Category: Planning & Tips

A few of the people who contact Swoop have visited Patagonia before and are looking to go back and explore it further. After all, a region that spans 1,000 miles North to South and 1 million square kilometres, with landscapes ranging from glacial to volcanic, to rainforest and desert, probably deserves more than a fortnight […]

First Name: Matty Age: 37 Occupation: Academic researcher Which operator did you go with or did you organise it yourself?  I organized my trip from Santiago to San Pedro de Atacama myself. If you had a local guide, what was he like?  I took three tours from San Pedro de Atacama with the same company […]

When Darwin visited Chiloé in 1835, he described the island as “the border of Christianity”, both in the geographical and spiritual sense. The brilliant researcher was marveled by the co-habitation achieved between Mapuche Indians and the Spanish conquerors over three centuries. This relationship has helped bring about a culture which can be appreciated today in […]

Grylls parachutes into Patagonia, the southernmost tip of South America, where he first encounters a vast ice field, then forages in a beech forest, wades through a frozen bog and swims through icy water. Next Grylls skins a hare, scales a cliff, tracks a puma, drinks dirty water, and crosses the Perito Moreno glacier, a vast frozen labyrinth of ice caves and […]

Struggling to think what the necessary items are to pack for your great adventure? Want to make sure you’ve covered all eventualities and are prepared for anything and everything that Patagonia has in store for you? Use our checklist below to help make sure you’ve got everything covered. 1. Luggage Do NOT bring a hard, […]

Booking international flights to a place as vast as Patagonia can seem a bit daunting. However, it’s not as complicated as you’d think and it needn’t cause you a headache, especially if you plan your trip in advance and read our comprehensive guide: “Booking early could save you hundreds of pounds” Firstly, it’s definitely a […]

David Thyberg © The sleek and powerful guanacos are native to the arid, mountainous regions of South America. In Chile and Argentina, they are more numerous in the Patagonian steppes, in places like the Torres del Paine National Park, and Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, where they roam wild all year round. Because they […]