PATAGONIA COLLECTION: MULTISPORT ROUTE OF THE PARKS (14 DAYS)

Upon your arrival to Temuco Airport (by 9:30AM), our local team will pick you up to start this adventure! We’ll drive passing through old-fashioned little towns like Cunco and Melipeuco until we arrive to Conguillío National Park, one of the most outstanding parks of the Lake and Volcano District in Chile.

This wilderness protected area is also part of Kütralkura, the first UNESCO Geopark in Chile.

During the visit, you will witness how the Llaima volcano has permanently shaped the landscape of the area with its eruptions, and you’ll have the fantastic opportunity to walk on the lava flows.

Later we’ll visit the Truful-Truful Canyon and its waterfalls. This is the most important geosite of all the geopark, where you can see 13.000 years of eruptive activity of Llaima volcano.

After our first stop, we continue driving another 20 minutes to La Baita EcoLodge, the first eco-friendly accommodation in Chile.

We’ll check-in, relax and eat lunch together. After a good coffee or the locals’ favorite “yerba mate”, we’ll get ready for our afternoon hike towards a viewpoint that faces the Llaima volcano and a huge valley completely covered in lava flows. The locals call this valley the “devil’s field”.

Finally, we hike back to our lodge, take a shower and relax by the fireplace with a good book.

In the evening, a nice Pisco Sour (traditional Chilean drink) will be served and our local guide will introduce you to the following days itinerary.

After breakfast at La Baita Lodge, we will have a short drive passing by two lakes: Verde (green) and Arco Iris (rainbow) where we are immersed in a jaw-opening landscape (the same landscape that inspired the awarded BBC documentary “Walking with Dinosaurs”!!).

We’ll begin a short hike along the Sierra Nevada trail surrounded by native trees, including ancient monkey-puzzle trees or Araucarias.

We will hear and spot many endemic birds such as the chucao tapaculo, the Magellan woodpecker and the noisy slender-billed parakeet. The trail is equipped with 3 viewpoints and we’ll be sure to explore all. Each one of them offers different angles to take-in the views of the Conguillío Lake and the Llaima and Sierra Nevada volcanoes.

After spending some time eating our packed lunch, taking pictures and enjoying the amazing view, we’ll hike back to the bottom of the trail and visit Playa Linda (pretty beach).

Later we will take our van and drive for about two hours until we get to the city of Villarrica. This lakeside city is flanked by a smoking active volcano and a big glacial lake, both named Villarrica.

Our hotel is located right next to the lake with a pedestrian area and bike lane. We’ll check-in and then start our bike fitting.

Our guides will adjust the bikes to your satisfaction so you can enjoy the next three bike rides across Chile’s first Scenic Route.

Tonight dinner is on your own – allowing you to explore the city and gastronomy at your leisure.

There are plenty of good restaurants and bars within a 5-10 minutes walk (just ask your guide for recommendations!).

Each day brings new beauty on this tour, and today is no exception.

Good news, no transfers today! Before we start pedaling, our guides will check your bike again and conduct a short briefing session with a safety talk.

This is a very well-supported bike ride, with a “sag-wagon” following the group for assistance all the time.

Today we will ride one of Chile’s most scenic roads: The 7-Lake Circuit. We’ll pedal alongside the shores of two beautiful lakes, Calafquén and Panguipulli, and cover three-quarters of the way around Villarrica, a majestic, snow-capped active volcano. This road is smooth and with little traffic, with one climb at the beginning of the route.

At one point we should be able to see five volcanoes: Villarrica, Quetrupillan, Lanin, Mocho and Choshuenco.

Our first stop is at Lican Ray (km 28), a summer beach town located next to Calafquen Lake. Here we can eat some snacks and refill our water bottles.

We resume cycling and the road passes through green prairies, fruit farms and native forests. The lakeside road presents gentle rolling hills and gets quiet as almost no vehicles drive on it.

As we ride this scenic route, we make the lunch stop at a very special place called Foye Mapu (km 51). Here a Mapuche family will welcome us in their home and feed us traditional food.

They will share some of their ancestral culture and we can learn how to make “merkén”, a smoked chilli powder that is super tasty.

Followed by lunch there are 11 km to cover in our saddles and arrive at the city of Panguipulli. Then, a short ride to the beach of Lake Panguipulli – meaning “land of lions” – while enjoying the views of Chile’s southern volcanoes. From there we pedal a few more blocks and arrive by bike to our next boutique hotel where we’ll eat dinner and stay overnight.

Today we start early and drive in our van 162 km from our hotel in Panguipulli, covering part of the Panamerican Highway, until we arrive at Cancura village to begin cycling.

From this point we’ll start our ride towards quaint little villages with a strong German heritage, such as Puerto Octay and Puerto Clocker.

The route consists of rolling hills with long flat stretches until we end the ride by the beach of Lake Llanquihue, where a unique landscape is waiting for us, the Osorno Volcano with its perfect cone. In Puerto Octay we’ll try local beers, eat lunch in a German style restaurant (km 27), and then explore the village on our bikes.

