Signature Patagonia: Highlights of Patagonia

Our favourite way to cross between Argentina and Chile is via this passage through the lakes, very much a highlight in its own right.

Bavarian Bariloche, with its pointed steeples, ski resorts and chocolate shops, marks one end of the lake crossing, while on the Chilean side you’ll arrive at the town of Puerto Varas with its backdrop of snow-capped volcanoes. In between, a wonderland of aquamarine lakes penetrates the Andean mountain chain that forms a natural border between the two countries.

You’ll cross this region by boat and road over the course of a mesmerising day’s journey. Passing the broad, crystalline cascade of Petrohue Falls, you travel across lakes reminiscent of Scandinavian fjords as ever-changing mountain landscapes peer over the horizon.

Charismatic Valparaiso is a tumbledown maze of colourful buildings scattered across hilly slopes on the edge of the ocean. It has a marked bohemian feel that has long attracted poets and artists, and its meandering streets lined with multicoloured corrugated iron houses have a charm that’s all Valparaiso’s own.

Our walking tour begins at the main pier, passing into Plaza Sotomayor to visit the surrounding historical buildings and an underground mausoleum to Chile’s naval martyrs.

The best way to get around is via a quirky network of funiculars, and you’ll ride a number of them as we journey up and down Valparaiso’s hillside neighbourhoods to uncover hidden corners, small galleries and all the most photogenic viewpoints.

This rewarding and varied excursion includes a visit to the world’s only mixed colony of Humbolt and Magellanic penguins, a stop at a Spanish fortress and of course plenty of magnificent Patagonian scenery along the way. The penguins are normally present between November and March.

You’ll reach the rural Patagonian isle of Chiloé via road and ferry, arriving at the colourful fishing village of Ancud with its historically significant fortress, one of few such sights in the southern cone.

Drive inland through a landscape of valleys and rolling green pastures towards the island’s rugged west coast, with its deserted beaches, quiet farmlands and temperate forest. Visit the penguin colony at Puñihuíl, where two species of penguins nest side by side.

We’ll whisk you back to Puerto Varas via the sweepingly beautiful bay at Mar Brava and a small, traditional fishing village where you can sample Chiloé’s renowned fresh oysters.

Steeped in rural traditions and unique island folklore,the island of Chiloé is one of the richest examples of Patagonian culture and a fascinating complement to the region’s more famous natural attractions. No fewer than 16 Unesco World Heritage wooden churches add vibrant splashes of brightly painted magic to the island's deep green landscapes. Although you can visit Chiloé on a long day trip from Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt, we recommend at least couple of nights' stay to enable this damp, misty island work its charms.

Most visitors reach the island by road and local ferry (although a new airport has also opened as modernity takes root). An unmissable stop is Chiloé’s capital, Castro, which has a long history and a photogenic waterfront lined with brightly painted palafito homes hovering over the lake on wooden stilts. Visit the town’s market and distinctive shale churches with their surprisingly Nordic aspect. Head through rugged mountainous terrain to the port of Dalcahue where there's a handicraft fair selling souvenirs and the thick woollen clothing you’ll see all over the island. Another village you may visit is Qemchi, where you cross by a rickety 500m footbridge to tiny Isla Aucar. Its small botanical garden is a sanctuary of native flora planted by the priest who managed the island's 19th century chapel.

Explore the main square and the cathedral, neatly juxtaposed with the glass frontages of skyscrapers and visit the government palace La Moneda.  Alongside its earlier history, you’ll become aware of the violent coup that emanated from here in 1973, installing the brutal military regime of General Pinochet.

The National Historic Museum is worth a look as are two of Santiago’s oldest and most stately neighbourhoods, Republica and Concha y Toro.

The sun-drenched vineyards of the Central Valley are a picture of rural serenity, yet lie within remarkably easy reach of the capital. On a relaxed daytrip from Santiago we can take you into the heartland of Chile’s wine-growing region to visit one or two of our favourite wineries: historic properties where grand estate houses overlook landscaped grounds and rolling hills.

But of course the main attraction is what’s in their cellars – Chile’s finest wines are produced here and you’ll have a chance to sample a few of them for yourself. A winery tour will also introduce you to the wine-making process and the viticultural heritage of this fertile valley. 

One of the best ways to see Torres del Paine National Park is by boat, and this justly popular journey to the awe-inspiring Grey Glacier shows why.

The boat will navigate a course through the vivid blue icebergs that crowd Lago Grey before taking you right up to the face of the enormous glacier. Reminiscent of Argentina's famous Perito Moreno, this is a monumental ice field extending almost as far as the eye can see and fronted by a cracking, calving wall of azure pinnacles.

Torres del Paine National Park is a trekkers' paradise, offering up an endless array of Patagonian scenery that will leave you speechless with wonder and awe. In just a single day, you can delve deep into its wild reaches and gaze upon some of the park's most beautiful and iconic natural landmarks.

One such trek is to the base of the Torres del Paine massif, with its crown of monumental spikes thrusting skyward. This is the centrepiece of the park and the close-up view you can gain on foot more than merits the steep climb.

For a more panoramic perspective, the trek to the French Valley skirts glassy lagoons with the Cuernos del Paine rising up over the horizon to arrive at an extraordinary amphitheatre of vertical peaks. You can also trek to the enormous Grey glacier within a day, passing glassy lagoons, sheltered glacial valleys and wild flower meadows.

From Bariloche, a scenic road winds along the lakeshore to emerge from dense forest at Ventisquero Negro, a ‘black’ glacier formed by the mixing of ice with crushed rock. You’ll pass Lago Mascardi, where a rich variation of hues from sea green through turquoise to deep blue has earned it the nickname, ‘Lake of Seven Colours’.

Continue to the base of Tronador Mountain, known as the ‘Thunderer’ because of the vast ice and rock slides that can frequently be seen and heard here. Before returning to Bariloche there is time to climb to the Los Alerces waterfall, where glacial meltwater crashes down into a jade river. 

Draped between Patagonian peaks and rising 60m from an ice-bound arm of Lago Argentino, Perito Moreno is an awe-inspiring sight. It is one of the few glaciers still advancing, and covers an area so vast that the eye struggles to take it all in.

It’s common to see massive hunks of ice calve break off from the glacier and crash into the lake below, forming vivid blue icebergs. You can witness the spectacular show from the walkways and viewing platforms that offer panoramic views of the glacier’s southern flank.

You could also take an hour-long cruise beneath the towering glacier will take you almost within touching distance of its sapphire pinnacles.