Caleta Tortel

A number of self-guided trails wind around the hillside from Caleta Tortel, the most famous being a half-day circular hike to Cerro Bandera, where you'll have fantastic views of the Baker River and around Bahia Tortel, the inlet of the fjord that Caleta Tortel sits on. Boardwalks cover the boggiest ground, but if there has been heavy rainfall then waterproof boots are recommended. Listen out for frogs enjoying the wet climate.

To head a little further, take a boat to Katalalixar National Reserve, a wilderness archipelago cloaked in forests, and only accessible from the water. Katalalixar is suspended between the Northern and Southern Patagonian ice fields, and the lack of tourist facilities means you'll have the islands all to yourself.

A short boat ride from Caleta Tortel is the tiny Isla de los Muertos – a beautiful island with a dark history. Among the ferns and dense trees are 59 wooden crosses, commemorating workers who were building roads here in 1905. Their company promised them a boat home for the winter, when temperatures plummet. Winter arrived, but no boat came, stranding 200 workers here with little food, shelter, and battling a hostile climate. A quarter of the men died, some as young as 15. After this, Caleta Tortel wasn't settled until 1955. 

The island is now a national monument, and it's a fascinating trip by boat along the northern side of the fjord to reach it. 

Caleta Tortel sits on a fjord that lies between the Northern and Southern Patagonia Ice Fields. By boat, it’s possible to reach frozen outposts of both by boat.

Steffen glacier is part of the same northern ice field that gives birth to the San Rafael glacier. passing huge forested islands with waterfalls and abundant flora and fauna. The closer you get to the glacier, the more the water will become peppered with crystal icebergs, drifting downstream.

Boat trips to Jorge Montt glacier travel via the Isla de los Muertos on a gorgeous boat trip to where the glacier calves into a lagoon. 

It's totally worth the climb up the wooden stairway that weaves through the rainforest up to Entre Hielos Lodge for such a peaceful stay at this comfortable guest house with wonderful views.

Surrounded by native rainforest, rooms are cosy with walls made of warm coloured Guaitecas Cypress wood and all have comfortable beds with thick down duvets, en suite bathrooms and central heating.

Entre Hielos offers several excursions, including boat rides down the Baker River and visits to the Jorge and Steffen glaciers. You can have dinner at the lodge's own restaurant, providing typical Patagonian dishes made with local ingredients.