking at each other and shook our heads, in awe of something that could taste so good. We had our first empanadas when we were at El Galpon and they also had a great variety of local food. These unforgettable meals only heightened the views we saw, people we met, and culture we experienced. 

When I returned home, I'm pretty sure my blood ran with Chilean wine. I've always loved wine and discovered pretty quickly that I like red wine the most. We were lucky to sample wines from white to red at Matetic. I honestly enjoyed each one! The Syrah, they explained, was grown in such a way that gave it a more smooth and robust taste. Fanor, our guide while we were in Santiago, taught us some fun facts about wine. He said when you taste a wine, you should slurp in air to oxidize it and discover its true taste. He taught us that a white wine was truly aged well if it has a golden color. A red wine, if it carries a brick red color when swirled in a glass. And, if someone gives you a cork to inspect at a fancy wine restaurant, you shouldn't smell it (I'm so un-refined, I'd probably lick it). Fanor instructed us to squeeze the cork. If it's been properly stored, the cork should feel slightly spongey from the moisture that's been retained in the bottle.

Wine at EcoCamp flowed freely like the streams from each glacier we passed on our hikes. Not only did you get a welcome pisco sour if you returned before 7 PM each night, but you would also have a never-ending glass of wine with dinner. I discovered quickly that I loved all Chilean wine. It was easy to be buzzing as we walked back to our dome each night with the generous helpings of wine that we couldn't resist. I even taught Toby to enjoy the wine! He's never liked wine during our 5 years of marriage until after this trip. Now, every time we go to the store, we eagerly seek out our newly favorite Chilean red wines. 

Many people would say that there's not much to do in Punta Arenas and they'd be correct. But the little we discovered the one free afternoon was so much fun. We arrived to Hotel Rey don Felipe and they had equipped us with a handy map of the small town. Toby took a well-deserved map while I looked through the details. When he woke up, we took off on our afternoon adventure.

We found a restaurant that served Austral Beer - must-have if you enjoy German beer, or beer at all, really. We found a street along the main square that was selling souvenirs where we go Toby a real, authentic, "Patagonia" hat. We visited the Tierra del Fuego statue and kissed his toe, as instructed if we ever want to return to Patagonia - we do. We wandered down to the beach and found a nice collection of sea glass. Toby was brave enough to stick his feet in the cold ocean just to say he did it. Then, we visited a restaurant called La Luna.

They had the best pisco sours, a tender leg of lamb for Toby, and a king crab bake for yours truly. I will warn you, those pisco sours pack a punch! We continued to walk around the small town of Punta Arenas before we headed back to our hotel. Hotel Rey don Felipe gave us two free Calafate pisco sours (another thing you need to have in order to return to Patagonia). We really enjoyed our afternoon exploring this small down. I recommend doing everything we did and trying to find those sea urchins. 

I wasn't quite convinced I would see penguins until we were about 15 minutes away from Magdalena Island. This excursion is often cancelled if the conditions aren't quite right as the winds in Patagonia are fierce and unpredictable. I respected that probability. But, against all odds, we were picked up from our hotel at 6:45 AM to head to the Solo Expediciones office. I would recommend asking the hotel the night before to have some breakfast ready by 6:00 AM in order to grab something on time. We stored our luggage and hopped in the van with what we needed for that morning (camera, warm clothes, happy attitudes). When we entered into the Solo Expediciones office, we handed them our voucher. We hopped back into our van and continued about 30 minutes to the small port that had our boat. This boat had about 50 passengers, but it could hold 75 comfortably.

About an hour later, we could see Magdalena Island in the distance. Our guide informed us that we'd have an hour total to explore the island and meet our penguin friends. As soon as we stepped off the boat, we saw hundreds, maybe thousands of penguins scattered on the bare island. Some were at the beach, diving in the water to grab food or bathe. The others were standing or sleeping near their holes in the dirt. Many were still fuzzy young penguins or awkward teenagers, half adult on their bottom half. Toby and I enjoyed seeing penguins for the first time in the wild.

​They were fun, loud, and curious little creatures. After having our hour exploring the island, we headed to Isla Marta. We didn't land, but the captain let us climb on top of the boat to see the sea lions and cormorants. Man, those cormorants were stinky. After having a chance to snap a couple of shots, we headed back to the dock. We arrived back to Hotel Rey don Felipe close to 11:30 AM to catch our ride to EcoCamp. If you are lucky to make it to Magdalena Island, enjoy every minute! And know that you are one of the few.

I'm going to walk you through the day in the life of a lucky traveler at EcoCamp for a Wildlife Safari program. You wake up early in your dome and an incredibly comfortable bed, usually between 7 and 8 AM depending on when your excursion starts that day. You wander down to the dome that is serving the breakfast options. There are typically eggs, some sort of fried veggies, fruit, yogurt, coffee and tea. While you enjoy breakfast, they'll ask you to order your dinner for that night. You have two amazing appetizers to choose from, three meal options, and two desert choices. The dining dome next door had all of your supplies to make a yummy lunch for your day (unless you are doing Laguna Azul, then it's going to be included in your day). You can make your own sandwich, or two (or three!), then add any dried fruit, fresh fruit and muffin. Your guide is usually walking through the dome reminding you when your meeting time will be. Then, you take off in an EcoCamp van with the rest of the group.

Nearly every excursion included a stop every 20 minutes or so to take pictures of the scenery or wildlife. The guides and drivers would stop if you asked if there was an animal or view that you just couldn't miss. The guides at EcoCamp are all friendly, knowledgeable, warm, and love the place they work. When you return to EcoCamp after a beautiful day of exploring the park, they will invite you to take a shower in your dome, change clothes, and meet them in the bar dome (if you get back before 7 PM).

