Sea Kayaking Fjords of Northern Patagonia - 6 or 8 Days
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This is an unforgettable adventure in the magnificent fjords of Comau, Quintupeu and Cahuelmó, on the eastern side of the Gulf of Ancud, where wild mountains cliffs soar out of the dark waters to touch the sky
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Today there are still vestiges of the original Araucanian way of life, in harmonious combination with the influences of German immigrants in the late 1800s and of modern-day Chile. One every lovely island we visit, you'll see at least one moss-covered old wooden church gracing the seaside, as well as palafitos (stilt houses) that are 20 feet and more in the air when the tide is out, but nearly awash when it's in. Taste guindao and rompón, try a hearty dish of "beans with reins", savor a rich curanto and other typical cuisine to delight your palate.
Wander through the local market of Castro, where you'll see artisans at work on handicrafts that you can buy for surprisingly low prices even lower, if you're willing to bargain a little. What more can we say?. This is the opportunity of a lifetime to enjoy a fantastic adventure at the other end of the Earth, which you'll remember forever. |
8 Day Tour |
6 Day Tour |
DAY 01 PUERTO VARAS & LLANQUIHUE LAKE
Transfer in from Puerto Montt airport to the German style hotel "The Guest House" in Puerto Varas. Free time to relax in this picturesque city of the Lake Region with its century-old mansions, cozy restaurants and natural attractions along the shores of Llanquihue Lake. Welcome dinner and overnight in Puerto Varas. (D) DAY 02 FULL DAY EXCURSION & HIKING TO ANDEAN VOLCANOES & LAKES We leave from Puerto Varas driving through the beautiful countryside with views of the Llanquihue Lake and the first glimpses of the volcanoes, we reach the Petrohue river falls and then continue on to the source of such beautiful water: the Todos Los Santos Lake also called the Emerald Llake. After lunch we will start driving up the Osorno Volcano witnessing the southern changes in the landscape as we go up. At 3000 feet, we reach la Burbuja Crater, where an amazing view of the whole valley is available; the Calbuco Volcano, the Tronador Mountain, the winding path of the rivers, etc. From here we start a 2 -3 hrs beautiful hike. Overnight in in Puerto Varas. (B,L) DAY 03 PUERTO MONTT - LLANCAHUE ISLAND After breakfast in the hotel we drive down the Southern Highway, and cross the Reloncavi Estuary to Hornopiren. There we board our support vessel and head for Los Ciervos Island. After stopping for lunch in a nice cove, we sail on to Llancahue Island, where we climb into our sea kayaks for instruction and practice. Afterwards, we camp for the night on this island. (L,D) DAY 04 LLANCAHUE ISLAND - QUINTUPEU FJORD Now we begin the wild part of our sea kayak adventure. We put in near the entrance to Quintupeu Fjord, where the German battleship Dresden hid out during World War I. The sheer slopes, cut by countless waterfalls tumbling off the heights, are covered with lush vegetation that hangs over our heads. As we glide along under this lush canopy, we try to catch a glimpse of dolphins jumping near our kayaks. At nightfall, we camp at the end of the fjord. (B,L,D) DAY 05 QUINTUPEU FJORD - CAHUELMO FJORD We navigate down to Cahuelmo Fjord, stopping at the entrance to see if there are any sea lions at play. We don't stop for long though, because we want to paddle the far end of Cahuelmo in time to get up the river, or hike through the wild tidal flats. Finally, we take a relaxing dip in Cahuelmo Hot Springs before turning in for the night. (B,L,D) DAY 06 CAHUELMO FJORD - PORCELANA BAY Our goal for today's journey is Porcelana Hot Springs. On the way, we stop at the settlement of Huinay and hike up a glacial valley surrounded by snow capped mountains. From this village we cut straight across Comau Fjord to Porcelana, where we pitch camp in a lush green pasture. (B,L,D) DAY 07 PORCELANA BAY - COMAU FJORD We paddle down to the end of Comau Fjord to Leptepu, passing by stunning snow-capped peaks on our way to a secluded corner in a setting of plunging waterfalls and virgin forests. We also see a lagoon, teeming with wildlife, which we can reach by kayak at high tide. In the afternoon we return to Porcelana and head for the tidal pools of hot water surrounded by magnificent scenery. (B,L,D) DAY 08 COMAU FJORD - HORNOPIREN - PUERTO MONTT Early this morning we board our support vessel to navigate up Comau Fjord to Hornopiren, where we take the road back to Puerto Varas (or Puerto Montt) in time to catch the evening flight or bus to Santiago. (B,L) Departure dates 2017 : January 3-10, March 2-9 Price per person based on double: US$2240.- min. 6 to 10 participants INCLUDES:
