puerto natales, chile

(the patagonia region)

Patagonia is quite literally at the end of the world. 3 flights and 14+ hours later, we arrived in Puerto Natales and were not disappointed by what we found. The Patagonia region, which spans both Chile and Argentina, is characterized by unparalleled natural beauty. At any given moment, we were surrounded by vast farmland, snow-capped mountains, fjords, and glaciers. It was truly unlike anything we have ever seen. 

They say in Patagonia that you can experience 4 seasons in one day, sometimes in an hour. This is hard to believe and even crazier to experience. The predictably unpredictable weather calls for layering, and lots of it. We were constantly layering and de-layering throughout the day. Summertime here means nineteen hours of straight daylight - pretty remarkable for people used to short winter days. 

Patagonia is an outdoor lover’s paradise. During our trip, we went mountain biking, hiking, sailing, horseback riding, fly fishing and glacier hiking. Our days were filled with action-packed excursions and nights spent rehashing with great wine and new friends at our incredible hotel. The Singular Hotel was our home base for the week - an old cold storage factory turned into a hotel with breathtaking views of the Patagonian landscape. Each day, we had breakfast at the crack of dawn, piled into vans and traveled 1-2 hours to our excursion of the day. Our Chilean guides were friendly and rustic adventurers who were happy to share their experiences and knowledge.

Our stay at the Singular was nothing short of spectacular. We will definitely be back to Patagonia. 

people

• Starting off our 5 month adventure with Meg, Pat, Conor, and Amy Shields
• Meeting Margaret Mauel, a great college friend who happened to be in Puerto Natales for a beer 
• Connecting with a cool couple from Madrid/New York, Macarena (Hey, Macarena!) and Raphael (an alum of the Hill School)
• Becoming friends with a cool seven year old girl from Malibu named Roux. Her parents were equally as cool - Dominque is an artist and Buck, a film score composer. 

places

• The Singular Hotel
  • Rustic modern feel 
  • Incredible views of the water and mountains
  • Best mushroom risotto in the game
• Santolla Restaurant
  • Old shipping containers turned into a restaurant. Get the King Crab.

things

• Torres Del Paine Hike
  • Reaching the "Towers of Paine" on a clear, sunny day. Most times the towers aren't even visible due to fog and or snow! 
  • Having a picnic at the top of a mountain
  • Celebrating completing the 8-hour hike with beers at the base of the mountain with our guides
• Fjord Sailing
  • Sipping cocktails ‘on the rocks’ using 350-year old glacier ice
  • Being amazed by the bright blue color of the glacier
• Estancia Visit
  • Enjoying a traditional ‘Chilean barbecue’ at a ranch on an island in the Last Hope Fjord
  • Horseback riding on the beach with views of snow-capped mountains
  • Watching a sheep shearing and seeing merino wool in the making 
• Fly Fishing
  • Fishing in solidarity in the most serene setting
  • Wearing waders for the first time
  • MK and Amy being the only two people to catch fish 
• Glacier Hiking
  • Wearing clampons and using an ice pick to hike across a glacier 
  • Feeling warm bursts of wind on the glacier, which we were told happens when the sun hits the glacier at certain angles. 
• Mountain Biking
  • Realizing that "bike trails" in Patagonia really means rugged animal tracks
  • Biking to a beautiful lagoon and enjoying cervezas with our guides