Day 1: Arrival
Punta Arenas, Chile
Upon arrival at Punta Arenas airport, you will be met by a Cascada representative and driven to your hotel in the city. After a chance to leave your luggage and freshen up you’ll be taken on an afternoon hike excursion to Magallanes National Park, 7 km west from Punta Arenas city. Here you will hike along ancient lenga an ñirre trees. The evening is free for you to continue exploring at your own leisure or try the hotel's swimming pool with a view over the Magellan Strait.
Overnight at Boutique Hotel La Yegua Loca (1st option) in Punta Arenas
Day 2: Cave Paintings and archaeological excursion
Puerto Natales
Today’s an early start and after breakfast you head off to the city of Puerto Natales. After lunch we will visit the Milodon Cave Natural Monument, one of the most important Paleontological sites in South America and one of the oldest human settlements in Patagonia. The Milodon Cave Natural Monument, located about 24 kilometers north of the city. In it we will visit the Milodon cave, where Hermann Eberhard, the first settler of the province discovers a piece of skin of an unknown animal for that time and that two years later would come to light to the surprise of scientists and researchers from around the world , thus discovered a new species already extinct, the Milodon. After this you will visit the cave paintings of the area, manifestations that 5,000 years ago in a sector known as Dos Herraduras. We will go to a conglomerate of almost 40 meters high known as the Devil's Chair to enjoy a snack in the middle of a beautiful natural environment. In the course we will visit the middle cave, used as a human settlement, for the first migration of the Paleoindian or Primitive Indian.
Overnight at Hotel Vendaval (1st option) in Puerto Natales
Day 3: Kayaking
Puerto Natales
After breakfast you will go on an exciting kayaking adventure! Kayaking in the Eberhard Fjord is a half-day activity, which begins roughly 30 minutes from Puerto Natales. Upon arrival, we’ll meet in an old house from 1909 with the owners who have lived there for generations. From here, we’ll get on our semi-dry suits and leave our valuables in a safe area. Our guides will also go over all safety rules and regulations. Then the kayaking adventure begins! We’ll navigate through the historic Eberhard Fjord, traveling from Puerto Prat to Puerto Consuelo. Along the way, we’ll pass by Isla Kruger, also known as Isla de Los Muertos. Don’t forget to look out for native birds that inhabit the area! We’ll stop for a brief 40 minute walk to visit the magnificent viewpoints and enjoy a quick snack and hot tea. After arriving back at the house in Puerto Prat, we’ll sit together for a typical Chilean “once,” which is a small meal consisting of jam, eggs, bread, pastries, coffee and tea. *Please note that the route is dependent on the weather conditions.
After receiving our box lunch the big adventure continues as we head into the famous Torres del Paine national park! After a 2-3 hour scenic drive to the park, covering 130 km of open Patagonian land, you will be greeted by the long-anticipated majestic view of the towers themselves - 3 dominating granite peaks formed by the remains of glacial ice erosion. We will make a short stop along the way at Cerro Castillo, a tiny border town between Chile and Argentina with a little cafe where you can enjoy a tea or coffee.
We will head up to EcoCamp Patagonia to continue your Patagonian winter adventure with your next program.