Santiago to Patagonia: hiking, cycling, and horseback riding

December in Chile

December in Chile is when the country transitions from spring to summer and is a spectacular time to visit Patagonia. The first half of the month is still quiet before the tour groups arrive for the holidays. Patagonia days are long in December. The sun rises at about 4:30 a.m. and sets near 10:30 p.m., giving travelers plenty of daylight to squeeze in multiple excursions and connect with Mother Nature. With this in mind, three girl friends and I set out for Patagonia in December of 2019 to experience Chile’s natural collection of mountains, lakes, ice fields, and forests.

Reason for Trip

This trip was a 41^st birthday celebration for me and a 40^th birthday celebration for my “travel wife,” Rebecca. A girl friend from Tennessee and another friend from Austin also joined us. Two of our group were wrapping up messy divorces, two were workaholics needing the time off, three of us were mothers who were ready for a quiet break in the great outdoors, and all four of us were adventure seekers excited to take off across the country and get out of our comfort zones.

Weighing the Risks

 As our departure date approached, we all grew nervous at the growing civil unrest in Chile due to the “El Estallido Social” protests which originated in Santiago and lasted for months. We did a lot of research and made a lot of phone calls, and after a lot of back-and-forth, we moved forward with the trip. Our travel advisor was very patient with us! Also, my husband trusts me to take the proper precautions when I travel, and I was grateful to have his support.

Logistics

The logistics for this trip were complicated. With that in mind, I sought out a Brownell Travel Advisor and selected Abercrombie and Kent as our outfitter. Austin to Santiago is a LONG flight, but at least it’s north to south instead of east to west or west to east, which kept us from crossing too many time zones and minimized the jetlag. The only change was adjusting to the extended daylight hours once we were farther south in Patagonia. Sleep masks are highly recommended!

We flew overnight direct to Santiago and spent the day there touring the safe areas of the city. Upon getting back to our hotel, the riots and protests started up and we witnessed one safely from the roof of our hotel. The surrounding buildings were boarded up and it was clearly not safe to walk around. We left around two in the morning for the four-hour flight south to Punta Arenas. After a three and a half-hour drive, we arrived at Patagonia Camp. The views were beyond my expectations and worth all the travel headaches alone. The challenging logistics also help keep the crowds down and made our arrival more spectacular.   

Patagonia Camp

Patagonia Camp is in Torres del Paine, home to native Coigüe evergreen forests, ancient Nothofagus plants like Lenga and Notro that bloom in spring. Their site is located on the shores of the turquoise waters of Lake Toro, the largest lake in the Magallanes region of Chile with incredible views of the Macizo del Paine.

Glamping in their Pinterest-worthy cozy yurts was a first-time experience for me, although I now know to bring ear plugs when staying in a yurt because canvas “pops” in the wind. There is a great restaurant on site that serves as the perfect place to gather, sample the fabulous cuisine, and drink a round of pisco’s (the local drink.)

Torres del Paine National Park

There are a few small hikes available from Patagonia Camp, but three of us had big plans to do the Base of the Towers hike in the National Park. This is one of the most iconic routes in Torres del Paine, forming an essential segment of the famed “W” circuit. This rigorous excursion is in the eastern part of the National Park in the Ascencio Valley. There are tons of postcard-worthy photo opportunities throughout this 9 -hour excursion. I wore waterproof trail running shoes and was fine, but the rest of my fellow hikers opted for hiking boots. Because I was not carrying a heavy pack, my broken-in trail shoes worked for me. Dress in layers for this hike.

Keep in mind that summer is when Patagonia’s infamous winds pick up, and you should always be prepared for a range of microclimates. It’s best to bring some warm layers for chilly weather and waterproof gear in case of rain while out on the trail. You will climb through forests of Lenga beech and Andean shrub-land before tackling the glacial moraine composed of blocks of granite that have been exposed to the harshness of the Patagonian climate. This hike was hands-down the highlight of my trip.

To give our legs a break on our last day there, we soaked in the hot tubs while enjoying the view, then cleaned up and toured the Milodon caves. There are seven caves, of which three are protected as Natural Monuments by the Chilean government. In each of the caves, vestiges of the first people to inhabit the Patagonian Steppe have been found as well as cave paintings and the remains of megafauna such as the Mylodon sloth, the saber-toothed tiger and the Hippidion saldiasi horse.

Singular Patagonia

After two nights at Patagonia Camp, we took an hour and a half transfer to Singular Patagonia, a beautiful, historical hotel overlooking the Canal Señoret waters.

Singular Patagonia was easier on our wallets, and it was nice to switch from glamping to an actual hotel for a few days. We split up for excursions based on our interests. Two of us went on a horseback riding excursion with local gauchos and two of us went mountain biking.

Later in the day, we ventured out for the Condor’s Trek. It was a 4-hour activity in a VERY windy area.  We hiked to Cerro Benitez, a cliff of nesting condors that is part of the paleontological site that houses the Mylodon Cave Natural Monument. The incline wasn’t too bad although it got my heart rate up. It was the infamous winds (120 miles an hour at their strongest) that had me paying attention to my surroundings. We took lots of windy photos from this scenic excursion.

We mixed up our last few days mountain biking at Estancia Bahia Esperanza, touring Puerto Natales and taking cooking classes at the hotel. The rest of the class learned to make some killer king crab and lamb empanadas. I spent most of the class crying because I was assigned to cut the strong onions. Never again!

Regrets

I regret not adding on a tour to Easter Island. We were so close! Visiting Easter Island seemed like the perfect way to end the trip, and when I come back to this beautiful terrain, I will add a day at La Perouse Rapa Nui. I’m curious and excited to learn more about the ancient Polynesian civilization that constructed the imposing statues that decorate the island to this day.

Tierre Patagonia Hotel and Spa is also on my list to check out upon my return to this gorgeous area. Their guided excursions are legendary. The hotel sits on a bluff where the vast pampas meet Lake Sarmiento, and enjoys a magnificent view of Torres del Paine peaks on the other side of the lake. Furthermore, the hotel caters to Patagonia World Marathon Running Festival attendees. The hotel has a program for runners specially designed to enable guests who are participating in the marathon to not only enjoy the facilities of the hotel, but also to benefit from extra amenities and services. If I train for another running event, it will be for a race within Torres del Paine National Park!