Thursday 27th – Monday 31st March 2025
Firstly, my apologies for the length of this Post. I tried to be frugal with my words – which is nearly impossible when I am trying to record all the wonderful things we are doing!
Apparently, no trip to the Patagonian region is complete without a taste of fresh southern king crab, freshly plucked from the freezing waters at the extreme southern tip of Chile.
Apart from hearing of the Patagonian tooth fish, I was quite naive about what food specialties the southernmost region of Chile had to offer, but I had undertaken a little research (ok, a lot) before I left and had added king crab to my list of essential tastings on this holiday.
This sliver of a country (it really is unusual how long and narrow it is) often compels the adventurous types to its shores, especially to the rugged mountains and stunning beauty of the Patagonian region. But did you know that this region is also considered a pretty spectacular destination for foodies? A place as beautiful, wild and untouched as Patagonia naturally produces an abundance of quality, wild and untouched ingredients, leading to equally as many delicious ways for Chileans to traditionally prepare them.
Spit Roast Lamb (Cordero al palo) was also on the list of things I wanted to try, as it too is considered a speciality here in Patagonia, unsurprisingly given the amount of lamb grown in this region. Most often it is cooked whole – split and skewered onto a large metal frame and then roasted over hot coals for many hours. Its skin becomes crispy, and the meat stays juicy, with the open fire imparting a delicious aroma that you can smell as you walk past the restaurants serving it.
THURSDAY
On Thursday morning, after a reasonable night’s sleep in the adequate (if not fancy) Airbnb, we ate a delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs cooked by Will and Emma, then headed out in the hire car to explore the region a little more.
We started by driving around 60km south and entering the Parque del Estrecho de Magallanes (Strait of Magellan National Park). We then drove onto Fuerte Bulnes which is a preserved replica of the first settlement in the area, where we had a guided walk. We also took the short walk to see the various lookouts that give you great views of the waters and mountains around this area. We then drove another 50km or so south to the take-off point for the popular 10km hike to San Isidro lighthouse which is the southernmost lighthouse in Chile. At three hours each way, we decided not to take the trek, instead getting the obligatory photos at the signpost!
A quick stop to see the Lord Lonsdale shipwreck, then back into Punta Arenas for a late lunch (Italian), a walk around the town centre, then a rest before heading to the well-reviewed restaurant Sotitos where the two specialities I wanted to try (King Crab and spit-roasted lamb) both featured on the menu.
Our afternoon walk included the town square where there is a memorial to the explorer Magellan. Legend has it if you kiss or rub the foot of one of the figures, you will return to Punta Arenas. As you can see below in the pictures, one of his feet is super shiny, obviously as a result of so much rubbing. I chose to rub rather than kiss 😉
FRIDAY
Another fabulous Will-cooked breakfast to start us off (who knew he could cook such great scrambled eggs!) then we started the long drive to the Island of Tierra del Fuego. We weren’t too sure how long it would take us to drive the 300km to get to the Parque Pinguino Rey (King Penguin Nature Reserve) where we had booked a 1pm time slot. We were especially unsure given the drive included a half hour car ferry crossing across the Strait of Magellan. Thankfully the timing worked perfectly, with the ferry leaving Punta Delgada about 15 minutes after we got there.
The King Penguin Sanctuary was fabulous. We spent nearly a full day traveling for just 60 minutes with the penguins. Sound like a lot? For some, it might. For me, it was nothing short of incredible, and well worth the long drive.
The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin, smaller than the more well-known Emperor but somewhat similar in appearance. We had seen penguins in South Africa last year, but this experience was next level – being able to get up close without disturbing the 100 or so flightless birds in their natural habitat. We heard a great story about an extra Royal Penguin who joined the group very recently – which has never been heard of before! He is likely to have swum all the way from Macquarie Island, south of Tasmania. You can imagine the colony was not that happy to see the smaller, different cousin, but they have now accepted him as one of their own.
And then there’s the wildlife we saw along the way… including countless sightings of guanacos, the elegant cousins of llamas, grazing freely on the windswept pampas. Their calm presence added to the surreal beauty of the route (no jumping out in front of you like kangaroos do!). By the time we reached the penguin colony, the travel felt like part of the magic—a journey to the edge of the world, where nature reigns supreme.
Our timing of the ferry back was not so good – we had to wait well over an hour, with the main issue being it was extremely low tide and hard for them to get the large number of trucks safely on board.
We arrived back in Punta Arenas after dark at around 8:30pm, having ordered Uber Eats during the last part of the drive. Lesson learned for me is to read/translate menus correctly, Others had hamburgers, but I ordered chicken strips and chips. Turned out the serve was about 1kg 😱. I would have saved the leftovers, but they weren’t great to start with. What a waste!
I love sleeping. Obviously, I don’t love it as much as eating… but that feeling you get when you lie down, body and mind both exhausted from a day of exploration and adventure and nothing will stop sleep crashing over your body like a tidal wave… that’s the wonderful feeling I got as I fell into bed not long after 9pm. An exhausting but fantastic day!
SATURDAY
We got up before sunrise again (admittedly it doesn’t rise until after 8am, so that’s not quite as amazing as it may sound 😜), packed the car, filled it with fuel and headed towards Puerto Natales, where we had booked accommodation for the next three nights. The drive is around 220km long, but thanks to a 120km/hr speed limit, little traffic, a good driver (Will) and good roads it only took us around two hours to get there.
Our approach to accommodation booking is often referred to by us as ‘Feast or Famine’. We try to stay at moderately priced (but clean) accommodation most of the time, then splurge a little from time-to-time. Puerto Natales was our ‘Feast’ booking for this trip, and I couldn’t be happier with our choice. The Airbnb home is set on a hill on the northern edge of town with the most amazing views over the bay and towards the majestic mountains of Torres del Paine. Needless to say, we wanted to spend as much time here as possible, and we ended up eating all three breakfasts and all three dinners at the large wooden table that must surely have the best dinner-table view in the world!
SUNDAY
It was time to head to see what we had come all this way for – the Torres del Paine National Park. The park is one of the most important protected wildlife areas in Chile, and is extremely famous for its dramatic landscapes, including the iconic granite towers, diverse wildlife, and world-class hiking trails, making it a magnet for nature lovers and adventure seekers. It is located beside the Andes Mountains, about 60 km due north of Puerto Natales (as the crow flies), but around 120km if you take the winding road, as we did. Again, I didn’t know a lot about this area before we arrived, but it was very high on Will’s bucket list and was added early in our planning as a destination.
Will and Emma are booked to hike to the famous ‘Base of the Towers’ on Monday (as I am writing!), which was their Christmas Gift from Dave and me. A 40km, 10-hour hike wasn’t something that took my fancy, so we decided to visit the National Park the day before their hike so Dave and I could see what everyone raves about.
It is now something I will rave about too! I am not sure how many times I said the word ‘wow’ throughout the day, but it was definitely a lot! Our time there included a cruise on Grey Lake to see the Grey Glacier. Words will not do it justice – so here is a few pictures and videos!
Patagonia has been wonderful, and I am so glad we came here, but three things hurt.
My face, my heart, and my brain.
But all in a good way!
My face is sore from a never-ending smile; my heart is exploding with love for these three I’m travelling with (your turn next Victoria and Justin); and my mind is totally blown by this unbelievable world we live in, the people we share it with and the great privilege I have to travel across it.
Next stop – Buenos Aires, Argentina🌎
PS: It’s now Monday afternoon here. Dave and I have had a lovely restful day. Will and Emma set off at 6:15am for their trek – they are not due back till after 8pm. I have a slow cooked beef in the oven ready to warm them up, while we hear about their day!