Pumas, Condors & Landscapes in Winter

Typical Itinerary

1. Day 1: Depart UK

   Depart the UK on an overnight flight to Santiago, continuing to Punta Arenas in southern Chile.

2. Day 2: Arrive in Punta Arenas

   On arrival in Punta Arenas, we transfer to our accommodation in city where we spend the night.

   Accommodation: Hotel Boutique Le Yegua Loca, 1-night

3. Day 3: Visit Estancia Olga Teresa & continue to Torres del Paine

   Today we begin driving northward to Puerto Natales and then onto Cerro Castillo near Torres del Paine National Park, passing through areas of southern beech forest en route looking for guanaco and southern grey fox.

   Accommodation: Estancia El Ovejero, 8-nights

4. Days 4-10 : Puma tracking & wildlife photography in Torres del Paine

   We spend the next seven days exploring Torres del Paine and the surrounding estancias (which we have special access to) in search of pumas and other Patagonian wildlife.

   These areas are rather reminiscent of rolling Scottish moorlands and also support large populations of guanacos, the pumas’ main prey.  Pumas may be encountered hunting, especially around dawn and dusk, but can be seen at any time. The puma populations in these areas are considerable, and while some individuals are shy and skittish, many are tolerant and reasonably approachable.

   We engage an expert local guide and a specialist tracker to maximise our chances of finding and photographing these sublime felines. Furthermore, the areas we visit are also likely to offer a chance of seeing and photographing other iconic species, like the Andean condor, guanacos, Andean grey foxes and perhaps the Patagonian hog-nosed skunk.   

5. Days 11-12 : Landscape photography in Torres del Paine

   The opportunities for stunning landscape photography are also abound in Torres del Paine, so for the next two days we change locations in a move towards the park's interior so as to base ourselves in the prime areas to view the stunning massif. The glowing light around dawn and dusk can be spectacular. This is also an area that is regularly very windy, which often results in the formation of numerous lenticular clouds that further augment these opportunities.

   Accommodation: Hotel Lago Grey, 2-nights

6. Day 13: Return to Punta Arenas via Estancia Olga Teresa & fly to Santiago

   We leave Torres del Paine in the morning to drive back to Punta Arenas, where we catch a domestic flight back to Santiago and spend the night there in a hotel close to the airport.

   Accommodation: Holiday Inn Santiago Airport, 1-night

7. Day 14: Departure

   Today, we transfer the short distance back to the airport to check-in for our return flights back to the UK.

8. Day 15: Arrive UK