Customer Reviews

At age 78 doing a 19 k hike to see the French Valley glacier . . including a boat ride from the Explora resort. I wasn't sure I could keep up with the younger crowd but I did . .. the guide from Explora was just superb. The views were extraordinary. I guess I won't soon forget walking into the dining room at Explora shortly after arriving and sitting down and being just dumbstruck by the incredible view of the mountains across the lake. It was so amazing my instinct was to think it was fake!

We had a very lovely guide from Antares, Phillipe, who did a great job showing us around. My sons were particularly impressed by seeing the puma having her morning breakfast. The landscapes were impressive, and I enjoyed seeing the wildlife. The Pampa Lodge was particularly nice. I really enjoyed the quiet and the view from the lodge itself. Everyone we interacted with was very nice and friendly. The only confusion was in arrival from El Calafate. Apparently, the Always Glaciers company does not have the right to go in to the bus terminal, and we arrived a bit later than Antares was anticipating. In the end it was fine, and I have no hard feelings with Antares for that. It was a simple mix-up and they did offer an additional dinner as compensation for the confusion. We did really enjoy our itinerary with them -- I'll say it again... puma!

Hiking and the views

Overall a magnificent trip. A wide variety of experiences, both urban and rural, varying landscapes and activities. Chile and Argentina fishing lodges were both wonderful. They were different but would recommend each of them. The owners and staff of each lodge were amazing, as was the food and level of attentiveness and service - we felt like well treated family members at each. We also met some other travelers that we enjoyed spending time with in the evenings and at meals. The fishing in Chile was more difficult than in Argentina but the water in Chile was unbelievably beautiful - an amazing shade of blue. Flying by helicopter over the Chilean Rivers was one of the magical parts of the trip. We were in Santiago and Buenos Aires for a day each and were glad we stayed a night on the way in and out of South America. The boutique hotels were both lovely and we were happy to be in smaller properties.

The people I met and the experiences I had

It's a very difficult question. There are so many unforgettable moments during the trip. Daniela and Israel are both amazing guides. They are super nice, knowledgable, considerate and really fun to travel with. They made this trip way beyond my expectation and I genuinely wish it could be longer. My favorite moments include hiking with them to the look out for the Glacier Grey, listening to the stories or anything about Patagonia/Chile, smelling the Paramela and tasting the Chaura, etc. Hard to name it all.

Hiking to Mt Fitzroy, Then Cape Horn. Overall Explora best multi day experience

Our 3 days of perfect weather in El Chalten and our incredible guide, David Albert!

Reaching the towers, (Torres de Paine) with our group. It was a challenging day but very worth it, we all felt great at the top, and the view and scenery were amazing.

Meeting lots of people at Refugio Currenos. We made so many memorable connections, created memories, watched sunsets and shared our experiences over drink and dinner.

The highlight of the trip was the kayaking adventure through the glaciers. No picture we took could show the true beauty of the landscapes. It was truly a magical place. Our guides were unbelievable and everyone was so friendly.

TdP was awesome. We also really like Perito Moreno. Iguazu Falls was unreal.

The trip was an adventure and to see such beautiful scenery was breathtaking. The people of Patagonia were extremely friendly and helpful and without question getting up close and personal with a Glacier was a truly memorable moment. The shear scale of nature in the raw is a beautiful thing to see

Great group of kindred spirits, lots of laughs after amazing hikes. Wonderful to have had all logistics taken care of so effectively. Landscape exceeded our expectations in its size and grandeur. We were supremely lucky with the weather.

In Torres del Paine, it is a toss up between the first day with Joaquin & the driver (who was super but I don’t remember his name) and our last hike with Matthias. Bothe experiences were fantastic. The guides were excellent. It was mind-blowing.

Walking into our room at AWA hotel in Puerto Varas and seeing the Osorno volcano against the clear blue sky in al its glory in the floor to ceiling window. Cruze Andino.

The highlight was the Huemul circuit. It was an amazing trek. There was so much adventure and strenuous hiking but the scenery was spectacular. The highlights definitely included the ice-fields and also seeing the very different terrain as we circled around the Huemul mountain. There was a condor sighting on day 3 and the walk over the glacier on day 2 was just beyond words. I loved the fact that on day 3, we had to hike down really steep terrain and got to camp next to the glacier ice fields. Definitely the most magical moment was the birthday brownie that we got to share for my 40th birthday that was made so nicely by the Walk Patagonia staff.

Hiking through areas of Torres.

I love my guide Felipe. He was such a joy to trek with. You could see and feel the love that he has for Torres Del Paine. I enjoyed the stories he shared bringing everything to life. You know that someone loves what they do when on their off days, they come back to do some trekking on their own. I couldn't have asked for a better guide.

This is a very difficult question to answer because they were all memorable in their own unique way. Having said this, the moment I saw the Towers when we first entered the park.