The last section of 40 km is dominated by the Osorno volcano and very green fields with grazing cows roaming freely. We can opt between a fully paved road or a gravel road that goes next to the lake.

We’ll arrive by bike to our lakefront lodge called Las Cascadas and if you are brave you can go in the cold waters of Chile’s second largest lake, the Llanquihue (or you can take a plunge in the outdoor hot tub or the indoor swimming pool!).

The first leg of this amazing multisport trip is about to end. In the morning, we leave our lodge on our bicycles, riding alongside Lake Llanquihue and across Vicente Perez Rosales National Park.

The unique landscape is stunning, with Calbuco, Puntiagudo and Osorno volcanoes at sight. The road is very quiet and fully equipped with a bike lane and several side-road viewpoints.

Literally, the foot of the Osorno volcano reaches the shore of the lake and we’ll pass through the middle of this astounding landscape as we travel to the villages of Ensenada and Petrohue. This 35 km northeast section of the Llanquihue Lake Route is one of the most beautiful routes of the tour.

Finally, we will end our last ride arriving at Todos Los Santos in Petrohue, a turquoise lake located in the National Park Vicente Perez Rosales.

We’ll eat lunch together and return the bikes for transportation and storage. You will have to say goodby to your first crew of local guides and meet the next amazing crew for the second leg of the trip.

The best way to start the second leg of this adventure will be refreshing ourselves in the class 4 rapids of the River Petrohué. We will spend the next two hours in the water, through one of the most scenic and pristine rivers of north Patagonia.

After the exciting time in the white water we will drive to the charming town of Puerto Varas for a well-deserved dinner and a one night stay at the hotel Cumbres.

Today is the trip where we give back to our planet and participate in a ‘rewilding’ experience and also give back to the local communities of the destination we will visit.

Rewilding means to restore nature to the original state how it was before the perturbation made by humans. In our volunteer work today we will combine this regeneration effort to work with local communities, creating a virtuous circle where nature regenerates and communities receive benefits from these actions.

We will meet the team of Fundación Legado Chile (Chile Legacy Foundation) and join them in the restoration work at the wetlands of Llanquihue.

We will follow their daily schedule that could include restoration of aquatic flora, census of amphibians or birds, collection of water samples or other activities from a scientific perspective.

After this, we will have the chance to visit local communities that work around the wetlands area and make our own wool crafted bird with a local artisan.

We will then move to the north part of the lake to visit a brewery founded by Canadian & American friends and enjoy a barbecue with an open bar with a variety of beers!

We leave from Puerto Varas early in the morning in direction to the local airport to board a 45 minute charter flight to Chaitén where our vehicle will be waiting for us to start the exploration of El Amarillo of Pumalín Park along a 6 hour gentle hike to the El Amarillo Glacier.

In the evening we drive to Caleta Gonzalo enjoying spectacular views of rivers, glacier valleys and the exuberant temperate rainforest. With a little luck we will be able to spot the smallest deer on earth, the Pudu.

This elusive and tame small mammal inhabits only these latitudes and feeds on the tender leaves of different plants with a favorite one: the Magellanic fuchsia.

Afterwards, we will check-in to the comfortable and carefully decorated cabins which offer astounding views of the fjord and mountains. We will enjoy our dinner prepared with the ingredients cultivated and produced by local farmers of the Chaitén area.

After breakfast we will explore different sections of the Pumalín Park learning about the fantastic work of conservation, recovery and ‘rewilding’ of this area run by the Tompkins Conservation.

The story of Douglas Tompkins, an American conservationist, is intimately related to this park which became part of the largest donation of private lands ever made, and the first step for the creation of the Route of the Parks of Patagonia. Getting into the story of this land is a trip itself and will give you a completely different perspective of your trip!

Our day starts with a hike to Volcan Chaitén and an interpretative hike to Cascadas Escondidas or ‘hidden waterfalls’.

Have you ever hiked through the slopes of an active volcano? If not, today gives you the opportunity to hike Volcán Chaitén which is still active and a really amazing sample of the power of nature in these lands.

The hike will be a great chance to learn more about the temperate rainforest and its wildlife with a great variety of flora.

This special place has a variety of interesting and elusive amphibians and with a little luck some mammals and birds such as the Magellanic Woodpecker and the Chucao tapaculo among others.

Afterwards we return to our cabins in Caleta Gonzalo where we enjoy another evening of rest and a plentiful and fresh dinner.

If the weather permits, we can head out at night for some nocturnal birdwatching with special night vision binoculars and red lights as to not to disturb the animals.

Continuing along our special adventure, after a nourishing breakfast we depart from Caleta Gonzalo towards Puerto Varas driving along the Carretera Austral (Southern Highway).

Today is a special day spent navigating the northern Fjords of Patagonia from an entirely new perspective along several ferries.

