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2 day trip: Getting to know Chiloe and its penguins Buy Now  Price per person: EUR 96.00 including overnight with breakfast in Castro
Minimum: 2 participants
Lunch and supper are not included in the price.
On this trip we will try to come into close contact with the country and its people.
We will travel in an all-terrain vehicle from Puerto Varas to Pargua, where we will take a half hour boat ride to Chacao on the island of Chiloé. This island is 180 km long from north to south and is, next to Tierra del Fuego, the second largest island of South America. During the following tour on various gravel trails, you will hear many stories and myths of this legendary island. We will see and experience how people live and work here (for example how oxen are still used in the fields). We will drive through little fishing towns and pass old churches and chapels, which were built by the Jesuits in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In Dalcahue we will stop at a typical spot to eat at Doña Maria's. (Empanadas!) From there we will take a short sidetrip by boat to the Isla Quinchao where we can try fresh oysters in Curaco de Vélec. Later, in Achao, we will visit the oldest church of Chiloé. Towards evening we will arrive in Castro, where we will spend the night in a friendly Hospedaje. The next morning we will tour Castro, see its large church and the famous pile buildings. In Castro there is also one of the biggest and most beautiful Artesania (Crafts) markets of the region. Following lunch in Ancud we will reach the west coast of the island on the Pacific.Here we basically do the same as on our "one-day-trip to Chiloe". That means we have plenty of time to visit the Otway Foundation and their penguins. Towards evening we will be back in Puerto Varas. |
 Key Information:
Tour Duration: 8 day(s)
Group Size: 1 - 29 people
Destination(s): Chile
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: Yes
Minimum Per Person Price: EUR 1,132.00
Maximum Per Person Price: EUR 1,662.00
Chile's natural wonders: Santiago de Chile, a Mediterranean coast, rolling hills, volcanoes and the highest mountain range in the Western Hemisphere, glacial lakes, European traditions and a heaven for lovers of excellent wines and incredible food.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive this morning in Santiago de Chile, gateway to the Andes, situated between mountain peaks and the Pacific Ocean. Your tour guide will accompany you to your international 4 hotel in the green heart of the city, the Radisson or Torremayor. This afternoon, your guide introduces you to this city nestled between mountains: Enjoy a city tour visiting both the historic and modern centers of Santiago, as well as a trip to neighboring San Cristobal for a good look at the surrounding area. Dinner tonight is on us.
Day 2: Full-day private excursion to Concha y Toro Winery
After a hearty breakfast, enjoy a visit to Concha y Toro, one of the most famous Chilean vineyards around the world. Located in the Maipo River canyon, planted with grapevines of the noblest French stock such as cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir and others. Founded in 1883 showing today a most modern technology in cooling equipment, stainless steel tanks, filters and oak casks which has lead as making of exceptional wines such as Don Melchor, Cabernet Sauvignon, Casillero del Diablo, third in sales surpassed only by France and Italy. Take the afternoon at leisure for shopping around
Day 3: Full-day excursion to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar
Visit: Valparaíso, the oldest port in Chile. Though no longer its largest port, it retains tremendous historical significance and beauty, as well as being home. to the Chilean House of Assembly and Senate. The upper and lower parts of the city are connected through 16 funicular railways constructed around the turn of the century, a time when the city experienced tremendous growth. Parts of Valparaiso are considered to become a UNESCO heritage site. From Valparaíso, continue along the coast to the beautiful beaches of Viña del Mar, the Garden city, named for its many parks and green spaces.
Day 4: City tour of Puerto Montt
Fly from Santiago de Chile straight south to Puerto Montt. The gateway to Chile's Lake District: your guide will accompany you on your private city tour of Puerto Montt, the capital of the Lake District. German colonists on the site of an indigenous Mapuche community founded Puerto Montt in 1853. Downtown we shall take time to walk about the main squares and historical monuments. Afterwards we shall visit the port itself including the fish market of Angelmó where there is a large handicraft market full of artisans and lots of fresh shellfish. After visiting Angelmó we transfer to Puerto Varas, to the lake side Hotel Gran Hotel Colonos del Sur. Dinner tonight is included.
Day 5: Full-day excursion to Frutillar and Puerto Octay
Driving around the lake shore from Puerto Varas to visit Frutillar is like taking a step back in time. In Frutillar itself there is a wonderful open-air museum with restored colonial Chile Tours and Travels and furnishings from the early German settlement period, as well as an operating blacksmith shop. Throughout the summer there are various festivals of classic music organized in Frutillar. Later we will continue to Puerto Octay. Drive back in the afternoon to Puerto Varas.
Day 6: Full-day excursion to Ancud on the Pacific Island of Chiloe
Today you will set out driving south to the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the morning. We cross the straight of Pargua by ferry to reach the island of Chiloe. From here we continue southwards to Ancud. Founded in 1767 as a Spanish Fort, Ancud was chosen because of its strategically important location overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was the first port for the ships sailing around the Cape Horn, through Magellan's straight continuing northwards along the West Coast of South America.
Ancud is situated on the North of the Island of Chiloé. Enjoy the atmosphere around the harbor and the market place for which the town is famous for. We will visit the Museo Regional, which has a very good presentation of the culture and history of the region. It shows the typical churches of Chiloé as well as many Indian mythological characters. In the courtyard you can find an imitation of the very first steamship of the Chilean Navy, which was called Ancud, and was used for exploring the channels of South Patagonia and claiming the territory for Chile in the middle of the 19th century. After spending an enjoyable day we drive back and return to Puerto Varas in the late afternoon.
Day 7: Full-day excursion to the Todos Los Santos Lake
In the morning we set out for a full day in the foothills of the Andes. We shall drive along the shore of Lago Llanquihue and enjoy breathtaking views of the volcanoes Osorno and Calbuco. Our first real stop however will be at the Saltos de Petrohue. This series of rapids and waterfalls were formed long ago by the cooling lava from the Volcano still towering behind them. They form an impressive sculpture of extruded volcanic rock shaped by thousands of years of thundering water flow.
Upon arriving at the landing at Petrohue we shall board the catamaran and prepare for our crossing of Lago Todos los Santos.Lago Todos los Santos (All Saints Lake) is surrounded by high mountains whose lower slopes are thickly forested. As we pull away from the landing and the source of the river Petrohue, the view is quickly stolen away by the tremendous size and proximity of snowcapped Volcano Osorno behind us.
The rest of the morning will pass on the water. To the south high above the forested shore you will see the peculiar shape of Volcano Puntiagudo and a series of waterfalls. We shall arrive in Peulla (pronounced p-way-a), at the eastern end of the lake around lunchtime. This is the heart of National Park Vicente Pérez Rosales. Here we shall enjoy a lovely hike to the Cascada de la Novia or the Bride's Waterfall amidst native growth "Valdivian Rainforest". In the late afternoon we shall return by boat to Petrohue and back to Puerto Varas.
Day 8: Journey home or continue on
After breakfast transfer back to Puerto Montt and flight to Santiago in order to connect with your flight home or continue on an other deluxe tour. See Patagonia, the Southern Andes and Buenos Aires on our The Very Best of Argentina tour or continue on the very popular Tango, Samba, Waterfalls tour and see Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls, the Atlantic Rainforest and Rio de Janeiro
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
US $1,691 / EU ˆ1,196
Single Supplement - US $496 / EU ˆ351
Single Traveler* - US $2,485 / EU ˆ1,758
Included:
- 8 days/7 nights in 4-star hotels;
- 2 dinners & all breakfasts;
- All transfers;
- English-speaking guides;
- 24 hour contact while on tour;
- All excursions & sightseeing as mentioned. |
Chiloe, Patagonian Chile Tour Buy Now Price per person | Type of Service | Hotels | Double | Single
Suppl. | Single | Season | | Private | Galeon Azul
(Ancud) Cabañas del Lago
(Puerto Varas) | EUR 566 | EUR 55 | EUR 998 | 01.05.09-31.10.09 | | EUR 594 | EUR 79 | EUR 1046 | 01.11.09-31.03.10 | Tour includes: 2 overnights with breakfast, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, transfers and excursions with bilingual driver-guide, roundtrip on ferry, entrance fees. Not included: Air Fare, meals not mentioned, gratuities and personal expenses. Notes:
-Prices per person in USDollars.
