Wildlife Adventures from Paine to Tierra del Fuego
Patagonia: Tracking Pumas & Cruising the Fjords
Overview
Natural wonders abound in the southern tip of South America. We’ll begin our explorations with a four-day expedition cruise through remote Tierra del Fuego, entering a realm of soaring fjords, ice floes, glaciers, and marvelous Fuegian wildlife. We then head to a completely different environment in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a surreal landscape of iconic granite towers carved by ice. Here we’ll track pumas, the “ghost of the Andes,” with expert local trackers (Paine holds a higher concentration of pumas than anywhere else on Earth) and keep an eye out for guanacos, armadillos, flamingos, soaring condors, and more. Join us for the natural history trip of a lifetime!
Arrive: Ushuaia, Argentina
Depart: Puerto Natales, Chile
Highlights
- Track pumas with expert tracker-guides in Chile’s spectacular Torres del Paine National Park
- Cruise the icy fjords of Tierra del Fuego aboard a comfortable expedition ship, explore coves by Zodiac, hike along glacial lagoons
- See Magellanic penguins, guanacos, condors, foxes, and rheas
- Stay on a heritage estancia (ranch) in the iconic landscape of Torres del Paine National Park
Itinerary
After exploring Ushuaia, capital of Tierra del Fuego (only 600 miles from Antarctica!), we board the Ventus Australis on Day 3 for an exciting 4-day expedition cruise, with explorations by Zodiac. We’ll voyage south along the Beagle Channel and through Murray Channel to arrive in Cape Horn National Park, the legendary setting where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet, then visit Wulaia Bay, with its Yagan archaeological site. We’ll also take a walk through the native Magellanic forest here, with its lengas, coigües, canelos, and ferns. Entering Pia Fjord, where the spectacular Pia Glacier cascades down to water’s edge, we’ll navigate by Zodiac in “Glacier Alley.”
We disembark in Punta Arenas, Chile, and head out on a scenic day-long drive to world-famous Torres del Paine National Park, a surreal realm of stone carved by ice. The stunning granite cuernos (horns) of the Paine Massif come into view as we go. With three full days of puma tracking in the park with our expert guides, we have excellent chances to see and photograph these beautiful cats in the striking landscapes of Paine. Besides looking for pumas, we’ll have plenty else to look for, from South American gray foxes (known as the Patagonian fox) to Patagonian armadillos and soaring Andean condors. We leave the park on Day 11 and depart via Puerto Natales, Chile, on Day 11.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated Level 2, Easy to Moderate, according to our trip grading system. The trip combines vehicle-based exploration and day hikes, hotel and lodge accommodations plus four nights aboard an expedition cruise ship. We'll spend three days tracking pumas, which will include driving and hiking over various terrain in the early morning and late afternoon into the evening.
Please note that your Trip Leader may make adjustments to the itinerary and hiking routes, depending on local weather and trail conditions.
The walking and hiking will be over relatively easy terrain, and during the 2.5 days of puma tracking when we find a puma we will remain in one area for some time to observe it. However, given that we will be outdoors in Patagonia and walking for many hours at a time, it can feel physically demanding, so you should be in good shape and have some endurance.
To get the most out of this trip, we recommend you make a special effort to be in good physical condition. Daily brisk walking and/or regular hiking (or using a stair-climbing machine at your gym) are excellent preparatory exercises.
We time our trips for Patagonia's ideal weather, which is from late November through March, when we can enjoy the mildest temperatures and 16 hours of daylight. November (spring) is blessed with wildflowers and March (fall) offers the start of spectacular fall foliage. With its deep southern latitude, you might expect Patagonia's weather to be more "polar" than it really is. In fact, the austral summer temperatures are relatively moderate. During Patagonia's summer months (November through March in the Southern Hemisphere), the thermometer rarely drops below 40°F and will usually reach into the high 60s°F and even low 70s°F during the day. Nevertheless, the weather is radically changeable. Rain, sleet, and snow can occur at any time—perhaps just a few hours before or after sunny skies and 70°F temperatures.
The enormous, unbroken stretches of ocean to the west and south of the tip of South America leave the Patagonian Andes exposed to strong and persistent winds. Winds circling the globe between latitudes of 40s°F and 60s°F have little obstruction when they reach the tip of South America. Experiencing these winds is almost inevitable on any Patagonian journey. For most part, you can expect winds of 9 to 13 miles per hour, but they can occasionally gust much higher, quickly "cooling down" an otherwise pleasant day.
There's a saying that in Patagonia that you can experience all four seasons in one day, so be prepared for quickly changing weather. The best defense is proper clothing and layering, and our Pre-Departure Booklet has a detailed list of recommendations for layering.
Four nights are on a 210-guest expedition ship, the Ventus Australis. This vessel, specifically designed for Tierra del Fuego, lets us explore in comfort amid the rugged fjords of the extremely remote Cordillera Darwin range. Meals on board are varied, with meat, pasta, soups, and vegetarian options, plus locally sourced items such as king crab or fresh-caught fish when available. Shore landings are made by Zodiac, with life jackets provided.
There will be one 5-hour driving day (Day 7) as we disembark and drive to our estancia in the outskirts of Paine National Park. Everyone should be prepared for bumpy, dusty road conditions, and all will have a window seat on our vehicle.
Client Testimonials
"The puma sightings were the supreme highlight for me and the two puma trackers we had were absolute pros at getting us to see them. And seeing so many penguins and glaciers and walking on Cape Horn was another highlight of the trip for me. The design of the trip, having some days on the ship and others near the park, was a very good combination."
Rita V.
Houston, TX
"It was a wonderful trip. Fun group, spectacular scenery and wildlife, experienced and enthusiastic guides. We enjoyed the mix of cruise and land travel."
Sarah H.
Oakland, CA
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult.