Patagonia Lakes District & Iguazu Falls

You will be picked up at your Buenos Aires hotel and taken to the airport to fly north to Puerto Iguazu. Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide and driver for the short trip to the park followed by check-in at the Melia Iguazu Hotel. Iguazu National Park is located at the northern tip of the Argentine province of Misiones, bordering Brazil. The park extends over 220,000 acres and protects a subtropical rainforest of great biological diversity that the two countries share. Among the areas 2,100 identified plant species are pindo palms, 50-ft canes, arborescent ferns, orchids and large epiphytes such as the huge Caraguata bromeliads. The Iguazu Falls are not just one cascade but a series of 275 beautiful cataracts extending some two miles. You’ll have the rest of the day on your own to unwind, explore the surroundings and enjoy a relaxing dinner at the hotel. (B)

Today’s adventure gets underway after a hearty breakfast. After a stop at the visitors center, you will embark on the first of two leisurely hikes along riverside trails to view the falls from a variety of perspectives. Visitors travel from one area of the park to another on the Tren Ecologico de la Selva, a small, custom built tram, with three stations, one at the visitors center, one at the trailhead to the upper and lower paths and one to get to the largest of the falls. You’ll spend about an hour and a half on the upper trails, stopping at six platforms to take in the stunning views. With eight viewing platforms, the lower loop trail extends a little over a mile and offers closer, wetter vistas. This two-hour route helps you appreciate the magnitude of the falls by witnessing at close-range the rushing water crashing into the river. Next comes the finale. For most every visitor, the highlight of today’s Argentina travel is the massive viewpoint at Devils Throat reached from a mile-long trail. Here half of the waters flowing through the entire Iguazu complex plunge down the U-shaped chasm, creating a cascade 270 feet tall and 492 feet wide. At the conclusion of today’s Iguazu tours you’ll have another evening on your own. (B)

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be returned to Iguazu Airport for the flight back to Buenos Aires to make your connecting flight to the scenic resort town of Bariloche, Argentina on the shores of serene Lake Nahuel Huapi. After you get settled in your hotel, you’ll have the rest of the day to relax and explore your surroundings on the start of your Patagonia travel adventure. (B)

After breakfast, you’ll go from your hotel to the trailhead of today’s Patagonia hiking. Paced to your liking, the two to three hour hike goes into the alpine zone. You’ll stop to enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch with stunning views of lakes, glaciated summits, forests and the Andes before three to four more hours of Patagonia hiking. You’ll be delivered back to your hotel in time for dinner and a free evening before turning in for a peaceful rest. (B,L)

This blissful day of Argentina Patagonia kayaking may be enjoyed by all, regardless of fitness level. After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to a unique launching beach. Assisted by guides, you’ll paddle some six hours, stopping for a memorable lakeside picnic in an idyllic setting. The excursion ends at the landmark Llao Llao Hotel where you will be transferred back to your Bariloche accommodations for a final free evening before your last overnight here. (B,L)

Patagonia Hike & Kayak Option: Depending on your group preferences, we can also arrange for a day of mellow trekking with kayaking. After breakfast, you drive to Lopez Bay and hike to the Tristeza lookout point, a granite base offering breathtaking views. Here you will enjoy a scenic lunch before returning to the trailhead. After a safety briefing, you will paddle the Moreno Lake for the remainder of the afternoon before returning to your Bariloche hotel. (B,L)

After breakfast, begin an exciting leg of your Patagonia tour, where you cross the beautiful Lakes Region from Argentina to Chile. You’ll be taken to the pier at Puerto Panuelo near Bariloche to go by catamaran on picturesque Lake Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Blest. From here, a bus will take you a short distance through an Andean larch forest to Puerto Alegre. A highlight of this voyage is the beautiful wilderness views along Lake Frias before arriving at Puerto Frias in a lush cloud forest at the border of Chile Patagonia. By bus, you’ll arrive at the village of Peulla in time for a delicious lunch. Next you’ll cruise in the emerald waters of Todos los Santos Lake to the Petrohue River, offering stunning views of three volcanoes: 11,453-ft Tronador, famous for the dramatic sound of ice falling from its summit; 7,185-ft Puntiagudo and 8,530-ft Osorno. Arriving at the river pier, you will travel to the quaint town of Puerto Varas and check in to your comfortable hotel that will be your home during your Chile Patagonia tours. (B)

The most iconic sights of the Lakes District are easily the majestic Osorno Volcano and the gorgeous Petrohue Falls. The snow-capped image of Osorno adorns most photos of the area, as it stands looking over Todos los Santos and Llanquihue Lake. The falls are gentle and serene and bring an elegant beauty to this already spectacular landscape.

Departing from Puerto Varas, you’ll travel in vehicle to the beginning of the El Solitario trail. You will trek at the base of the Osorno Volcano, taking in amazing views of the surrounding scenery. The trek will lead you through an ancient forest, over volcanic rock, and between renewed native forests. You will be surrounded by beautiful views of three volcanoes: Osorno, Calbuco, and Puntiagudo. Ending the trek, you’ll head to the Petrohue Falls, where turquoise waters flow mightily over the rocks, a great place to enjoy a picnic lunch. Finally, you’ll make a stop at Lake Todos los Santos, where the Andes provide a magnificent backdrop for a peaceful rest and gorgeous photos. You return to your Puerto Varas hotel in the afternoon and have the evening on your own before a restful night at your lodgings. (B,L)

Today you have your choice of the activities described below before returning to Puerto Varas for one last night at your hotel in Patagonia, Chile. (B,L)

OPTION I: LOS ALERCE ANDINO NATIONAL PARK
Leaving Puerto Varas heading south toward Puerto Montt, you will enter the Lenca sector and the Alerce Andino Park. You will trek along the Chaicas river, through large forests of Maos, Tepas, Arrayanes, and Alerce trees. You will enjoy beautiful views of two mountain lakes as well as a diverse array for birds and local wildlife. Alerce Andino is one of the regions most emblematic and best conserved national parks.

OPTION II: ANCUD – PENGUIN COLONIES
You depart early heading south toward the Pacific, where you’ll cross the Straights of Pargua by ferry to the island of Chilo. Once on the island, you’ll drive to the serene Bay of Caulin where swans and other birds may be seen. The next stop is the former capital, Ancud. It is a picturesque community of rustic homes, colorful fishing boats, historic Spanish forts, and a thriving market of local traders and artisans selling their wares. Chilo is full of legends and superstition, and some island residents claim that century-old monsters roam here at night, sailing on elaborately painted ghost ships, frightening even the bravest of fishermen. Reaching the northern coast of the island, you’ll visit the World Wildlife Fund supported penguin colony, one of the few places in the world where Magellanic and Humboldt penguins co-exist. A trip in a zodiac boat takes you among the small islands of penguin rookeries. Depending on weather conditions, you might observe a sea lion colony as well. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach and take the return trip to Puerto Varas, arriving late in the evening.

In the morning, you’ll be transferred back to the Puerto Montt Airport for the flight to Santiago, Chile. From here, you’ll catch your connecting international flight home or continue on to the next leg of your South America tour. If you prefer, we can arrange for you to return via Buenos Aires. This marks the end of Southern Explorations’ services. Travelers able to stay longer may wish to consider adding one or more of our tour extensions to their Patagonia tour itinerary. (B)