March Reviews

Patagonia camp was THE highlight. Brilliant place to stay. Excellent service. Fantastic walks. Brilliant staff. Liked the fact that there were walks at different levels so able to pick and choose to meet your needs. Loved looking for pumas - and seeing all the other wild life - eagles. condors, foxes, skunks as well as lama guanaco. Stella Australis cruise also awesome. Some poor weather but going to Cape Horn was a highlight - and seeing the many glaciers. Talks on ship were truly excellent. Had read This Thing of Darkness (Harry Thompson) in advance and the cruise really brought it to life. Perito Moreno glacier also a highlight.

The itinerary, transfers, tours, sights were all top quality. the trip exceeded my expectations. we were so fortunate that for 16 days , there were no weather problems. every tour, sight , planned activity was available to us. this, i understand , is the exception not the rule when traveling in march. if we experienced bad weather, i would probably be disappointed, but i am not.accommodations were interesting, especially staying in a yurt. the views, trips, food, guides end all wonderful. the only surprise was on the stella where we had assigned seating for meals. biggest surprise for us was the length /distances we had to walk . not all the trails were in great shape and 2 of us suffered falls, one fall requiring a doctor (not me). the only animal we didn't see that we wanted to see was the puma, however, we did see results of puma hunts.we met people that we enjoyed talking with and maybe see again, we'll see about that. what i was most pleased with was the itinerary. being able to travel in both chile and argentina and cruising the wild waters of the straits and fjords, for us, truly demonstrated the wild beauty of patagonia. we felt we didn't miss anything while fulfilling a dream to visit this part of the world. we did have airline issues but it was not due to anything swoop did. AR is a cheat airline, charging for bags and not even offering water to passengers on one flight. they also striped down planes of all amenities that i would normally find on similar aircraft if flown in the US. LATAM was OK , however, they did switch my reserved seats and i was unable to check in online. once again, this has nothing to do with swoop. highlight was camp patagonia. we were able to customize our hikes where as we couldn't do that in chalten . totally liked the day cruise in calafate. perfect for us. stopping at sights and taking short walks with spectacular views. i want to emphasize that ALL our guides/ tours were exceptional. we were delighted with each person who took us around showing what patagonia has to offer. we also discovered the most delicious candy bar that the guides gave us. we looked for this bar and bought it wherever we could. just know, you guys put together a fabulous trip.

There were a lot of highlights. We very much enjoyed Puerto Varas and surrounding areas. Our mix of activities centered around PV were really fun and diverse; the birding trip with an excellent Birds Chile guide, Carlo, to the Alerce forest natural park was a nice hike and we saw a number of birds; the kayak trip across the fjord was fun and our wonderful guide, Paz, was fun and we had lunch at a sheep farm, which was special. On our off day, we rented a car and drove into the Petrohui National Park and hiked up the flank of Osorno volcano, which was a bit challenging but really fun. The Mero Gaucho B&B was the best place to stay and had great staff. Puerto Varas was a nice little place to walk around and we found great places to eat. The second phase of the trip to Patagonia was really great. We had a good experience with the car rental and able to manage getting gas. Arriving at the Estancia Cerro Guido was a real highlight. The staff was wonderful and the accommodations were great and very interesting. We ended up going into Torres del Painey every day for hikes and drove through most of the park on one day. It was spectacular scenery and we especially enjoyed the ferry out to the Francis valley for a hike up towards the lookout was awesome. The other hikes we took were also suggested by the staff at the Estancia and those were excellent. We saw a lot of guanacos, rheas, flamengos, swans and geese. The food at the Estancia was excellent and we had very nice conversations with the waitstaff at the restaurant. Very special place. On the first night in the Estancia, after a long day of travel it was special to be able to see the Torres in the sunset. We have already told our friends about how wonderful our trip was to Chile in general and these places in particular. We were surprised by how open we found everyone in Chile to be and how enjoyable it was to talk to everyone we met; even those people who didn't speak much English and we speak very little Spanish, and much of that badly. We also had a chance to meet with one of the owners of the Estancia, who was on a visit to the ranch, and had a very interesting conversation. The gas situation in Patagonia was not really a surprise but we did find it manageable with some planning.

See detailed answers for highlights. We were amazed and delighted by the enormous variety of landscapes we travelled through. The Chilean and Argentinian people we met were, without exception, warm and welcoming. Our grandchildren will be subjected to the full photographic record once they are old enough, and urged to visit for themselves. There were endless surprises every day!

Overall very good. We had better than average weather according to the guides, and the sights were truly once a lifetime. Highlights: Laguna De Los Tres, Perito Moreno Glacier, Base of Towers in Torres Del Paine. To our friends, the more you train, the more you'll enjoy. Especially do vertical training.

