During your days in Patagonia National Park, enjoy a menu of over 30 explorations to choose from. Every evening, sit down with your guide to select the next day’s explorations. Choose between hikes, bike rides, kayaking and overland travel to discover the landscapes and wildlife of this special conservation area. Be lead by a bilingual guide in small groups. And explore six different zones, including extensive forests connecting lakes and rivers, open plains with commanding views, icy glaciers and a fossil-heavy zone. Following is a sample of explorations; ask your Adventure Specialist for the full list.
Featured Hiking Explorations
Los Pumas
This moderate, half-day, 6.8-mile hike in the pioneers zone takes about 4.5 hours. Leave the lodge on foot and hike through a vast steppe region bordering the Chacabuco River. This is one of the areas most populated by pumas and guanacos. Learn more about these species and how to protect them.
Los Carpinteros
This easy, full-day, 6.1-mile hike in the water and forest zone takes about 4 hours. Hike along the southern slope of the Patagonia National Park. Cross areas with diverse vegetation: low shrubs, forest regrowth and dense coigüe forests. Different species of Patagonian bird life and fauna will accompany. Enjoy broad views of the mountains and hills in the sector and the crystalline Lake Cochrane, which is a great binational lake shared by Chile and Argentina.
La Leona
This advanced, full-day, 11.4-mile high mountain hike in the Andean and Patagonian steppe zone takes about 10 hours. Cross the natural corridors of the Valleys to experience its contrasts. Birds make their presence felt, as do the condors gliding above. Encounter different environments until arriving at an area with broad views of the valleys, some of them historic natural corridors in the area.
Featured Biking/E-Biking Explorations
Los Ríos
This easy, half-day, 8.6-mile bike ride in the Baker River zone takes about 2 hours. Leave by van with bikes in tow. After 40 minutes, reach the starting point: the outskirts of the town of Cochrane. Begin the ride in a sector of fields with crops and livestock, the main economic activities in the area. Ride beside the Cochrane River to appreciate its transparent waters and the trees introduced in the days of the pioneers. Continue on to rolling hills with stops to take in the views. End at the bridge over the El Salto River, whose waters come from the ice of Calluqueo.
La Tejuela
This advanced, full-day, 26-mile bike ride in the water and forest zone takes about 6.5 hours. Visit a rancher’s post to learn about part of the Chacabuco Valley’s history. View historic remains and learn about the lifestyle of past residents. Take a sloping path among ancient lenga forests, passing lagoons and diverse views. Pass through transit areas used by huemuls and other species in the Patagonia National Park.
Featured Combination Kayaking & Hiking Explorations
This kayak and hike in the water and forest zone is offered at two different levels of activity, both following the same route. Paddle to the Cochrane River rapids. Walk to the Lake Cochrane viewpoint and return via the Los Carpinteros trail in the Tamango area. Cross coigüe forests in the first half of the the exploration and then flank the riverbank with landscapes of pampa and Patagonian steppe.
-Los Correntadas version: easy, full-day, 2.6-mile, 4.5 hours
-Blugrin version: advanced, full-day, 7.5-mile, 8 hours
Featured Overland Explorations
Chelenko Sur
This easy, full-day, 102-mile overland exploration in the fossils zone takes about 8 hours. Leave the lodge by van and head northward, crossing areas with a strong tradition in livestock husbandry. Travel along the famous Baker River, know for its turquoise waters and heavy flows. Hike to the Baker-Neff confluence, the point where the two rivers meet. The Neff is a glacier-tongue-fed river that comes down from the northern ice fields. Next, walk to the San Martin Fossils sector. Enjoy a tour by the owner to observe and analyze samples of fossilized rocks with different species of molluscs that inhabited the territory more than 175 million years ago.
Viaje Glaciar
This easy, half-day, 96-mile overland exploration in the Patagonian Andean ice zone takes about 7 hours. Depart by van and travel along the Carretera Austral until taking back roads amid forests, rivers and lagoons to reach the Calluqueo Glacier. This impressive tongue of ice hangs from the western slope of the solemn Mount San Lorenzo. It then flows into a murky glacial lagoon surrounded by walls of ice thousands of years old. The wind causes the clouds surrounding Mount San Lorenzo to put on a shifting and dynamic show. Sit down and contemplate, walk around, or go down to get your wet feet in the lagoon.
Featured Explorations by Air
Northern Patagonian Ice Field (Added Cost)
This easy, half-day, added-cost excursion takes about 2-3 hours. Up to 4 guests can soar in a helicopter to explore the interior of Laguna San Rafael National Park and its surroundings, including the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, for views of glaciers, snow-capped peaks, turquoise lakes and pristine forests. Advanced reservations required. Contact your Adventure Specialist for pricing and details.
Featured Fly Fishing Explorations
Fly Fishing in the Baker River (Added Cost)
This easy, half-day, added-cost excursion takes about 3 hours. Travel to Puerto Bertand, take a cataraft along the Baker River and aim to catch the emblematic Patagonian trout.
