{"id":197608,"date":"2015-05-12T15:07:05","date_gmt":"2015-05-12T14:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.swoop-patagonia.co.uk\/?p=197608"},"modified":"2015-10-23T13:32:42","modified_gmt":"2015-10-23T12:32:42","slug":"ian-susans-patagonia-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/ian-susans-patagonia-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Ian & Sue’s Patagonia Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ian and Sue returned in December from a 24 day trip to Chile and Argentina that was designed and arranged by Swoop Patagonia. Here they tell us about their experiences on the trip and in booking with Swoop.<\/p>\n

\u2018We had the best holiday of our lives and would recommend it (and Swoop) to anyone!\u2019<\/i>\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P10490_Patagonia_2014_Sue_01<\/p>\n

Ian and Sue Feedback<\/b><\/p>\n

The package you put together for us exceeded our expectations<\/b> in every way.\u00a0 The quality<\/b> of the accommodation and guides was very high, and the choice of locations and activities was spot on<\/b> for us.\u00a0 We would recommend Swoop to anyone<\/b> (and have done so).\u00a0 The varied and unspoiled landscapes<\/b>, the geology, and the incredibly rich variety of wildlife<\/b> made Patagonia our perfect destination<\/b>. If we are able to return to South America, I hope it will be under your auspices!<\/i><\/p>\n

Ian and Sue’s Itinerary<\/b><\/p>\n

Ian and Sue began their trip with a city tour of Santiago<\/b>, followed by a night in the Hotel Boutique Oporto<\/b>.<\/p>\n

[Read Swoop’s list of recommended hotels in Santiago<\/a>]<\/p>\n

The city tour was faultless- a conversation with the courier led to an instant change to our afternoon itinerary, substituting a poet\u2019s house with the Pre-Columbian Art Museum<\/b>, and providing a driver to give us more time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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Pre-Columbian Art Museum, Santiago<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our guide had been a guide in the museum, so was amazingly knowledgeable. We ate at Como Agua Para Chocolate<\/b>, and loved it.<\/i><\/p>\n

[Read swoop’s top picks for restaurants<\/a> throughout Patagonia]<\/p>\n

The next morning they flew on to Puerto Montt, and the nearby island of Chiloe<\/b> for a 3 night stay at Chil Hue<\/b>, for 3 days of excursions to take in the local scenery, wildlife, fishing villages and penguin colony<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Our guide met us on arrival and drove us to Ancud, stopping several times on the way to show us birds<\/b> etc.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Chilean Wigeon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Ringed Kingfisher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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He was a fantastic guide<\/b> with a wide knowledge of natural history, and the history of the island.\u00a0 We had a great day out<\/b> \u2013 including a short trip out to the penguin colony where we saw Magellanic<\/strong> and Humboldt<\/strong> Penguins.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Magellanic Penguins – Chilo\u00e9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The next day, our itinerary was to have been a visit to several of Chiloe\u2019s wooden churches<\/b>.\u00a0 We had already visited a couple, and knowing our interest in natural history, our guide (Jamie) proposed a visit to a private national park<\/b> owned by a friend of his (Parque Tepuhueico).\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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Chilo\u00e9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0After visiting Castro en route, we had a fantastic trek in the temperate rainforest<\/b>.\u00a0 Jaime had helped set up the trails, and had translated the interpretation boards into English, so was the perfect guide.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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On our last night, we went out for a traditional meal in Ancud<\/b>. Needless to say, we loved Chiloe!<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

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Chilo\u00e9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ian and Sue’s next stop was Punta Arenas<\/b>, where they spent a day exploring the city<\/a>, and the King Penguin Colonies of Tierra del Fuego<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"P02910_IMG_9365\"<\/p>\n

