Wild, Wilder Patagonia
At the bottom of the world, the wind has a mind of its own. It sighs and nestles into your neck, nips playfully at your clothes, demanding your attention. ‘Forget the rest of the world,’ it seems to say. ‘Watch how I move over the valleys and mountains, how I soar above the peaks.’
Patagonia, wrote legendary writer and explorer Bruce Chatwin, “is a place you go when the world behind you has become too full of noise and obligation.”
This is the country of hulking Andes Mountains and smooth-coated pumas, the thud of gauchos’ horse hooves and the sunlit dazzle of waves on the Strait of Magellan. Thousands of years ago, the nomadic hunter-gatherer Tehuelche peoples moved through this land with the seasons, herding guanacos and sharing stories in ancient rock paintings. More recently, European explorers alighted on these shores starting in the 16th century. Among them was naval officer Ferdinand Magellan, on his quest to sail around the world, and, later, naturalist Charles Darwin aboard the storied HMS Beagle.
Today, the next generation of explorers to venture into this wild land, is you.
Patagonia stretches more than 260,000 square miles across the bottom of South America, spanning Chile and Argentina in a splendorous range of terrain: temperate rainforests in the north; rivers and stony mountains; white and blue glaciers in the south.
Travelers from around the world feel themselves drawn to this place, where more than a dozen natural parks boast some of the last truly pristine land on Earth. In these stunning vistas, as guests of Rothschild Safaris you’re welcomed into a deftly curated selection of villas and private ranches, ideal for travelers seeking privacy, exclusivity, and fully serviced stays with expert guides and chefs—as well as sumptuous lodges.
Here’s a glimpse at some of our favorite places in Patagonia:
Torres del Paine claims the spot for the most iconic national park, a landscape of the namesake Torres granite peaks and the 17-mile-long Glacier Grey. Our guests can set out on beautiful privately-guided hikes in the clean mountain air, with different routes and options available to accommodate every preference of explorer. As a special treat for wildlife lovers and photography enthusiasts, you can also embark on a puma excursion for the chance to see the region’s elusive big cat. As a wildlife guide leads us through the golden fields of Patagonian steppe, the preferred grazing grounds of guanaco, puma’s favorite prey—you’ll gain insight into the surrounding flora, birdlife, and history. Keep your camera close to snap shots of huemul deer, fox, ñandú, and other species.
At the end of each day, travelers settle back in to their sprawling accommodations such as Awasi Patagonia, an all-inclusive Relais & Chateaux property where views of Lake Sarmiento and the Torres are paired with artful gastronomy, from seasonal produce to fresh seafood from the South Pacific fjords.
To come to Patagonia only to visit Torres del Paine, however, would mean to miss so much of this irreplaceable region.
Hundreds of miles north, Cerro Castillo National Park in Chile’s Aysén region is quietly growing into South America’s next big destination. A stay here feels like a private holiday, with travelers based at the no-expense-spared 13-room Explora Parque Nacional Patagonia in the quiet Chacabuco Valley. Between the spa massages, soaking in the outdoor hot tubs, and the applaudably delicious dining, you can spend the day rafting or fly fishing on Baker River, a deep turquoise waterway flanked by forest and snow-capped mountains. Our team also crafts helicopter tours over the northern Patagonia Ice Field, an exhilarating flight bursting with views. The peaks and valleys below form a quilt of green, blue, gold, and grey that stirs the soul and lingers with you long after you head back to a warm homecoming at the lodge.
Further west, where the Andes dissolve into the Pacific, Mari Mari Nature Reserve stretches along Chile’s secluded coast in an ancient rhythm of waves upon the shore. Here, the Humboldt Current pushes great whales to the surface and carpets the rocky shores with colonies of Magellanic penguins. When you stay at the intimate Mari Mari eco lodge, for instance, you can move through this wilderness on horseback, should they wish, riding peacefully on trails that beckon us through the mist—into a world of hoofbeats, wind, and ocean.
Out on the water, the reserve reveals another dimension entirely. On one day, kayakers can paddle into ancient fjords to discover quiet, hidden channels; on another, you’ll board a private vessel helmed by captain and crew that steer you into the open Pacific, looking for humpback whales breaching with the sunset.
No matter where you might journey in Patagonia, the endless sky and stunning surrounds celebrate the vision of philanthropist couple Douglas and Kristine Tompkins. Their nonprofit organization, Tompkins Conservation, has helped establish numerous national parks across Chile and Argentina, havens of natural land and life that span more than 15 million acres.
A recent new horizon in Patagonia’s conservation story is that of Cape Froward, a 494,000-acre span of coastline and inlets that’s set to become the country’s 47th national park. In an article in The Guardian, Kristine Tompkins says, “I have been to many exceptional places, and I can tell you that the Cape Froward project is the wildest place I have walked through.” In Patagonia, that’s a remarkable statement indeed.
Throughout the varied places to explore and adventures to try with us, keep an ear out for the wind—a wild, whipping thing, that calls your name long after you leave.