In the bar dome, they bring you a pisco sour to enjoy along with some appetizers (nuts, cheeses, quiches, and dried fruit). Your guide will brief you on what to expect for the next day and morning plans. Then, they move you to your table for dinner. You enjoy conversation with the people you explored with that day and sometimes your guide is able to join you as well. After you've wined and finely dined, you make your way back to your comfy dome - happily exhausted from your day. 

If you ever cross from Chile to Argentina while staying in Torres del Paine, I can tell you what to expect. We had an early morning breakfast and took all of our things to the van. We said our farewells to our friends and guides we met. We headed to Cerro Castillo, about an hour away from EcoCamp. We shopped for a few minutes at the souvenir shop while we waited for the bus. Our guide helped us get our ticket to the bus, as well as loaded our luggage into the bus, and from then on, we were on our own. The bus driver directed us to the first check point leaving Chile. We waited at least 30-45 minutes in line for the Chilean border to check our passports. Adventure Life advises that you not bring any food across the border, but there wasn't even a time that they asked us about the food we had. At EcoCamp, they only recommended you not bring any fresh fruits across the border. After they checked our passports, we headed back to the bus. The bus was really comfortable, with big seats and a bathroom at the back. About 20 minutes down a bumpy road, we arrive to the Argentina border crossing. We all file out again and wait in line to once again show the Argentina border our passports. We loaded back on the bus and made our way to El Calafate. They made it easy, and we didn't need an interpreter with us, but it was quite a process. Sometimes it's helpful to know what to expect! So, there you have it.

Honestly, I was a bit nervous when we confirmed the Big Ice Trek. I thought there would be ice climbing, heaving myself up a cliff of slippery ice, and pictured myself sliding down a slope of ice into a glacial pit. Of course, that was not the case and Toby and I had a a blast. We were picked up in a big bus at El Galpon around 7:45 AM. This was a group pick up that started in El Calafate at 7:00 AM. It's a good thing that we were at El Galpon, because we were the last ones to be picked up. And the first to be dropped off! We had about an hour to get into the Los Glaciares National Park. We had a sweet guide who told us the history of the park and what to expect in both English and Spanish.

We arrived to the boardwalks and had an hour to gaze on the face of Perito Moreno. We saw it calve many times, one big one! Then, we headed to the boat that took us across the water to the point where we started our trek. The boat ride was very short, maybe 15 minutes. The guide met us as a group, indicated how important it was for all of us to wear gloves, and gave us an opportunity to use the restaurants. We began the 2.5-3 mile hike uphill to the dome where we donned our crampons and harnesses. They had a pretty fast pace and we didn't have much of an opportunity to stop and take photos. When we were given the crampons and harnesses, we made our way down another quarter mile to the place we first stepped on the ice.

We split into about 4 groups of 11 people. Two guides accompanied us - one leading and the second scouting the area, helping us down steep parts, and keeping us in line. Carlos was our lead guide. He was funny, and had lots of knowledge about the glacier. Pablo was quiet, helpful, and didn't speak much English. I could tell he had a sense of humor because he called one of our fellow trekkers, "Utah". We spent about 3 hours out on the ice and our guides led us to a point that made us feel like we were the only ones on the ice. They pointed out beautifully blue/purple caverns that led to the depths of the glacier. At one point, we stopped for lunch and filled up our water bottles with the freshest water on the planet. We wandered our way through the ice and the only times we ever used our harnesses was if we were peering over an edge.

Carlos or Pablo would hold on to us as we glanced over the edge. We meandered our way back to the edge of the ice to take off our crampons. We walked up to the camp to return the gear and then headed back to the boat. When we boarded, they had whiskey on glacial ice and chocolate to celebrate a pretty amazing day. It was an epic way to end our adventure in Patagonia. We were exhausted, but happy to have the experience.

El Galpon del Glaciar is not for the faint-hearted. I want to give you all a very raw and realistic expectation of this place. It's rustic and fully equipped with bugs, older smells - estancia smells, smaller beds, and sandy tap water. But, Toby and I embraced this adventurous location and really loved it. The first afternoon we arrived, we scheduled to go horseback riding. They had two guides that joined us along with a sweet french couple. They gave us the flexibility to go at our own pace and expertise of riding. I have the desire to gallop every chance I get, so one of our guides made sure I could take advantage as much as I could. This was Toby's first real horseback ride ever, so he was able to take it easy and enjoy it! Toby had the pleasure of riding a sweet and hungry horse named Princessa and I rode a handsome gelding named, Abba. It was a great introduction to this location just outside of El Calafate. Our room had a smaller/lumpy bed - not the most comfortable, and it had a nostalgic smell of my grandparent's home similar to mothballs. That would maybe be a turn off to some, but we were refreshed by this sheep farm's honesty. They weren't trying to be something other than....a sheep farm! We were out of town, winding down our trip with a realistic accommodation in a rural setting and it was lovely. Our last night in El Galpon and Patagonia was spent lounging in our sitting room that adjoined to our room, watching a huge eagle settle into a tree outside our window while sipping on some of our Chilean wine. Don't expect a luxurious experience if you visit El Galpon. What you can expect is a sweet staff that maybe needs to work on communication because they're running a hotel and a ranch -understandable, a quaint, but comfortable room, the smell of horses and sheep, a great view, and a really relaxing/peaceful Argentinean setting. Enjoy it! We sure did.