On arrival at Punta Arenas, we were met by our guide, who dealt faultlessly with our questions.\u00a0 Hotel Ilia<\/b> was one of the nicest and friendliest places we stayed. The room was large, light and airy.\u00a0 The decor was attractively modern and arty, and the breakfasts were great.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Punta Arenas exceeded our expectations<\/b>. It was a friendly and characterful Chilean city: a bit ramshackle in places, but full of charm (and feral dogs…).\u00a0 O\u2019Higgins provided a wealth of restaurants to choose between.\u00a0 We ended up going to Brocolino<\/b> both nights, and enjoyed it very much.<\/i><\/p>\n

Our day trip to see the King Penguins on Tierra del Fuego<\/b> was a great success. It was a full day, but very variable and enjoyable.\u00a0 We were in a small group in a mini-bus, which stayed with us all day.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P05120_Patagonia_2014_Ian_SX220_01
King Penguins – Tierra del Fuego<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Porvenir<\/b> was an attractive (v small!) city with a surprisingly good museum<\/b>.\u00a0 The penguin site (not yet referred to as a \u201ccolony\u201d as they hadn\u2019t bred successfully yet) was great \u2013 with interesting plants as well as birds<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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Lighthouse, Porvenir<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Chimango Caracara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The guide was excellent<\/b>, stopping the bus to show us foxes<\/b>, guanacos<\/b> and rheas<\/b>, and pointing out the dolphins<\/b> on the short ferry crossing on the way back to the mainland.\u00a0 On return, the bus dropped us off at O\u2019Higgins for a meal as it was getting late.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Guanaco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Patagonian Grey Fox<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The following day, Ian and Sue headed to an eco camp<\/b><\/a> on the edge of Torres del Paine<\/b> National Park for 3 days of excursions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Patagonian Skunk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Lago Pehoe – Torres del Paine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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We were picked us up in the afternoon, and driven to our accommodation, stopping several times en route to look at features, wildlife etc.\u00a0<\/i>The eco friendly camp we stayed at exceeded all our expectations<\/b>.\u00a0 We had the nearest yurt to the lake with distant views of the \u201cHorns\u201d. \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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Patagonia Camp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Patagonia Camp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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On arrival, the staff explained the options available for the next day.\u00a0 The evening meal was great<\/b>, with as much of the house wine as we wanted to drink (and the offer of a bottle to take back to the yurt) together with unwise quantities of pisco sour before and after the meal.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Lady’s Slipper<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Patagonian Red Fox<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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For our first day of excursions we elected to go on the Fauna Trail Hike<\/b>.\u00a0 This was ideal for us, providing a good introduction to the scenery, flora and fauna of the area, together with an unexpected view of the rock paintings (see their wine label \u2013 and visit Majestic in the UK). \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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Guanaco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Rock Paintings – Torres del Paine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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We were also introduced to the lavish picnics<\/b> provided by the camp.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P07290_Patagonia_2014_Ian_EOS400D_02
Magellanic Orchid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Yellow Orchid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The next day, some of the trips could not run due to high winds. The guides asked us if we would like to go on a trek they hadn\u2019t included in their list for some years, and the three guides, and just the two of us, had a great day out<\/b>. \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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They shared their mat\u00e9 with us, explaining the simple ceremony involved, and we felt very included.\u00a0 We had a fantastic view of an Austral pygmy owl<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P06690_Patagonia_2014_Sue_01
Austral Pygmy Owl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The last \u00a0section of the walk was very challenging for me \u2013 a narrow path on loose scree<\/b> \u2013 and they seemed to have forgotten my vertigo.\u00a0 They admitted that if this section of the walk had been longer, they would have graded the walk as \u201cDifficult\u201d rather than \u201cModerate\u201d!<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P07360_Patagonia_2014_Sue_01<\/p>\n

On our final day at the camp, four of us had elected to go on the Grey Lake<\/b> Boat<\/b> Trip<\/b>, but on arrival at the jetty, we found that the boat had been cancelled due to high winds. Instead, we did the Grey Beach Hike<\/b> in the morning (very close views of a pair of Magellanic Woodpeckers<\/b>), together with a short hike to the Lake Toro viewpoint<\/b> in the afternoon.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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Magellanic Woodpecker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This provided a great day out<\/b>, and showed off the guides\u2019 ability to think on their feet.\u00a0 We rounded the day off with a self guided walk<\/b> to the local waterfall<\/b>.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"Patagonia_002_Waterfall<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/i>Our stay at the eco friendly camp was the high spot of our holiday<\/b>. The accommodation<\/b> and surroundings<\/b> were great, and the guides were all of the highest quality<\/b>: we felt really looked after<\/b>.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P07010_IMG_0383\"<\/p>\n

