Patagonia: A journey to the end of the earth

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This was published 7 years ago

Patagonia: A journey to the end of the earth

By Tatyana Leonov
A land of glaciers and lakes in Chile's Patagonia.

A land of glaciers and lakes in Chile's Patagonia. Credit: Kara Rosenlund

Have you been to the end of the earth? I have. It took less than 40 hours to get to Patagonia, but as soon as I arrived I felt a million miles away.

A land of glistening glacier peaks and dazzling blue lakes, vast open plains and star-flooded nights. I'd seen photographs and I was ready for extraordinary… but nothing prepares you for the real thing.

Patagonia is the southernmost tip of South America, a rugged and beautiful area shared between Chile and Argentina. Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, notorious for its ravishing landscape, was my destination.

Although people flock here in summer, the magic happens come wintertime. The bulk of tourists leave, the wind dies down, sometimes flecks of snow begin to fall. It's the best time to visit if you want this magic [mostly] for yourself.

The flight path is lengthy: Sydney to Santiago via Auckland, Santiago to Punta Arenas via Puerto Montt. Then there's a four-hour drive to the park. It sounds like a long time – and it is – but I'd travel 10 times the distance just to get here again.

I arrive to explora Patagonia (explora is a luxury lodging and exploration company), not sure what time it is… or even what day. When I step out of the car the crisp air on my skin pulls me out of my zombie-like state and gazing up at an inky-black sky my stomach fills with butterflies in anticipation. I try to sleep, but end up staring at the ceiling feeling like a little kid on Christmas Eve, wishing the night pass quickly.

I wake to the most beautiful view I've ever seen. An iridescent turquoise lake sparkles in the early morning sun; slate-coloured clouds drift along, revealing jagged snow-cloaked mountains underneath; there's a magical stillness in the air. It's hard to look away, but the thought of exploring the park gets me out of bed.

We start with the Grey Beach hike; an easy 5.5km walk that coils its way through three different terrains. We begin the trek in a lenga​ tree forest, then walk along the grey-sand beach and finish up at a lookout before turning back. My pace slows drastically once I'm on the beach. The electric-blue icebergs in the water – gleaming fragments that have split from the mighty Grey Glacier – have me mesmerised.

Most travellers come to Torres del Paine to trek. It's one of the park's greatest assets, with plenty of options – all with breathtaking scenery. The W Trek is one of the most legendary options – a 75km ramble that weaves in and out of the Cordillera del Paine mountains, passing hanging glaciers, shimmering lakes and granite summits.

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The highlight of the W Trek is the three towers – three colossal granite pinnacles from which the park takes its name. explora package up some of the sections of the W Trek into single-day hikes, with one of the most popular being the Base de las Torres walk.

We spend all of the day hiking there and back, first trekking through Ascencio Valley, then ascending up the mountain to the famed viewpoint. The last 45 minutes or so are the most challenging. Our group separates and with my last gush of energy I go ahead with Leslie, another female hiker. We arrive before everyone else and are rewarded with the vista all to ourselves. Grey stones rim a lake so azure-blue it hurts my eyes. Behind it the three famous peaks swell as if they've come out of nowhere, like three kings watching over their kingdom.

If someone were to ask me what the highlight of my trip was, I wouldn't be able to choose just one. Waking up to a panorama that was so magnificent it took me a while to register it was real; trekking to the base of the towers and being gifted with another one of those preposterously beautiful views; kicking back in the open-air Jacuzzi serenaded by the rustling wind – it's all one long dose of incredible.

Horse riding with the gauchos would definitely be on my "best of Patagonia" list.

explora is the only company in the park that offers horse riding in collaboration with the local cowboys, or gauchos as they are known. The horses are raised to work in the park and trained extensively before visitors are able to ride them.

Four gauchos donning side-worn berets and elaborate belt buckles greet us when we arrive, two disappearing soon after to tend to the horses while Lonardo and Xavier – the two gauchos leading the ride today – help us saddle up.

We trot along flat grassland, a sea of endless yellows and browns, as the winter sun warms our backs. Lonardo and Xavier loosen up; they are in their prime on horseback and they laugh and joke as they lead us on a journey through paradise.

Post ride we share a cup of "mate" tea, a bitter herbal concoction, with the gauchos in their cosy kitchen.

An integral part of gaucho culture, the tea-drinking ritual involves one gaucho brewing and refilling the tea. One cup is passed from person to person, then refilled and passed around again until you say "gracias", indicating that you've had enough.

Three cups in and I've had my quota, but not wanting to leave I keep accepting the tea when it comes my way.

I know that as soon as I say "gracias" it will be time to leave. And having experienced Patagonia, no one ever wants to do that.

TRIP NOTES

MORE INFORMATION

chile.travel

GETTING THERE

LATAM Airlines operates seven one-stop flights each week from Sydney to Santiago, Chile, with onward connections to Punta Arenas. LATAM also offers non-stop flights between Sydney and Santiago four times a week in codeshare partnership with Oneworld partner airlines. See latam.com.

STAYING AND TOURING THERE

All 49 rooms at explora Patagonia come with magnificent mountain or lake views. Three-night minimum stays include all meals, drinks, excursions and airport transfers. There's plenty to do in the park and explora offers over 50 different kinds of experiences, including hikes, horseback rides, catamaran cruises and more. See explora.com.

Tatyana Leonov was a guest of explora and LATAM Airlines.

FIVE MORE CHILEAN ADVENTURES

EASTER ISLAND

Known as Rapa Nui to its native Polynesian inhabitants, this island in the Pacific is most famous for its imposing stone statues called moai. There are close to 900 of these head-and-torso figures scattered about, most now protected by Rapa Nui National Park.

THE ANDES

The Andes are one of the longest continuous mountain ranges in the world spanning seven countries. The Chilean Andes feature many volcanoes (three of them still active) that are popular with hikers, as well as great ski and snowboard terrain.

THE COAST

Chile has one of the longest shorelines in the world (more than 6500km). Vina del Mar is one of the most popular and flashy resorts; to escape the crowds try the beachside town of La Caleta in Pan de Azucar National Park, located in the Atacama Desert.

THE ATACAMA DESERT

The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places in the world. A peculiarly beautiful land of russet ravines and sprawling saltpans, travellers come to humbly admire the lunar-like landscape.

THE LAKE DISTRICT

Made up of three national parks, Chile's Lake District is full of forests and deep green lakes. There are plenty of activities for keen adventurers, with everything from hiking and biking, to rafting and kayaking on offer.

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