Chilean Patagonia Travel Guide

Print our full travel guide to Chile

Chilean Patagonia

Patagonia © Chile Tourism
The fjords, glaciers and magnificent scenery of the Patagonian region are what attract visitors to this vast wilderness territory. The north, or Aisén region, can be likened to the Inside Passage of Alaska or New Zealand's Fjordland on South Island with its dramatic ice and waterway scenery. Southern Patagonia or Magallanes, is rugged, mountainous and stormy.

It was nearly 500 years ago that Ferdinand Magellan guided four ships through the treacherous passages that are still today thought of as the End of the World. Today Patagonia is inhabited by nearly 2 million people, but is still almost entirely made up of pristine and untouched nature.

The gravel highway known as the Camino Austral is the access point to one of the world's last great expanses of wilderness that makes up northern Patagonia. It begins at the port of Chaitén and continues to the capital of the region, Coihaique, and both are good bases for trips in the area. The most popular attraction in this region, despite the difficulty and expense of getting here, is the two million-hectare (four million-acre), glacier-filled Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael, which has some of the world's most spectacular mountain and fjord scenery.

Magallanes features glacially sculpted mountains and harsh landscapes with Torres del Paine National Park the most famous of the southern region's protected areas. Further south is the town of Puerto Natales, terminus of the extraordinary ferry trip through the fjords from Puerto Montt, and exploration base for the region. Beyond the continent lies the harsh and stormy archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, stretching further south, and closer to Antarctica, than any other inhabited place.




Attractions

Tierra del Fuego © Ground Zero

Chilean Tierra del Fuego

At the very tip of Patagonia, beyond Chile and even South America, lies the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, whose name translates to 'Land of Fire'. It's a dramatic name for a dramatic place, as the harsh winds of the sub-polar climate sweep...  see full details



Magellanic Penguins © Sarah and Iain

Magdalena Island Penguin Reserve

A paradise for birdwatchers, Magdalena Island Penguin Reserve is located 21.7 miles (35km) south of Punta Arenas. Magdalena Island is a natural bird sanctuary, and is home to more than 100,000 birds, including 95 percent of the world's population of Magellanic Penguins as well...  see full details



San Rafael Lagoon © Vincent Huang/Jespinos

Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael

Created in 1959, Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael covers an area of 6,726 square miles (17,420 sq km) and includes the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. It was named for the San Rafael Lagoon that was created by the retreat of the San Rafael...  see full details



Torres del Paine National Park

Parque Nacional Torres del Paine

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the 180,000-hectare (442-acre) park is the pride and joy of southern Chile. The park takes its name after the towering granite pillars that rise over 6,560 feet (2,000m) above the Patagonian plains. It is a hiker's paradise with many excellent, well-developed...  see full details


iExplore designs made-to-order, privately-guided adventure tours to Chile and over 200 other world wonders. Come Back Different!
Intrepid Travel, one of the world's leading suppliers of small group adventures focused on getting off the beaten track, interacting with the locals and having real life experiences throughout Chile.