Baguales Fossil Canyon

Day 1: Hike to Rodas Lagoon & Green Outpost

Your guide will meet you at your hotel in Puerto Natales early in the morning and you will take a private transfer to an estancia (ranch) located in the northeast corner of the Last Hope province. The drive itself is amazing, passing the coastline of Puerto Natales and several ranches, as the road becomes more rural. We can spot ñandus (Darwin’s rhea), flamingos, skunks, foxes, a variety of birds, and flocks of Patagonia's iconic sheep as they graze the endless Patagonian landscapes.

We go to the end of the road at Las Cumbres - a very rustic Patagonian estancia where we will spend our first two nights camping at a typical outpost in the Patagonian steppe. From here we begin our first trek along the eastern bank of the Baguales River, following guanaco (a grazing animal, closely related to the llama) tracks through the rolling hills.

Our gentle walk leads us through a landscape of green valleys surrounded by mountains peaks that were built by lava flows. Surprising us with its beauty, we come to Rodas Lagoon, hidden by the surrounding red rock cliffs. Resting by the lagoon we will be able to spot the wild trout as they swim through the algae. Returning along the same trail, we arrive back to Green Outpost where we will set up camp and prepare dinner. There's time to go wading in the Baguales River, and to relax and rest among these impressive landscapes.

Private transfer duration: 1.5hrs

Length of hike: 4-5hrs, 8km

Meals: Picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Camping Las Cumbres-Baguales

Day 2: Hike to Berlika Pass

After breakfast we prepare ourselves for a long, full-day hike which leads us to clear rivers and creeks flowing down gentle steppe slopes; a vivid green and yellow landscape. Today is a chance to get closer to the unique flora and fauna of this region.

We will hike towards the Argentinian border, crossing the Berlika Pass where we take in views of the magnificent and vast pampas (grasslands) on the other side of the border in Argentina. We complete our loop by hiking down the ridge back to our outpost where we rest, have dinner, and spend our second night under the open Patagonian skies.

Length of hike: 10-12hrs, 25km

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Camping Las Cumbres-Baguales

Day 3: Hike to Casa Museo

This morning, we pack up camp and head towards La Casa Museo (The Museum House) situated on Estancia Las Cumbres-Baguales. Hiking down the river, we can take our time and discover a unique corner of Patagonia, rich in marine fossils such as snails and oysters.

On arrival at the house we will prepare a well-deserved dinner and enjoy a restful night's sleep. This rustic house offers comfortable accommodation with fresh liners and pillows, but no sheets or blankets. The house is simple yet fully equipped with hot showers, generator electricity, a full kitchen, and a wood fire stove to keep us warm during the cool Patagonian evenings.

Length of hike: 3-4hrs, 6km

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Estancia Las Cumbres

Day 4: Fossils hike 

After a delicious breakfast, we will follow the tracks of wild animals through the steppe and hills and discover several areas rich in a variety of fossils: petrified wood, leaves, shark teeth and sea shells. Picking up any ordinary looking rock will probably result in a surprise: almost a third of the rocks in this region have a fossil within. We will pass small hidden lakes which give rise to the clearest rivers and creeks flowing down the slopes.

This trek is another chance to get close to the vegetation and fauna unique to this special place. We arrive back at the house and prepare a home-made dinner, enjoying another well-deserved evening resting in a remote and quiet landscape.

Length of hike: 4-6hrs, 12km

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Estancia Las Cumbres

Day 5: Transfer to Puerto Natales

We enjoy our final breakfast together at The Museum House before our private transfer brings us back to Puerto Natales. The journey ends here and you can choose to continue your adventure or travel home. 

Private transfer duration: 2hrs

Meals: Breakfast