Waking up to Patagonian Peaks on New Year’s eve

For most, a trip to Patagonia is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so every detail matters.

For Karla and Andy, this trip was their first time treading on South American soil. They were looking for an adventure that combined a blend of hiking, culture, animals and put emphasis on having time away from cities…

“I usually organise and book everything. But it’s quite a headache when it’s a long, complex trip. This time it was just the best thing to have it all organised. I loved it.” 

- Karla, Pura Traveler

From Santiago to the wilderness of the Carretera Austral

The featured trip was ‘Chile’s Carretera Austral & Torres del Paine’, a three-week adventure covering all the variety that Chilean Patagonia has to offer. 

“I always had this idea about Patagonia, this idea about glaciers and Antarctica. Then we came across Pura Aventura and realised that they were in Brighton, so we made contact, and Tom, their founder, persuaded us not to go that far south but instead to go and do the Carretera Austral.” – Karla

The trip started in Santiago, Chile. Following a short flight south to Patagonia, the road trip commenced along the scenic roads of the Carretera Austral.

“It was such an adventure to drive. Once we were away from the tarmac roads down south, it was so much fun.”

Their route took them past deep blue lakes and towering mountains and through remote villages. Along the way, there were plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the views.

“We saw a gaucho, it was amazing, like somebody out of a film set. He had fur around the saddle and front. I remember going, stop, stop! We’ve got to take a photo.”

A New Year's to remember

Patagonian summer conveniently arrives in December, while many of us are getting pretty tired of cold weather! It is the perfect time to experience mountain trails glowing under golden sunshine.

The Newells’ trip took place over Christmas and New Year's, and upon arrival in Puerto Guadal, they were welcomed by a Chilean celebration…

“We arrived and they had a big fire pit,” says Karla. “Our host was grilling a lamb — a whole lamb. There were loads of other guests and it was really jolly. We just arrived and were thrown into this party. It was wonderful, so hospitable and welcoming.” 

On New Year's morning, views from their cozy wooden cabin stretched out across the bright blue waters of Lake General Carrera. Snowy mountain tops peeked out above, all within sight from under the comfy covers of their bed.

The people you meet along the way

As the trip unfolded, it was the human interactions that left a mark. The moments en route where strangers became friends, and local hosts shared their versions of Patagonia.

“We met this other couple in Santiago,” says Karla. “It was such good fun... They were full of stories.”

It wasn’t just fellow travellers that added an element of excitement to the trip, but also the incredible guides and hosts who know Patagonia best.

“We had a guide in Coyhaique called Tim,” Andy says. “English, married to a Chilean woman. He gave us so much information and passion about the place and showed us spots that were his private joy.”

Another day, it was a young Chilean physiotherapist-turned-naturalist who helped them see things they might have missed.

“There was this bird that can’t fly,” says Karla. “He was pointing things out, explaining everything, and he was so passionate. We learned so much.

Every guide was just amazing. Opening things up, explaining things, answering questions we had about the country, about anything, how things work. You get a bit of an insight into life.”

The glacier and the Huemel

In Tortel — a town of wooden walkways clinging to a steep hillside with houses connected by creaking bridges and stairways instead of roads, they stayed with Maria and Noel, local hosts who’ve built something special at the edge of this remote fjord.

“They took us on this trip down to the glacier,” Andy continues. “The guest house was brilliant — just a beautiful place to stay, lovingly put together and looked after. It was an extraordinary place. Beautifully run.”

Meals were shared around a single long table, travelers and hosts together.

“Very sociable,” says Karla. “You sit together with everybody on one table, it was really nice. And then they do these trips, and we just felt privileged that we were booked on one because other tourists we met would have loved to have gone, you know, and they said, Oh, it’s all booked out. They only do them once in a while, not all the time. So, we felt really fortunate, and it was fantastic.”

It was just the two of them with Maria and Noel, navigating through icy waters in a small boat.

“They would go on a dinghy and go between the ice blocks and land somewhere and then go for a hike on the glacier ice and get closer to the glacier,” says Karla. “It’s just unforgettable. And also staying the night there, you know — just staying in front of the glacier with these icebergs all floating around you and the boat moored, and you wake up to this, you think Jesus.”

On the way back, a rare sighting made an appearance.

“They stopped somewhere,” says Andy. “There’s this really rare animal, a Huemul. It’s like a deer, a giant deer. And apparently, you’re really lucky if you spot one. They were really trying to find one. We found one. We saw a young huemul.”

Traveling differently

This trip was a very new way to travel for them both. Letting go of some control — and trusting someone else to plan. 

“I usually organise it and I book everything, and I know exactly how much it entails, how detailed it is and how things can go wrong and what it means,” says Karla. “And I thought, oh my god, I’m going to let somebody else do all of this, you know, what I normally do. And it’s quite a headache when it’s a long trip, a complex trip. And we didn’t regret it. It was just the best thing to have it all organised.”

Once on the road, the rhythm revealed itself — a slower, freer, and rewarding way to experience Patagonia.

“The pace was perfect — enough time for all sorts of things, you know, to take it in.”

 “I loved it because the hotels were better than the ones I would have normally gone for", Karla says. “This was really thought about — in Santiago, we were in the right part of town, a wonderful place.”

This is exactly what we plan for our trips to Patagonia — it is about experiencing it without hurry, without worry, and without having to hold the map all the time.

Advice for travelers

When we asked what they’d tell others thinking about a Patagonian adventure, Andy didn’t hesitate in saying:

“Don’t be scared — absolutely not. It’s very remote, but it’s civilised, and the people are really helpful. You’re never going to get into any big trouble. Don’t be put off by the remoteness. It’s worth it.”

“It felt safe and very welcoming, however remote we were. We’ve been to parts of the world where that’s not true at all. This is not one of them.”