Following their stay in Torres del Paine<\/a>, Ian and Sue headed across the border to the town of El Calafate<\/b>, where they visited the Perito Moreno Glacier<\/b><\/a>, and took some day hikes<\/b><\/a> from the nearby town of El Chalten<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"P07820_Patagonia_2014_Sue_01\u00a0The hotel in El Calafate was friendly, comfortable and stylish.\u00a0 We were directed to the Laguna Nimez<\/b>,\u00a0<\/i>which was a must (we ended up going there again the next evening).\u00a0 Not feeling able to face the queues at La Tablita, we ate at La Zaina<\/b>, which was very good.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P08070_Patagonia_2014_Sue_01<\/p>\n

The day excursion to Perito Moreno Glacier was a great success<\/b>.\u00a0 The guide was, as usual, everything we could ask for<\/b>.\u00a0 Although the viewpoints provided great views of the glacier<\/b>, we found the boat trip well worth it, providing closer views of the ice walls, together with the sculpted icebergs<\/b> floating in the lake.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P08780_Patagonia_2014_Ian_EOS400D_02
Perito Moreno Glacier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Perito Moreno Glacier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The boat lingered at each viewpoint long enough for everybody to get the photos<\/b> they wanted.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Perito Moreno Glacier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On our excursion to the Petrified Forest<\/b>, our guide was very knowledgeable<\/b>, both geologically<\/b> and botanically<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P09770_Patagonia_2014_Sue_01
Petrified Forest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to the geology, this trip provided our best views of the flora of the steppe<\/b>.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P09390_Patagonia_2014_Ian_EOS400D_02\"P09440_Patagonia_2014_Sue_01<\/p>\n

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Following the excursion, we were taken to El Chalten<\/b>.\u00a0 Hotel Lunajuim<\/b> was very friendly- the room was great, full of quirky modern art produced by the owner\u2019s wife: we enjoyed our stay very much.\u00a0 We ate at the Estepa<\/b>, which we liked very much, and returned to on our last night.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P06830_Patagonia_2014_Sue_01<\/p>\n

Our excellent<\/b> guide<\/b> took us (together with a picnic) to Laguna Capri<\/b>.\u00a0 This was an ideal trek for us, culminating in a satisfying view of the glacier<\/b>.\u00a0 We ate at La Tapera<\/b> \u2013 very good again, with a great choice of wines<\/b> displayed in the wine racks with price tags tied round the necks.<\/i><\/p>\n

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<\/i>The following day our guide Zoe took us to Lago del Desierto<\/b>.\u00a0 She was a great guide, and managed to show us torrent ducks<\/b>, which had been on my list of \u201chope to sees\u201d (and give us an excellent picnic<\/b>).\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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Torrent Ducks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Ashy Headed Goose<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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That evening, we ate at La Vineria<\/b>, which must be one of the best wine bars in the world<\/b>!\u00a0 Their smoked platter was worth a mention as well as the wine.<\/i><\/p>\n

On our last day in El Chalten we took a self guided trek<\/b> towards Laguna Torre<\/b> \u2013 we only made it to the three viewpoints en route, but the views were spectacular<\/b>, and the route easy to follow<\/b>.<\/i><\/p>\n

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The next stop was Tierra del Fuego<\/b><\/a>, for a few days exploring the birds<\/b> and wildlife<\/b> of the National Park.<\/p>\n

