Parque Nacional Cerro Castillo

“Often overlooked, it offers a different type of beauty, a varied terrain relatively undiscovered and untouched due to being northern Patagonia.”

“We crested the hill to be welcomed by an epic sunset.” Due to the time of the year and how far south you are, you can sit and marvel at the meshing of a technicolored sky well into the night. “You can see for miles out to the lake which we later ended up driving around. On the other side of this, you are gazing at Argentina.”

Having soaked up the view, they descended into the Parque Nacional, where they hiked deeper into the southern beech forest and alpine terrain, showcasing striking basalt spires.

Puerto Rio Tranquilo

Having just witnessed one “mesmerising natural phenomenon,” it was now on to the next as Charlie found himself on the shores of South America’s second largest lake, Lago Gral Carerra. Hopping in a kayak, they sliced through the water to discover an idyllic combination of marble caves and crystal-clear waters which lap these extraordinary rock formations. A truly surreal experience, the pair saw themselves floating through the caves and brushing against smoothly sculpted marble, in awe of their surroundings.

From here it was time to head towards their final destination along a road hugging the length of the shoreline. Perched on the southern shore, fringed by glacial mountains, and bordering Argentina lies Chile Chico. 

“As we drove away, we were looking back to the San Rafael Glacier. The previous day we had been on the Western side, so it was incredible to take this in from a different perspective.”

Chile Chico

Hiking inland to the Valle de la Luna, revealed the mix of climates Chile has to offer. “The weather systems that the Pacific brings in, creates this dense jungle environment on the Chilean coast and then as you venture further inland, by the time you reach Chile Chico, you are welcomed by vast dry plains”, featuring sporadically placed rock formations carved by the elements.

Venturing deeper into the landscape they unveiled the enchanting expanse of Lago Jeinemeni, where they hiked up further for a different perspective of the azure pool. “We were so lucky to have such a beautiful place all to ourselves,” although they were most likely sharing the area with Andean condors and guanacos, native to South America and closely related to the llama.

“Hiking over what feels like moon dust” is the only way to describe this arid and wind-swept land bordering Argentina where Charlie concluded his adventure. After a few days soaking up the sun on Chilean sands, he caught a flight home to reality where he designs similarly enchanting escapades like his own, albeit a little more luxurious.

Dreaming of Adventure?

If you are inspired to embark on a similar adventure to Charlie’s, please contact our Travel Designers who will be happy to help.