PC3
PC2 / PC3 San Rafael Lagoon 3 nights
Regular Departures: Saturdays and Tuesdays
Day 1 / Balmaceda - Chacabuco - Puyuhuapi
Reception in the Balmaceda airport. We begin our tour through the Aysen region, crossing during 45 min Patagonian pampas to reach the city of Coyhaique. Along the way we are likely to spot pairs of caiquenes (wild goose) and flocks of bandurrias (storks) through the tall grasses. The vast remains of burned over forests are vestiges of the region’s recent colonization period. After a short visit to the city, we continue on, following the Simpson River until we reach Puerto Chacabuco (1:15 hr), where the PATAGONIA EXPRESS catamaran waits to take us on a 5-hour cruise through the southern fjords and channels to reach our destination: the Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa. Welcome!
Day 2 / Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa
The Lodge offers thermal outdoor pools at the edge of the sea, paths for walks through the cold forest, visits to the Queulat National Park with its Hanging Glacier, bicycle trips along the Carretera Austral, or, if you wish, you can explore the Dorita Bay in boats or kayaks. The Spa’s facilities are complete. Enjoy its large hydromassage pool, Jacuzzis, spring-water fountain, and steam sauna, and then reap the benefits of thalassotherapy sessions, relaxation massages, and facial and other treatments. Unwind…
Day 3 / Puyuhuapi - San Rafael Lagoon - Chacabuco or Coyhaique
Our day begins early. At 7:00 a.m. we board the PATAGONIA EXPRESS catamaran and begin our journey through the austral fjords on our way to the San Rafael Lagoon. The 7-hour trip is a sheer delight to the senses: the transparency of the waters, the majesty of the Andes Mountains wrapped in lush forests, the play of light interwoven through the clouds, and sometimes... encounters with playful dolphins. Sailing through a number of channels, we finally reach the Tempanos River, which leads us to the San Rafael Lagoon, home to a millenarian glacier. Experience it! After a visit of approximately 2 hours, we begin our return trip, arriving in Puerto Chacabuco around 10:30 p.m., where we will be transferred to the hotel in Puerto Chacabuco or Coyhaique.
Day 4 / Chacabuco or Coyhaique - Balmaceda
After breakfast, bus drive on to the airport in Balmaceda. Bon Voyage & Hasta la Vista !