SEASONAL DEC - APR Chilean Patagonia Lakes District
🔸 Thru-hike amongst snow-capped volcanoes & pristine lakes
🔸 Sleep and eat in remote family-run accommodations
🔸 Get your hands dirty during a rewilding experience with a local NGO
🔸 Spot Humbolt & Magellanic Penguins in the wild
🔸 Participate in a traditional "curanto" (a twist on surf 'n turf)
🔸 Visit Chiloé's famous "Dock of Souls"
🔸 Experience magical mythical culture of Chiloé
🔸 Spend an evening with a local chef over a farm to table meal
- Information
- Daily Itinerary
- Traveler Info
- Gallery
- Similar Tours
What's included
- Accommodations as outlined in itinerary
- Drinking water
- Entrance tickets to sites listed in itinerary
- Local, English-speaking guides
- Meals as noted on daily itinerary
- Pre-departure information to help you plan and prepare
- Safe extra luggage storage during hike
- Transfers as noted on daily itinerary
- Alcoholic beverages
- International or domestic flights and taxes
- Meals not outlined in itinerary
- Personal expenses
- Transfers not outlined in itinerary
- Travel, medical and emergency insurance
- Water bottle (help us save the environment and bring your own reusable bottle or hydration system)
OVERVIEW
We’re heading straight off the beaten path in Chile’s gorgeous Lakes District in Northern Patagonia! Chile is one of the most diverse countries on earth, home to 80% of the world’s ecosystems, and we will get to experience first-hand a wide array of its unique activities and landscapes, such as active volcanoes, fjords, pristine lakes and rivers, hot springs that emerge from the sandy shores of glacier lakes, as well as the charismatic and mythical traditions and unique culture of the archipelago of Chiloé (which might sound familiar…).
We’ll start by hiking through a valley of volcanoes, staying in remote family-owned lodges and crossing rivers, suspended bridges, waterfalls, and hot springs along the way. We’ll spend an afternoon giving back with a local NGO to help make an impact in local rewilding efforts in the precious country that we so love to visit. And finally, where the road ends we’ll board a ferry and cross over to the mystical, delicious, and seemingly frozen-in-time Chiloé archipelago, where we’ll immerse ourselves in local mythology, wildlife (penguins!), and cuisine (yes, we’re doing a curanto with the famous Maria Luisa!) and sleep in a traditional palafito.
This is a fabulously curated itinerary that your senses will remember forever – be prepared to fall deeply in love with the off the beaten corners of Patagonia. 💞
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
- Day 6
- Day 7
- Day 8
Welcome to the Lakes District!
Arrive to Puerto Montt airport and transfer on your own to the charming town of Puerto Varas, located at the shore of Lake Llanquihue, with an impressive view of Calbuco and Osorno volcanoes. We will meet at 12pm noon at our hotel to check-in/drop off our bags, and then we'll explore town together on a two-hour walking tour, visiting the local market and the iconic, German-style buildings spread throughout its picturesque streets. We'll have lunch at the food truck court and then take the afternoon for our own rest or exploration before we gather for our welcome dinner at the house of a local chef and wine sommelier, located just a few miles from town.
- Meals: Lunch, Dinner
- Lodging: Hotel Cumbres or similar
Hike at Osorno Volcano "Paso Desolación"
Today we depart early to drive along the southern shore of Lake Llanquihue until we reach Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. Our forest road takes us to Refugio La Picada, where we will start our hike across Paso Desolación ("Desolation Trail") -- a spectacular 12k hike across the slopes of Osorno Volcano that will eventually take us to the shore of the emerald waters of Lake Todos Los Santos. Here our transfer will meet us and take us down the canyon a bit to visit the gorgeous and impressive rapids of the Petrohué River. From there we will head to the nearby Pertrohué Lodge, our accommodations for the night, where we will have dinner and prepare our gear for our thru-hike, which starts the next day, in the Puntiagudo Volcano valley.