The ferry navigations are one of the highlights of this remarkable itinerary with spectacular views of the mountains, volcanoes and the picturesque fishermen villages along the shore.

Our first ferry takes us from Caleta Gonzalo through the Fiordo Largo (Long Fjord), a 45 minute ferry connecting us to a short drive where we will board our second navigation for a 4 hour ferry ride through the Comau Fjord.

The last ferry we take today takes us from Puelche to Caleta La Arena. We arrive back to Puerto Varas where we stay the evening.

Morning departure for an early flight to South Patagonia and the moment to say goodbye to the team of guides of Pumalin Park & Puerto Varas.

Relax in a private transfer taking you along the far reaching pampas of Punta Arenas en route to Puerto Natales. Admire the changing Patagonia sky that stretches out into the horizon and herds of iconic Patagonian sheep grazing on grand estancias.

Soon we arrive in the colorful coastal town of Puerto Natales where our multisport adventure continues with a hike of Cerro Dorotea (Dorotea Hill). Our 800 meter (2,625 ft.) ascent to the summit allows for a gentle and inviting hike where we will be rewarded with mesmerizing views of the city of Puerto Natales, the Ultima Esperanza Fjord, and the Admiral Montt Gulf. After our descent, our private transfer takes us into the heart of Puerto Natales where we will see iconic monuments along the coast and surely be blessed with an enchanting evening’s view of the fjords and mountain peaks silhouetted against the colorful sky.

After our hike, we will enjoy an afternoon of basket weaving with local Kawesqar Women. Basket weaving in the Kawesqar culture represents a traditional ancestral spiritual connection, using the hands as dialogue which weaves stories and connects people. The basketry of junquillo (type of reed) is taught from generation to generation and reaches us today through its artisans who preserve their legacy and brings us closer to this experience with the Kawesqar people.

Tonight we will share a private dinner at a local restaurant as we finish our first day with a comfortable rest in our local hotel accommodation.

Our second day begins from our hotel in Puerto Natales as we travel 2 hours to Estancia Lazo, a 13,000 hectare (32,120 acre) cattle ranch founded over a century ago which still operates today beneath striking views of the Paine Massif on the shores of Laguna Verde.

From here we’ll hike into Torres del Paine National Park along a generally flat trail through peaceful stretches of native beech and coihue forests teeming with wildlife. As you walk, watch for condors and caranchos circling the skies; guanacos grazing on the hills; and woodpeckers, owls, and lesser-known species such as the cachaña (Austral parakeet), peeking out from the leafy trees.

We’ll reach Honda Lagoon and continue on to the Toro Lake lookout (559 m/ 1,834 ft.), where 360 degree views of mountains, rivers, lakes and glaciers await. Take a moment to identify the Grey, Serrano and Paine Rivers, Serrano Valley, Mount Balmaceda and the Geike and Tyndall Glaciers before we make our descent to the Weber bridge, where our private transfer will take us to our campsite for the evening greeted with a freshly prepared welcome dinner.

After an early breakfast, your private transfer takes you to the Grey Lake to meet your kayaking guide. Here, with views of Paine Grande and Grey Glacier as our morning backdrop, you’ll hear about kayaking safety and paddling techniques.

You’ll paddle Grey Lake for approximately 2 hours, weaving amongst the floating icebergs that have calved from the glacier and been whittled into natural ice sculptures by the wind and sun.

While paddling, take time to look around you: the granite peaks of Paine Grande, Cordon Olguín and Los Cuernos interplay beautifully with the water’s multiple shades of turquoise.

Leaving Grey Lake we’ll begin our descent of Grey River, which snakes through canyons bubbling with rapids and framed by steep rock faces. Accompanied by views of the imposing Paine Massif, we’ll paddle down Grey River until it joins the Serrano River.

We indulge in an energy-packed breakfast before taking our private transfer to the Hotel Las Torres sector of the park.

Today’s hike will offer one of the most incredible viewpoints of the National Park as we hike to the summit of Cerro Paine along a hidden, off-the-beaten trail.

We begin winding through the forest of the Ascencio Valley, following the same path as one of Patagonia’s first and most famous explorers, Alberto Agostini.

We will continue to the top where we are blessed with truly mesmerizing views: the three towers poised in the west, and views of the Paine River Valley, Laguna Azul, and the Nordenskjöld & Sarmiento Lakes.

A picture perfect panorama that seems too good to be true! Taking in the enormous granite peaks, glaciers, lakes, forest and pampas – you will feel the full Patagonia essence of your adventure.

We will take our time returning along the same path where our private transfer awaits, guiding us back to Natales along endless breathtaking pampas, valleys, and the coast.

We arrive at our accommodation and after, enjoy our final departure dinner together as a group.

After a restful final night in the quiet coastal town of Puerto Natales and a freshly prepared and hearty breakfast, your private transfer will take you back to Punta Arenas for your connecting flight or onward travels.