The 10 Best Places To Visit In Chilean Patagonia

Many travellers still think of Patagonia as entirely Argentine – a persistent but puzzling misconception. In reality, Chilean Patagonia feels markedly wilder and more remote, its landscapes far more varied than the broad, windswept plains that dominate much of its Argentine counterpart. Here, glacier-studded mountains drop into icy fjords, while temperate rainforest and evergreen forests shield rare, endemic wildlife from all but the most patient observers.

Torres del Paine National Park is rightly the jewel in Chilean Patagonia’s crown and deserves a place on any itinerary. Yet some of the region’s greatest rewards lie beyond its famous peaks in the lesser-known corners of one of the world’s most extraordinary wildernesses. Here are the ten best places to visit in Chilean Patagonia – ranging from the iconic landscapes to the little-known.

1. Torres del Paine National Park

Grey-purple mountains, azure lagoons, burnt-umber steppe, and the looming ice of the Grey Glacier create the dramatic scenery of Chilean Patagonia’s best-known park, Torres del Paine. Hiking is what draws most to this wild and wonderful destination. Multi-day trails such as the W and the O Circuit appeal to the intrepid; those with a desire to capture the essence of Patagonia – but not sacrifice the luxuries found in the world-class hotels located here – won’t feel disappointed with the day hikes and shorter trails.

Wildlife is abundant, too. Pumas (the world’s highest concentration is found here) roam the plains, hunting guanaco, while condors oversee the action from the skies above. Expert guides know exactly where to go, offering guests front-row access to Patagonia’s most compelling wildlife encounters.

For those seeking active pursuits, kayaking between icebergs and trekking on glasslike Glacier Grey can also be arranged, while boat journeys and short trails to dazzling viewpoints will suit those seeking to approach Patagonia at a slower, more relaxed pace.

2. Bernardo O’Higgins National Park

The largest national park in Chile, but receiving just 35,000 annual visitors, Bernardo O’Higgins National Park is one of Patagonia’s most scenic spots. It protects 13,000 square miles of virgin evergreen forest and fjords, including a significant proportion of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.

Most visitors come for the day from the nearby town of Puerto Natales, with ferries cruising into the park to the snouts of the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. However, multi-day small-ship expedition cruises departing from Punta Arenas can take those with an adventurous spirit far deeper into this national park, where a total of 49 glaciers cling to the mountains above. The most unmissable is Pío XI, the largest glacier in the entire southern hemisphere.

3. Cape Horn

Just 10,000 land on the fabled island of Cape Horn each year – and it’s not hard to understand why it’s so few. Assaulted from each side by the convergence of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, Cape Horn is a place dominated by the whims of the weather gods.

Small-ship luxury expedition cruises from Punta Arenas attempt the often impossible. And, if they’re successful, guests can roam across this tiny, treeless island, whose sole inhabitants are a brave Chilean naval officer and his family. On a headland overlooking the ocean, a seven-meter-tall sculpture commemorates all of the mariners from across the ages who died “rounding the Horn.”

4. Magdalena Island

Antarctica lays claim to millions of the eighteen penguin species that inhabit the planet. But, for those whose itineraries don’t stretch as far as the White Continent, Chilean Patagonia is an excellent alternative.

Sitting in the middle of the Strait of Magellan, just a 30-minute speedboat ride from the regional capital, Punta Arenas, lies Magdalena Island. A colony of over 120,000 Magallenic penguins inhabits this blustery isle, and dig burrows into the earth from which to raise their chicks. During breeding season (November through March), visitors can join them on the island and traverse designated trails that bring them safely and respectfully close to one of the largest Magallanic penguin colonies on Earth.

5. Patagonia National Park

Northern Chilean Patagonia gets far less footfall than its southern counterpart. However, the appeal of this destination far outweighs its fame. A string of national parks links remote villages and introduces travelers to the varied scenery of this region; one of the best is Patagonia National Park. Here, hikers can explore dazzlingly blue lagoons or hike to caves filled with the handprints of ancient Indigenous peoples.

What’s more, the luxurious Explora hotel within the park allows guests to enjoy life’s little luxuries after a day of adventure. Plus, a private plane makes it easy to connect with their property in Torres del Paine National Park.

6. The Marble Caves

The waters of Lake General Carrera seem too blue to be true. But this section of the Carretera Austral in northern Chilean Patagonia is the region’s most colorful. Just off the shores of the village of Puerto Río Tranquillo lie the marble caves, a series of pastel-hued grottos cut out across millennia by wind blasting across the lake.

These kalaedescopic caves are among Patagonia’s must-see spots. They can be explored by speedboat or, for those feeling more active, kayak – the latter of which allows for visitors to paddle through the caves and appreciate the rock even more closely.

7. Francisco Coloane Marine Park

Patagonia’s waters teem with marine life. Peale’s dolphins put on acrobatic displays in the waters off the coast of Punta Arenas, while sea lions can sometimes be sighted bobbing in the waves. However, one of the surest places to spy sea life is in the nearby Francisco Coloane Marine Park.

Humpback whales spend the austral summer in this area, and it’s the only place in the southern hemisphere where this species feeds outside of Antarctica. Their playground is large: the park’s 258 square miles provide plenty of space for these species, who are often joined by minke and sei whales. Whale watching tours depart from Punta Arenas between December and April.

8. Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park

In the far north of northern Patagonia, Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park is another of the region’s gems. Protecting just shy of a million acres of primary Valdivian temperate rainforest, it’s a uniquely green and lush part of Patagonia and connects the Andes with the Pacific. Hiking trails meander through the dense, fern-laden forest, where it’s possible to spy endemic species such as the tiny pudú deer and past ancient groves of alerce, a tree that lives up to five thousand years old.

A volcano – the still steaming crater rising up above the forest – adds even more drama to the park; those who tackle the steep but short trail up to the crater edge are granted spectacular views west across the fjords towards Chiloé Island.

9. Glacier Alley

Spilling down from the Darwin Ice Field in the far south of Chilean Patagonia, Glacier Alley’s string of hanging glaciers is a remarkable sight. Only accessible by boat, these tidewater glaciers rank among the most beautiful in Patagonia.

Most are named after European countries, reflecting the explorers who arrived in the region. All hover above the Patagonian fjords, their huge bergs of ice collapsing into the salty water beneath to stain it a pale, glacial blue. Small ship expedition cruises from Punta Arenas in the north and Ushuaia, along the Beagle Channel into Argentina, take travelers past these mammoth lumps of ice, with many docking to allow the most adventurous to hike on-land beside them.

10. Caleta Tortel

Marking the southernmost tip of northern Patagonia that can be reached by boat, the dreamlike village of Caleta Tortel sits atop a green-fringed hill and hugs the edge of the fjords. It’s an enchanting place: no roads weave between the wooden houses, instead, six miles of cypress walkways connect the scattered homes and, at some points, even seem to hover above the milky blue waters beneath.

While the prettiness of the village is the main attraction, a clutch of nearby glaciers is accessible by boat. After a day of exploration, returning to Tortel as the late light catches the boardwalks only deepens the feeling that you’ve reached one of Patagonia’s true outposts

Chilean Patagonia lays claim to some of the world’s most astounding scenery. It’s the ideal place to combine a small-ship expedition cruise with a privately guided land-based itinerary, allowing guests to travel into the remote wilderness in safe hands and with guides who are experts in their fields. Our destination experts create tailor-made luxury itineraries that allow travelers to combine the raw beauty of Patagonia’s top destinations, both on land and offshore.