- Hike: 12k (7.5 miles), elevation gain 850m (2,800 ft)
- Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
- Lodging: Petrohué Lodge
Thru-Hike Puntiagudo Valley to Termas El Callao
After a delicious breakfast with view of the lake, we will walk down to the dock where our boat will be waiting to take us on a 45-60 minute boat ride to reach the opposite shore and start the first leg of our trek. Our first day will be about 5-6 hours of hiking through a landscape of grasslands, farms and temperate rainforest. We will cross rivers, suspended bridges and waterfalls along the way! At around 4pm, we'll reach El Callao where we will spend the night at our first family lodge. In the afternoon there will be an optional visit to El Callao hot springs. The hot springs are very rustic and small, but they are great after a day of walking!
- Hike: 18k (11 miles), elevation gain 450m (1,500 ft)
- Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
- Lodging: Overnight in the Valley of El Callao at a family home shelter
Thru-Hike Puntiagudo Valley to Lake Rupanco
Today we will hike about 16 km to reach our final thru-hike destination on the shore of Lake Rupanco. Hidden amongst the sandy shore of the lake is a special secret that we will literally need to dig to find: natural hot springs are buried under the sand, and with the help of a shovel, we can enjoy these all to ourselves at sunset before heading a local family's home for a delicious, well-deserved dinner. Don't forget those swimsuits!
- Hike: 16 km (10 miles), elevation gain 700 m (2,300 ft), descent 500 m (1,640 ft)
- Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner included
- Lodging: Las Gaviotas family lodge
Lake Rupanco to Puerto Varas - Rewilding & local breweries
After breakfast at the lodge, we'll meet our transport to drive south, back to Lake Llanquihue and Puerto Varas. Along the way, we'll enjoy great views of the northern shores of the lake and stop by one of our favorite places: microbrewery 860. Here we get to do a local craft brew tasting experience, lunch, and maybe even get to make our own beer!
In the afternoon, we will meet up with our conservation and rewilding team from local NGO Legado Chile that will lead us through a hands-on experience of conservation and nature restoration in the field before going back to Puerto Varas for the evening at our leisure.
- Meals: Breakfast, box lunch (dinner on own tonight!)
- Lodging: Hotel Cumbres or similar
- Rewilding: Prepare to get a bit dirty, learn a bit about wildlife and land conservation in Chile, and be proud of an afternoon well-spent in this gorgeous country.
Penguins & Culture of the Chiloé Archipelago
Our first day of exploration of the big island of Chiloé starts early in the morning at the end of the Chilean Pan-American highway, where we'll board a ferry and cross 3 km over to the small village of Chacao. Here we'll have an introduction to the mythology of the Chiloé archipelago and drive out to the waters of the Humboldt current. Weather-depending, this is where we board a small boat to go visit the only breeding colony of Humboldt & Magellanic penguins in the Southern Hemisphere. Yes, PENGUINS! We'll also do a short hike to a lookout point over the Pacific Ocean before continuing our adventures to the home of our lovely host Maria Luisa. At her agroturismo is where we'll participate in the most traditional meal on the island: the Curanto (think surf 'n turf baked in the earth). Be ready to actively participate! After this delicious meal and time spent with Maria Luisa, we'll head out in the evening and drive to Castro, our home base for the next two days, where we get to sleep in a real palafito. Just wait. 😉
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch/linner (the Curanto is a big meal)
- Lodging: Palafito 1326 in Castro
Villages of Chiloé, local craft & culinary market, the famous Dock of Souls
Today is a beautiful day of exploring the small fishing villages of the main island of Chiloé, which is known for its fantastic colorful houses on stilts that float in the ocean, surrounded by wooden churches that are part of Unesco World Heritage. After a walking tour and a visit to the local market of Castro, we will head west to Chiloé National Park. In the park we'll go for a short hike to reach the mystical Muelle de las Almas, ("Dock of Souls" - an homage to Chiloé's mythology), a wooden structure that faces nothing but a cliff out to the Pacific Ocean. After a quick lunch at a local restaurant, we will spend some time relaxing at our hotel before our evening activity.
