Patagonia, Chile: Torres del Paine National Park; things to do

 

Torres del Paine National Park 

(pronounced TOR-ehs del PIE-nay; “paine” is an Indian word for “blue”) 

lake and peaks of Torres del Paine National Park
in Patagonia, Chile

After several hours of traveling in a van over bumpy dirt roads and through green pastures filled with fat sheep and baby lambs, we got our exciting first glimpse of the iconic jagged peaks we traveled half way around the world to see--the three sheer granite peaks forming the Paine Massif, the very symbol of Patagonia.  Established in 1959 by the Chilean government, this massive 450,000-acre park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and also a hiker's paradise.  An extensive collection of groomed trails range from an easy walk around a lake to a challenging 7-hour trek to Glacier Grey (though you can see this massive glacier and lake up close with a much shorter hike, too).  You’ll also most likely see—as I did--herds of docile, camel-like guanacos (they are related to the llama, but with shorter hair) and flocks of Andean condors.  Armadillos, black-throated swans, pink flamingos, and the Andean puma are also sometimes spotted.  Interestingly, the park has no poisonous plants or reptiles.  The area is famous for strong winds that sometimes knock people over.  Hear the whipping winds in this video taken at milky turquoise-colored Lago Nordenskjold.   

Lago Nordenskjold in Patagonia, Chile

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images copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Patagonia, Chile: Remota Hotel, Puerto Natales; hotel review

Remota Hotel 

(011-56-61) 414-040.  Indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, Finnish sauna.  No TVs in room.  Breakfast and excursions included. 

Designed by famous Chilean architect German de Sol, this hotel is a surprise to find so far away from “civilization.”  Its simple, spare interior is decorated with museum-quality Chilean artifacts, and it sits well amid the rustic, spare outdoor surroundings and features stunning views.  A full-service resort, it offers a menu of unusual excursions ranging from hiking in Torres del Paine National Park, to visiting local farms, to sailing through the fjords.





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images copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
top image depicts pool house
bottom image depicts hallway

Puerto Natales, Patagonia, Chile: Milodon Cave Natural Monument; things to do

Milodon Cave Natural Monument  

on Benítez hill, 15 miles NW of town. 

interior of Milodon Cave Natural Monument in Patagonia, Chile

Long ago, now-extinct giant sloths, which were herbivores, lived in this 100-foot-high by 260-foot-wide by 650-foot-deep cavern.  Today, visitors to the Milodon Cave Natural Monument follow a 15-minute trail to the entrance, then a path that loops through the interior featuring stalactites and stalagmites.  Signs are in Spanish.

More info.



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image copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Introduction to Puerto Natales in Patagonia, Chile

This small town is beautifully situated against a backdrop of mountains.

gumdrop trees in Puerto Natales, Patagonia, Chile

●Channel of Last Hope (Ultima Esperanza) or Last Hope Sound  

An excursion through this picturesque sound offers a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains.  It is gorgeous at sunset.  Tours visit Eberhard Fjord, the mountain channel, and the Serrano and Balmaceda glaciers.  On my tour, as we sailed home we drank pisco over glacier ice. 

●"Giant hand" sculpture  

Don’t miss this unusual photo op found along the waterfront. 

●Historical Museum of Puerto Natales  

285 Bulnes St..  Some of the artifacts displayed here date back 12,000 years. 

You’ll also see cultural displays of the Aónikenk and Kaweshkar aborigine peoples. 

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images copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
bottom image depicts Serrano glacier

Punta Arenas, Patagonia, Chile: Hotel Cabo de Hornos; hotel review

Hotel Cabo de Hornos  

Plaza Muñoz Gamero 1025, city center, (56-61) 2715000.  110 rooms.  13 $100-$195/2.  Sauna.  Includes breakfast. 

view from Hotel Cabo de Hornos in Punta Arenas, Patagonia, Chile

The lobby’s floors and walls at the Hotel Cabo de Hornos are paved with tile—mimicking the interior of a cave.  My room here overlooked the tree-filled town square, and I liked the shiny beige marble bathroom with tub-shower but—as in Europe--no washcloths.  The vibrant bar is the place to go for a pisco, and the well-priced restaurant is inviting in its large, high-ceilinged space. 

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image copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Punta Arenas, Patagonia, Chile: Visit a penguin colony; things to do

Visit a penguin colony near Punta Arenas, Chile

Seno Otway penguin colony near Punta Arenas, Patagonia, Chile

●at Seno Otway  

43 mi. NE.  This colony of Magellan Penguins (also know as Jackass penguins) has approximately 3,000 members.  Reached via dirt roads, it is accessible only from September to March, and is best November through February. 

●at Isla Magdalena  

20 mi. NW.  The Magellan Penguins here are more timid, but there are more than 120,000 of them.  Reached via ferry, it is a pleasant half-day afternoon excursion. 



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image copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Introduction to Punta Arenas in Patagonia, Chile

Introduction to Punta Arenas in Patagonia, Chile

colorful overview of Punta Arenas in Patagonia, Chile

PUNTA ARENAS is situated picturesquely at the western edge of Patagonia, across the Strait of Magellan from Tierra del Fuego.  The southernmost city in South America, it was named "Punta Arenosa" (Sandy Point) by J. Byron who discovered it in the 17th century.  It was settled as a penal colony in 1848, then attracted immigrants and became one of South America’s most prosperous cities.  That changed when the Panama Canal was built in 1914.  The weather is unpredictable, and I’ve heard people say you can experience four seasons in one day.  Residents counteract the long, gray winters by painting their roofs and houses in bright colors.  It is a popular departure port for Antarctic expeditions. Pack hiking shoes and a windbreaker jacket to wear over layered clothing.  It can get chilly in Chile.



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image copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Let's visit Easter Island in Chile

Happy Easter!  And hope you enjoy this article about Easter Island.



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image copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Chile: Isla Negra; things to do

Isla Negra

poet Pablo Neruda's gravesite at Isla Negra, Chile

Poet Pablo Neruda’s former home on Chile’s coast is located in an area that is similar to Carmel in California, with windblown pines, rustic walkways, and the constant sound of waves breaking over the rustic rocky shore. Getting there from Santiago takes you through the lush Casablanca Valley, where grapes, avocados, lemons, and almonds grow. My tour bus took a scenic eucalyptus-edged shortcut past a 1,000-year-old cemetery.

Neruda was a big collector “of things” and they are well displayed throughout: toys, bottles, ship figureheads (seen in the stone living room), piano leg supporters (though he never owned a piano), colored glass (Pablo thought everything tasted better from colored glass), wood carvings, model ships in bottles, 2 hummingbirds on pins. An entire room is devoted to a shell collection.

Neruda bought the land with a small house in 1939, then, according to guide Phillipe, built out buildings to his “decide.” He included many arched doors and barrel-ceilinged rooms, including a dining room where his placemat indicated he was “the captain of his ship” (though he never sailed). The bedroom has a stunning ocean view and a bed with a white popcorn-stitch crocheted bedspread; his desk overlooks the sea (he wrote with green ink because of its closeness to nature).

This was the most beloved of his houses “basically because of that ‘big pool’ (the ocean) outside.” Neruda passed away in the Santa Maria hospital by the Sheraton in Santiago, but is buried here—his grave looks like a stone ship’s bow—where he lived out his life with his third wife, Matilde.

Videos that depict the house, described in Neruda's own words in Spanish:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbEqInBpHts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Paeqg_ZuaM



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image depicts Pablo Neruda's gravesite

image copyright 2009 Carole Terwilliger Meyers