The whole trip was memorable! There are so many moments it's so hard to pick one. Our trip began in the city of Buenos Aires and most memorable there was our dinner at Fogon Asado. Absolutely wonderful!! In El Chaltén, our most memorable hike was Laguna de Los Tres. Fantastic hike and we got lucky with the weather - clear and no wind! Our guide, Emi, was outstanding! But of course, we loved Huemul Glacier as well. We went early and had the unique opportunity to view the glacier in complete solitude. Breathtaking and peaceful! The ice trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier was also fantastic - and the opportunity to drink water from the glacier was mind blowing! Unbelievably refreshing! In Torres del Paine, our most memorable hike was the Base of the Towers. We couldn't do this trek the first couple of days due to weather, but finally able to do it on our last day in Patagonia Camp. For a couple of 60-somethings, this hike was challenging and we felt a huge sense of accomplishment afterwards. An added bonus was the puma sighting on our return trip to Patagonia Camp! Views were breathtaking and the glacier water refreshing to drink! Our guide, Bruno, was phenomenal. In Santiago, William-Cole winery tour was the best we'd ever had - and of course the tasting was excellent! Then there is Atacama - truly otherworldly and very different from Patagonia. There were hikes in which we felt like we were on Mars, but others with so much wildlife! Hot Springs, geysers, volcanos! Too many to choose as a memorable - all so different!

Our stay at Patagonia Camp was fantastic. The staff, to a person, were all extremely friendly, helpful, and courteous. The food was delicious and presented with Michelin star care. The accommodations were very comfortable, and of course the setting, and hikes, in the foothills of the Torres del Paine massif, was unforgettable.

The time spent in the wild in each of the three major destinations--El Chalten / Fitz Roy, Torres del Paine, and in the channels and fjords between Punta Arenas and Ushuaia. Of course, we had remarkable luck with weather and visibility in each location!

All the various stops within Patagonia, both on the Chile and Argentina side. Torres del Paine, as well as El Chalten , El Calafate were spectacular. Various hikes in these regions added to our enjoyment, as well as the lodging, various towns / villages and meals. History of the cities, countries and the culture

A highlight was going ashore at Cape Horn. The landscapes were incredible, each one was stunning in its vastness and beauty. We saw penguins twice--they were delightful! We met a few interesting fellow travellers. The crew on the Stella Australis was fantastic. We will tell our family and friends that this was a holiday of a lifetime. There are too many specifics to share in a few words! There were several magical moments when we overwhelmed by the beauty of Patagonia and the fact we were far off the beaten path of tourism.

Jorge and Carlos - our guide and driver. Everyday was memorable. Spectacular views, scenery, sunrise/sunsets, and unbelievable winds. Our final day was probably the most memorable as Jorge altered our itinerary making it a really enjoyable day - The Towers + Lago Azul then culminating with an up close sighting of two Puma cubs.

Loved exploring the mountains and hiking. That is the best views and wilderness. The trails were fantastic shape, well marked and just spectualar views. Jeff enjoyed the fishing and literally said it was the best so far hands down and we have been on MANY vacations that involved fishing.

Spotting a female Puma in Torres del Paine

The trip was unbelievable! No matter where you were, everywhere around you was breathtaking. Being on the water during the cruise was the most memorable portion. There were never ending waterfalls, the more you looked the more you saw! Each day we had at least one rainbow. We got to see the penguins, albatross, humpback whales, sea lions, and dolphins! The vegetation on all of the islands, areas and on Cape Horn was a huge surprise. The guides were so informative and reinforced each of the teachings over the course of the trip to make sure all of the guests learned as much as possible, and all of our questions were answered. Not only were we educated on the history but also present time varying from animals, flora, natives, and explorers. Absolutely loved the trip!

Seeing the Glacier - it was an unbelievable sight. This was a hard choice because wherever we went we had so many memorable moments. Walking with the penguins and sea lions, the scenery in the lake district, the walking in El Chalten were all amazing

Hiking Torres de pines, riding horses with Guchoo on three ranches People very friendly Telling friends and family via Facebook with photos Would not probably return as there are other places in the world To go

The trip was great! We liked that we started on the Paine Grande end and got the hardest hike out of the way first. We were lucky to have great weather to enjoy the beautiful landscape, except for some winds and drizzle on our last day. We were surprised at how nice the refugios were and happily pleased with the food.

The Perito Moreno glacier was the most breathtaking and unusual, but loved all of the scenery in Patagonia. What a wonder. And loved Pat camp

Our trip was perfectly split into 3 segments: Australis cruise, Explora, and Barraco Lodge. Each allowed a completely different way to see and experience the beauty and wonder of Patagonia. We loved it!

Getting up to the Base of the Towers at Torres del Paine