Once a bit recovered from our morning, we'll head south to the house of one of the most famous chefs in Chile -- owner of the prestigious restaurant El Cazador (yes, this is the chef from Jackie's Chiloé film!). At the chef's home, we will enjoy a special preparation of local delicatessen, the best way to celebrate the end of this Northern Patagonian adventure.
- Hike: 4 km, elevation gain 20m (65 ft)
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch & farewell dinner
- Lodging: Palafito 1326 in Castro
Farewell
After breakfast we will leave our lovely palafito together, and our vehicle will make up to two stops (depending on ongoing travel plans) for airport transfers:
Flights departing from Castro airport (MHC) - transfer will drop off at airport at 9am. Flights from MHC can safely be booked from 11am onward on Day 8.
Flights departing from Puerto Montt airport (PMC) - transfer will head back via the ferry and on to Puerto Montt, where drop off will be by 12pm noon. Flights from PMC can safely be booked from 2pm onward.
- Meals: Breakfast
More about this tour
FLIGHT & TRANSPORTATION
Airfare is not included. International roundtrip flights can be arranged to Santiago (SCL) or directly to Puerto Montt (PMC). LATAM and Sky Airline are good options for domestic flights within Chile to complete your journey to and from Patagonia.
Arrival airport for this itinerary: Puerto Montt, Chile (PMC). Plan your arrival to PUQ in the AM on Day 1, so you can arrive to the hotel by 12pm noon for our meetup (a taxi from the airport to the hotel will take about 20-30 minutes).
Departure airport options for this itinerary:
Castro Chile (MHC) - Drop off at MHC by 9am Day 8 (Flights can be safely booked from 11am onward - or you can take a taxi if you need a different time).
Puerto Montt (PMC) - Drop off at PMC by 12pm noon Day 8 (Flights can be safely booked from 2pm onward).
We are happy to review your potential flight schedule for you to make sure you’re getting the right times, dates, and airports!
SUSTAINABILITY
In addition to our sustainable travel efforts here at JUMP Adventures, our tour partner in Patagonia for this itinerary includes the following sustainability policy:
- 0% Plastic emissions
- Carbon Print compensation
- Water to refill reusable bottles
- Small groups for low impact
- 100% of waste produced is recycled
- Conservation/Educational Programs supported through your booking.
Our partner is a certified B Corp and has been rated as the most sustainable tour company in Chile. Thank you for participating in sustainable travel with us! We would love to talk with you about our sustainability efforts if you have any questions.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT
We will hike approximately 30 miles during our trip. While these hikes are not rated as difficult, it is still worth it to be in good shape so you can recover quickly and feel your best every day on the trail.
A proficient hiking level and physical fitness is recommended for this trip. We recommend training – getting some good hikes in beforehand and possibly some long runs or workouts to prepare for this amount of trekking. It’s also a great idea to practice hiking in the shoes or boots you plan to wear, as you will be in them for a majority of the time.
We specifically recommend nuun tablets for electrolyte replacement and hydration during the days, compression socks to wear each evening for improved blood flow and fast recovery, and emergen-C packets to start each day with a boost of energy. These are in addition to physical fitness, they do NOT replace your training!
CHILE NOTES & FAQ
- Trail Safety: Rescues are extremely difficult in Patagonia. Take your time, with steady steps, and take care of each other out there.
- WiFi/Cell Service: WiFi is available most nights at our accommodations. Cell service may be spotty at times. Be ready to be off grid during some of the trip.
- Outlets: Chile uses plug types C and L (two and three round-pronged outlets). You will need an adapter similar to the one you use in Europe. You will not need a converter as long as you leave your hair dryers and electric razors at home (don't bring anything that surges electricity). We also recommend bringing a fully-charged mobile power bank as access to outlets will be very limited.
- Water: Drinkable water will be available throughout the entire trip. Bring your reusable water bottle to avoid using single-use plastic bottles at all costs.
