Overview
Patagonia is a paradise for nature lovers, with its golden pampas, verdant forests, and sheer granite peaks. Its rugged topography and southern latitude make it a haven for unique fauna, including prowling pumas. In remote Tierra del Fuego, magnificent tumbling glaciers descend right to water’s edge and the wildlife ranges from Magellanic penguins to austral parakeets. On our wildlife odyssey with WT Trip Leader Karen Lund Petersen, an Argentine naturalist and long-time WT Trip Leader, we begin with a four-day cruise by expedition ship. We’ll voyage through Tierra del Fuego from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Punta Arenas, Chile, into a realm of soaring fjords, ice floes, glaciers, and marvelous Fuegian wildlife. We then enter a completely different world as we head to Chile’s renowned Paine National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a surreal landscape of iconic granite towers carved by ice. Here we’ll set out to track pumas, the “ghost of the Andes,” with expert local trackers. Paine is thought to hold a higher concentration of pumas than anywhere else on earth, and to spot one in the grandeur of Paine National Park is a spine-tingling experience. In addition to Paine’s big cats, we’ll keep an eye out for guanacos, native foxes (both Patagonian gray fox and Fuegian fox), armadillos, flamingos, soaring condors, and more. Our accommodation in Paine is a historic estancia (ranch) on the edge of the park. Karen lives in remote northern Patagonia with her family and is a gifted professional naturalist. She’s the ultimate guide to unlock the secrets of this realm. Join us for the natural history trip of a lifetime!
Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-6, Feb 26-Mar 3, 2023
Ushuaia, Argentina / Beagle Channel / Cruise Tierra del Fuego
After exploring Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego, we board the Ventus Australis with our Trip Leader on Day 3 and set out for an exciting 4-day expedition cruise with explorations by Zodiac. We first voyage south along the Beagle Channel to Cape Horn National Park, the legendary setting where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet, then visit Wulaia Bay, with its Yagan archaeological site. Entering Pia Fjord, where the spectacular Pia Glacier cascades to water’s edge, we’ll navigate by Zodiac in “Glacier Alley.”
Days 7-12, Mar 4- 9, 2023
Puma Tracking / Paine National Park, Chile
We disembark in Punta Arenas, Chile, and head across the pampas to Paine National Park, whose famed peaks are known as “The Towers” for their vertical spires. We’ll explore the park, then join our puma trackers, who have a deep knowledge of the park’s puma population. Paine is thought to hold a higher concentration of pumas than anywhere else on Earth. Throughout our tracking, there will be dramatic views of Paine’s landscapes and plenty of other wildlife, from foxes and guanacos to armadillos, condors, and rheas. Our accommodation is the historic Estancia Cerro Guido, a working sheep ranch on the eastern edge of the park. Depart on Day 12 via Punta Arenas, Chile.
Patagonia: Tracking Pumas and Cruising the Fjords
Highlights
Highlights
Details
Wildlife viewing, easy to moderate hikes and walks, four nights aboard expedition cruise ship, Patagonian weather changes may affect daily itinerary