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Southern Lapwing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Black faced Ibis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Hotel Tierra del Fuego<\/i><\/b> was a good place to stay \u2013 quite central<\/b> and fairly near the waterfront.\u00a0 We ate at Le Estancia<\/b> \u2013 the food was quite good, but the service was patchy \u2013 much of their efforts seemed to be directed towards rich Americans presumably on their way to Antarctica.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Black Necked Swans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Upland Goose<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The guided excursion<\/b> to Tierra del Fuego National Park was enjoyable.\u00a0 Our guide was knowledgeable<\/b>, and urged us to suggest any changes to the itinerary we wanted, although we did find him a little impatient.\u00a0 We ate at Moustacchio<\/b> for the next two nights.\u00a0 We found it very friendly<\/b>, with a wide menu of well-cooked food (as Sue is allergic to crab, we tended to avoid predominantly fishy restaurants).<\/i>\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

The following day, our guide had booked us onto a Beagle Channel cruise<\/b>, which culminated in a visit to an estancia<\/b>, followed by a two hour minibus transfer home.\u00a0 We decided to stay on the boat to return to Ushuaia rather than take the bus. <\/i><\/p>\n

\"P13060_Patagonia_2014_Ian_EOS400D_02\"P12820_Patagonia_2014_Sue_02<\/p>\n

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This was one of our favourite days<\/b>.\u00a0 The weather was cold and wet but, on arrival at the penguin island<\/b><\/a>, the sun came out, and the boat beached on the sand, giving us the best views we had ever had of penguins going about their normal lives.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P13230_Patagonia_2014_Sue_02<\/p>\n

In addition to the Magellanic<\/b> penguins, there were a few Gentoo<\/b>, and three King<\/b> Penguins.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P13260_Patagonia_2014_Sue_02<\/p>\n

For their final few days, Ian and Sue visited Buenos Aires<\/b>, where they spend time exploring the city; it\u2019s museums<\/b> and art galleries<\/b>.<\/p>\n

[Read Swoop’s blog post about things to do in Buenos Aires<\/a>]<\/p>\n

On our departure day, our guide had already taken our details, and checked us in on line for our flight: this was a great idea- I wish other operators had done the same. After checking in at our hotel, we visited MALBA<\/b> (a fantastic gallery).\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P13970_Patagonia_2014_Sue_02<\/p>\n

The Hotel Esplendor<\/b> was friendly and helpful. That evening we went to a nearby Parilla<\/b> recommended by the hotel \u2013 it was OK, but I think I will stick to your recommendations in future!<\/i>\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Our group tour of Buenos Aires<\/b> in the morning was excellent<\/b>.\u00a0 The guide was very informative<\/b>, and when one of the passengers expressed an interest in visiting Evita\u2019s grave<\/b>, she just added it to the itinerary.\u00a0 At the end of the tour, she dropped the passengers off wherever they wanted.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

\"P15450_Patagonia_2014_Sue_03<\/p>\n

A warning to other travellers<\/b>: we were squirted with something outside the National Gallery, but when people offered to \u201cassist\u201d, we shouted at them until they went away (successfully avoiding robbery \u2013 although my mobile was later pinched on the underground: but that\u2019s another story).\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

A visit to El Ateneo<\/b>, a bookshop in a converted theatre, should be on everyone\u2019s to do<\/b> list: there is even a cafe on the stage.\u00a0 As an alternative to steak, we ate an Italian<\/b> restaurant highly rated by the hotel (Il Gran Caruso<\/b>): this was excellent.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P16230_Patagonia_2014_Ian_EOS400D_03<\/p>\n

On our final day, we had a tour of the Opera House<\/b> (very good), and spent the rest of the day at the San Telmo Market<\/b>.\u00a0 We really enjoyed ourselves, but are still kicking ourselves that we bought so little \u2013 everything was amazingly cheap and stylish<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"P16830_Patagonia_2014_Ian_SX220_02<\/p>\n

Our Iberia flight home arrived back early, and we managed to catch an earlier coach home.<\/i><\/p>\n

A satisfying end to the best holiday we have ever had. Thank you, Sally!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ian and Sue returned in December from a 24 day trip to Chile and Argentina that was designed and arranged by Swoop Patagonia. 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