Author: Paul

Paul came to Swoop after spending nearly 20 years researching and writing guidebooks for Lonely Planet.

Planning & Tips Torres del Paine

Nine questions that will help you plan your W Trek hike in Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine National Park in Chile is one of Patagonia’s great banner destinations, and its breathtaking granite towers offer up one of the region’s most iconic views. There are many ways to experience the park, its mountains and glaciers, but the classic way is to hike the multi-day W Trek,  At Swoop Patagonia, many […]

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Stories & Inspiration

Patagonia’s Wildlife: Introducing the Big 5

While Patagonia is often at the forefront of people’s minds as a hiking destination, its attraction for wildlife watchers shouldn’t be overlooked. The region offers some tremendous opportunities for wildlife encounters. And just like an African safari, it comes with its very own list of the ‘Big 5’ species to see. Here’s our guide to […]

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Epic Adventures Los Glaciares Torres del Paine

How to travel to Torres del Paine from El Calafate

Two of Patagonia’s greatest national parks lie a short distance from each other, separated by an international border. Torres del Paine National Park, with its sheer granite towers and iconic W Trek, sits up close to the Chilean border. On the other side in Argentina, you’ll find Los Glaciares National Park, home to Perito Moreno […]

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Aysen Epic Adventures

Where in the world? Test yourself with our Aysen quiz

There are certain buzzwords that come up time and again when people start talking about Aysen in Chile: wilderness, untouched, epic and raw.  These are all great ways of describing the landscapes you can encounter in this little-visited part of Patagonia, but one thing they don’t capture is just how diverse this region is. Aysen […]

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Stories & Inspiration

Environmental pioneers: Tompkins Conservation in Chile

It’s rare that an environmental organisation can be said to have genuinely helped change the way a country approaches its wild places, but Tompkins Conservation has done just that. Its pioneering donation of private land to the Chilean state and its work to expand the country’s network of national parks have helped put rewilding on […]

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Stories & Inspiration

Puma conservation in Torres del Paine

The pumas of Torres del Paine have captured the world’s attention thanks to TV series like Dynasties and Pumas At The End of The World. To better understand the challenges in conserving these magnificent creatures we spoke to Mark Elbroch, the director of the puma program at Panthera, the global wildcat conservation organisation, about their […]

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