Customer Reviews

Everything went to our itinerary. Highlight had to be a perfect day at Cape Horn in weather to die for. Landscapes were stunning and wildlife aplenty ( except Puma ). Chilean people were so welcoming and in particular the owner of the restaurant in Porvenir who took a photo of us Australians to hang on his establishments wall. We have already told of seeing 'mingos' ( flamingos) to my 3 1/2 year old grandson who was full of questions. Surprises were everywhere while travelling down to the Cape, glaciers that eclipsed those in Alaska wildlife to be seen on all our excursions with Protours.

BBQ'd lamb lunch at Helsingfor's Estancia! Landscape was nice, wildlife was OK. All the people (travelers) we met along the way were cordial and all staff members of every accommodation were engaging and helpful. We have been telling our family and friends what a great job SWOOP did putting our trip together. No surprises which is a good thing! The most magical moment was finishing the whole series of hikes we planned.

Landscapes and hiking were the highlights, very happy with all the people in my Swoop Group.

Wow, only one? Probably reaching the top of the climb to peak over and see the Base of the Towers and the glacial lake after hiking for 4.5 hours from Ecocamp. We’d had good weather all morning and I was eager to reach the top before the weather shifted. Alas, it did not and we were rewarded with a long lunch, lots of photos and quiet time to enjoy the view before heading down.

Seeing Puma

Santiago EcoCamp and W track - the guides, the food, the whole experience, the group we were with were awesome and we all had a stack of fun Australis 4 day cruise - simply astonishing - and incredible experience, again the food, the guides/crew, the whole pace of the adventure and on back of hiking was really perfect

I cannot pick just one. When you finally reach the base of the Fitz Roy in Chalten and the Towers in Torres Del Paine one is struck with overwhelming emotion. Though cliche, no photo could possible display such beauty. There is a sense of real accomplishment. The time spent traveling the Strait of Magellan to Francisco Coloane III Island gives one time to reflect on just how remote your time spent seeing wildlife will be. Then there they are--the Whales. So amazing.

There were many. Probably the most memorable for me would be the fly fishing in Torres de Paine National Park.

Cape Horn was the most anticipated and most memorable experience but the other zodiak trips were truly exciting as well. Table 15 was the 'best' in many ways as it was chock-full of interesting people telling stories about their lives on four continents; best too because we won the trivia contest (with a little help from our excellent waiter, Manuel). I loved not only what I saw, but also what I learned. The emphasis on new knowledge about the environment was much appreciated. The views from the cabin window were a plus as I saw great vistas of beauty right from my bed.

Making it to the beautiful endpoints of our two very demanding hikes (Laguna des los Tres & Mirador Base Towers).

Highlight: its hard to pin point what my highlight was because everyday was absolutely incredible. But if i had to pick our day and night (we got stuck in the park!) was amazing. The scenery, the people and the whole experience is something I will always remember! The Landscapes were unreal and beautiful. I felt like I was in a dream. the views were not to be believed. We saw foxes, birds and thankful I never saw the infamous Puma. We loved each and every person we met - the tour guides, drivers, people on the trips and tours and the random people we met along the way. I have already started telling people it was the most amazing trip Ive been on!! we had one huge surprise. we missed the boat back to the entrance of the park so we ended up sleeping in a tent in a refugio that night. it only made our trip more memorable! the most magical moment was watching the sunset in the park the night we slept there.

Riding sure-footed horses on the cliffs over Lake General Carrera / Chelenko with my sister, the Senderos Patagonia guide, and the local gaucho guide, after 3 nights of camping out and with 2 more days to go, looking out over the amazing blues of the lake and snowy mountains and orange flowers and zero other people.

We loved the variety of the trip. Highlights were Iguazu Falls, seeing a glacier calving and Eco Camp. The landscapes had a very different feel that anything we had experienced before. Our most magical moment might be sitting and watching the wild horses in Torres del Paine.

There were so many outstanding moments, it is impossible to select one! Some that stand out are - the sight of the entire Fitzroy and Cerro Torres ranges on a clear day, seen from the Mirador de los Condores, the Perito Moreno glacier, our first sight of the famous Los Cuernos, seeing some condors gliding past us at close range, on two occasions.

Highlight was the entire w trek, including the scenery, the challenge of the hike, meeting people along the way. Within the w trek the glacier trek, french valley day hike and torres hike were the best. It was enjoyable to completely disconnect and have no internet, email, phone, text, etc. Most of the people that we met were happily doing the same and had a variety of backgrounds and stories. The paine grande refugio was our least favorite and if there is a way to skip that, that would be advised.

The overall trip to Patagonia, both on the Argentine side and the Chilean side was wonderful. The most memorable moment was in Chile, during the French Valley. We had the best guide, Hector who led us through the W-Trek. Sitting in front of the most beautiful mountain was awe-inspiring. I felt at peace in this moment and was so inspired to be outdoors. I had many favorite parts of this trip. Personally, I believe that Patagonia itself is a renowned and remote place to be at the same time. Exploring these emotions while watching the views was really important for me.

Walk on and view of Perito Mareno glacieer Moon Valley walk in Atacama desert Staying at Explora hotels in Atacama and Torres Landscapes were extraordinary, as were penguins and flamingoes Guides were all fabulous Definitely recommend Patagonia, Atacama, Explora and Swoop Most magical: Mareno, Moon Valley, Salt flats at sunset

The most memorable moments were being in Torres del Paine on a guided trip. The scenery was magnificent and the guide, Lucille from Chile Nativo tours, was incredible. We hiked for 5 days, staying in the fun and funky refugios. The whole trip was beyond my expectations! Thank you for helping us plan a perfect Patagonia exploration!

Seeing the Towers of Torres del Paine when I finally made it to the top of the hike.

TDP was amazingly beautiful but we also loved Atacama with its stark beauty.