-The penguins' colony can be visited only from November to March and depends on weather conditions
-Codes: DBL = double occupancy room; SGL suppl = single supplement; SGL = single traveler.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Puerto Montt - Chiloe Island
This tour begins with a private transfer from Puerto Montt to Chiloé. A two-hour journey (incl. a 30 min. ferry ride) will take us to Ancud. This area is rich in history and it was here that Spaniards made their second to last stand in all of the Americas. After lunch and a historical introduction by your guide, we will depart for the countryside; an area of deserted beaches, quiet farmlands and coastal forests. Our destination will be the penguin colony of Puñihuíl, the only place in the world where Humbolt and Magellanic penguins nest side-by-side. We will explore the small island colonies by boat, to discover hidden beaches and the countryside of the West coast in the afternoon. Here there is a selection of activities depending on your interests. Overnight in Ancud. (Lunch, Dinner)  Day 2: East Coast Chiloe - Puerto Varas / Puerto Montt
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, you and your guide will drive south on the paved highway to the bustling town of Dalcahue, home to a picturesque waterfront, here we'll take a short ferry to the Archipelago's second largest island (Quinchao). This island is home to the oldest wooden church in Chile and a testament to the area's missionary past. After lunch we willll return to the main island and to the regional capital of Castro. Famous for its stunning wooden church (one of the 16 UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the island), crafts market and palafitos (traditional houses built on stilts), the city is also the bustling economic centre of the island. There is also a small regional museum with many fine photographs of the busy harbour in the early 20th century as well as of the devastating earthquake of 1960. In the early evening, we'll arrive back to continental Chile to drop you off at your hotel in Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt. Overnight in Puerto Varas/Puerto Montt. (Lunch)
Day 3: Puerto Varas / Puerto Montt
Breakfast at your hotel and transfer to Puerto Montt airport.
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Kayak Chiloe Island 3days-2nights Buy Now "Lonely Planet chooses Chiloe Island - one of the 10 best destinations for 2009!" Chiloe Island, dangling like an emerald off the coast of Patagonia is renowned for its rich past, vibrant traditional culture and special flora and fauna and the ongoing conservation efforts to protect them. Price: EUR 236.00 per person (*group discounts available) Included: 3 day Kayak excursion, expert bilingual guide, three lunches, two dinner and breakfast, all transport from Ancud, lodging in beach tower apartment & local country home Not Included: tips, insurance (accident insurance available for US$8 per person/day) Day By Day ItineraryDay 1- Bay of Ancud- This tour begins at 9:00 AM at our office in Ancud to make the most of the (normally) calm mornings. We?ll drive 7 kms out of town to the beach area of Lechagua to gear up our Dagger sea kayaks. The day will be planned according to your activity level as well as by the weather. Following a safety talk, we?ll explore quiet estuaries of the bay full of birdlife and other marine life as well as sea cliffs; a unique view of Chilo?from the water that is had by few! We?ll enjoy a picnic lunch on a remote beach at midday. If conditions are right and you feel strong, we?ll paddle to the 18th century Spanish fort (Ahui) facing Ancud. Though once bustling with activity, its cannons are now silent and the fort rarely visited. By mid-afternoon, we?ll make our way back to the beach of Lechagua and our take out. You will have free time in the early evening to enjoy a tranquil walk on the beach and/or help an English speaking family with some afternoon farm chores (cows, chickens, greenhouse). Lodging will be arranged at The Tower, a one-of-a-kind sea view lodging built specially to receive our guests, and enjoy a gourmet dinner of the freshest food the island has to offer. (bilingual guide, picnic lunch, kayaking, gourmet dinner and lodging included.) Day 2- Into the River- After breakfast we?ll drive 20 kms south through the countryside with our kayaks to put in at a bridge nestled in the forest bordering the Rio Negro. First paddling on the quiet dark waters, among drooping ferns and native forest, we?ll make our way to the open water of the larger Rio Pudeto. Both are calm water rivers, though wind can occur on the larger river. Our route will wind its way through the remains of a sunken forest that flooded when the land dropped in the infamous 1960 earthquake. We?ll pass through marshlands and into the mouth of another tributary river : the San Antonio, making our way up this small tidal river into quiet forests once again as the river narrows and we come to our takeout. The night will be spent with a lively local family at their farmhouse above the river. Fresh food, great company and the warmth of the Chilote hospitality make this a special night of cultural immersion. (bilingual guide, picnic lunch, kayaking, homestay, dinner included) Day 3- Big River- After a fresh breakfast in San Antonio, we?ll return to our boats and paddle up the quiet river to its source amidst the quiet temperate rainforest and hopefully spot one of the island?s native sea otters or pudu deer coming for a drink before turning down to the wide Pudeto River. The wetland waters of this large tidal river harbor countless birds, occasional otters and sometimes even sea lions exploring from the ocean. We?ll paddle only a few hours before stopping for a picnic lunch on a remote beach. A short paddle away and we?ll arrive at the small seaweed collecting settlement of Pupelde for pick up and return to Ancud. Arrival in Ancud should be around four o?clock in the afternoon- plenty of time to continue on to your next destination. (breakfast, guide, kayaking, transport and picnic lunch included) |
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