" Transfer in/out from Puerto Montt airport to the hotel in Puerto Varas. " 2 nights in The Guest House 3* Hotel (Casa Wetzel) with breakfast, based on double (with Wi Fi). " Full day excursion to Andean Volcanoes and lakes with pic-nic lunch. " 6 days to the Andean fjords of Pumalin park sea kayaking trip. " 50 ft Motorized support vessel with crew full time during all the trip. " All transportation according to the itinerary, for round trip Puerto Varas. " All meals from welcome dinner on day 1 to lunch on day 8 (except dinner on day 2). " Services of expert guides, cook and crew. " Fully equipped two-person fiberglass sea kayaks of the Northwest Seascape 2 type with spray skirts, paddles and accessories. Dry bags for kayaks and campsites. " Full camping gear, except for personal sleeping bag and pad. " Hot spring and park fees. |
Day 1: Puerto Montt-Llancahue Island
After meeting in Puerto Montt, we drive down the AUSTRAL highway, cross the Reloncavi estuary to Hornopiren. and board our 50-foot support vessel to sail around Los Ciervos Island and have lunch in a nice cove. Navigation to Llancahue Island and sea kayak instruction in the afternoon. We camp in this island (L, D) Day 2: Llancahue Island-Quintupeu Fjord Now we begin the wild part of our sea kayak adventure. We put in near the entrance to Quintupeu Fjord, where the German battleship Dresden hid out during World War I. The sheer slopes, cut by countless waterfalls tumbling off the heights, are covered with lush vegetation that hangs over our heads. As we glide along under this lush canopy, we try to catch a glimpse of dolphins jumping near our kayaks. As night falls, we camp at the end of the fjord (B, L, D) Day 3: Quintupeu Fjord-Cahuelmo Fjord We navigate down to Cahuelmo Fjord, stopping at the entrance to watch a colony of sea lions at play. We don't stop for long though, because we want to paddle the far end of Cahuelmo in time to get up the river, or hike through the wild tidal flats. Finally, we take a relaxing dip in Cahuelmo Hot Springs before turning in for the night (B, L, D) Day 4: Cahuelmo Fjord-Porcelana Hot springs Our goal for today's journey is Porcelana Hot Springs. On the way, we stop at the settlement of Huinay to say hello to Don Checho, well known for his hand-built fishing boats and enjoy a hike through a beautiful glacial valley. From there we cut straight across Comau Fjord to Porcelana, where we pitch camp in a lush green pasture and head for the tidal pools of hot water surrounded by magnificent scenery (B, L, D) Day 5: Porcelana Hot springs-Comau Fjord We paddle down to the end of Comau Fjord to Leptepu, passing by stunning snow-capped peaks on our way to a secluded corner where we can see waterfalls and virgin forests. We'll also see a lagoon, teeming with wildlife, which can be accessed by our kayaks at high tide. In the afternoon we return to Porcelana and, of course, we don't fail to go for another long soak in our beautiful hot spring (B, L, D) Day 6: Comau Fjord- Chauques Island Early this morning we board our support vessel for the trip up Comau fjord and around the Huequi Peninsula, to Hornopiren. After a hearty lunch we drive back to Puerto Montt on time to catch the evening departure bus or flight (B, L). 2017 Prices : US$1680.- min. 6 - 10 participants. Prices per person, based on double: Departure dates 2017: January 5-10, March 4-9 Group Size & Staff: 12 maximum plus staff. Guide to passanger ratio: 1/5 or 1/6
Physical Demands: The trip is not especially rigorous and requires no prior experience with kayaks. A positive attitude towards open-air activities is very important. These are trips for the person who enjoys participative tourism in a natural setting. Accommodation: 1n Rustic Inn in Llancahue, 4n Camping near the shore at official campsites with basic baths and showers except by 2nd night at Quintupeu where we camp in total wilderness. If we ever need to sleep inside the boat because of extremely rigurous storm outside there is space for 7 persons What is included: All transportation according to the itinerary, for round trip Puerto Montt-Puerto Montt. / All meals from lunch in Day 1 to breakfast on day 6 ./ The services of expert guides and support personnel./ Fully equipped fiberglass sea kayaks with spray skirts, paddles and accessories. / 50-foot motorized support vessel./ Full camping gear, except for personal sleeping bag and pad. / Standard equipment includes single and double touring kayaks, 2-person tents, kitchen/dining tent, tables & stools, cooking equipment & utensils, first aid kit, etc. We will also provide paddle, skirt, dry-bags and other specific gear for sea kayaking. |