Santiago and Wonders Of Patagonia

Arrival in Santiago. Reception at the airport and transfer to the selected hotel.

The capital of Chile, Santiago is a vibrant city full of character, with a thriving artistic culture, modern restaurants and lively nightlife. Surrounded by mountains – the mighty Andes to the east and the smaller coastal range to the west – on a clear day, Santiago boasts one of the most incredible urban scenes in the world. Old-world colonial mansions and eclectic neighborhoods seamlessly integrate the skyscrapers of “Sanhattan” into a captivating fusion of tradition and modernity. With world-class skiing, wine routes, biking and trekking right at your doorstep, Santiago is a city full of stimulating possibilities.

Our tour starts from the hotel where the transfer will pick us up. We will start through the main avenue of the city, knowing its history and its surroundings. We will go down to the cobblestone neighborhood of Lastarría, a characteristic sector for its green areas and beautiful houses of the XIX century, now restored and mostly used as cafes, restaurants, bookstores and museums.

Then, we will go to Cerro Santa Lucia here we will have time to walk and take pictures, while our guide tells us some of the most important episodes in the history of Santiago, such as the Mapuche / Spanish confrontation. From its terraces we will have a panoramic view of Santiago, as well as admire relics and constructions from the colonial era, such as Castillo Hidalgo.

We will go to our next stop, on the way we can see emblematic places of the city such as the Plaza de Armas, The Santiago Cathedral and its impressive architecture, in addition to the former national congress. We will arrive at the imposing government house called “La Moneda” and next to it the “Plaza de la Constitución”; We will visit its surroundings and we will know more about its important and interesting history.

Once in our vehicle, the tour will continue with a step through the Central Market, one of the most characteristic gastronomic points of Santiago, and then continue to the upper sector of the capital. On the way we will stop at a lapis lazuli store where we can admire and/or buy beautiful jewelry and unique crafts. Then we will finish the tour at the respectives hotels.

At the agreed time, transfer to Santiago Airport to board flight to Punta Arenas. Reception at airport, transfer to the bus station in Punta Arenas to take a regular bus to Puerto Natales (3hrs). Reception at the bus station in Puerto Natales and transfer to the hotel (accommodation included).

The departure from your hotel in Puerto Natales will be at 8:30 am to make the first stop at Milodon Cave which is located 24 kilometers north of Puerto Natales. This natural monument is composed by three caverns and a rocky conglomerate called “Silla del Diablo”. Before getting to the cave, we will pass by La Silla del Diablo (Devil´s chair), its name comes from the popular imagination that the rock has a chair shape. The oldest men of Patagonia said that in this place the devil appeared to those who came to look for him on the dark nights. Later on, we will continue our excursion to Torres del Paine National Park. On the way, we can see this stunning massif as well as Sofia Lagoon, Prat Range, Porteño Lake, Mesa Hill, Del Toro Lake, Del Toro and Ballena Hill. Here we can see the beautiful landscape that surrounds us from Grey Lake view point. A couple of kilometers later, we will go over Serrano bridge to continue to Grey lake sector. In this area, we can walk along the shore of Grey lake. If the conditions are good, we can keep walking until Grey view point. When we go back to the parking lot, we will continue our excursion until a restaurant to rest and have lunch (Lunch is not included in our service).

Once we are ready, we will begin the second part of our visit in Torres del Paine National Park, heading to Salto Grande sector. We will visit Nordenskjold lake view point and we will continue enjoying the spectacular views of this sinuous route which will approach us to Amarga Lagoon area. Before that, we will visit Paine waterfall which is a beautiful place where we can see the turquoise waters that come from Paine river. After enjoying this pleasant show, we will return to Puerto Natales, but before we will stop at Sarmiento lake view point to take the last picture of Torres del Paine National Park (accommodation included).

Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers are located inside Bernardo O´Higgins National Park, at 31 miles northwest of Puerto Natales and it is part of Andes Chain Mountains. Visit the park significates admire a majestic place almost untouched by the humans. The only way to access the park is by boat, sailing through Última Esperanza fjord that takes his name from the “last hope” to find Magallanes Strait in 1557, during an expedition that searched it from the Pacific Ocean. The trip will start in Puerto Natales and on our way it will be possible to see the buildings that belongs to “Frigorífico Bories” which was one of the biggest meat industry in Patagonia. You could also observe an imperial cormorant colony, a small sea-lions colony and a huge variety of plants that form the flora such as coigüe, cinnamon tree, lenga, ñirre and the calafate. Balmaceda Glacier can be seen from the boat while for Serrano Glacier, a 20 minutes walk is necessary, through a path that borders a small lake that appears with the melting glacier. Lunch (included) in Estancia Turistica Perales (meat soup and vegetables, Magallanes lamb roasted barbecued, regular potatoes, salads, dessert, wine or juice), with an alternative vegetarian option. Return to the selected hotel (accommodation included).

At the agreed time, transfer to the bus station in Puerto Natales to take a regular bus to Punta Arenas. Reception at the bus station in Punta Arenas and transfer to the Punta Arenas Airport.

Passenger has the option to continue your journey in a regular bus to El Calafate from Puerto Natales bus station (from Calafate does not include transfer to arrival transfer)

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