Across the Patagonian Channels lasts 3 days and travelers are accompanied by specialized and bilingual tourist guides who give informative speeches on the main geographical and cultural attractions of the trip, as well as facts on the flora, the fauna, the native communities of the region and some points of interest.
A different route to Torres del Paine ( Northbound departure )
Leaving behind the noise of the city, lovers of nature arrive at Puerto Montt for the purpose of boarding the ferry, to finally arrive at Puerto Natales, the city that is closer (147 kilometers) to the monumental Torres del Paine. The journey can also be done the other way, that is, for those who are returning from the Torres to Puerto Montt.
Patagonian Channels following the Kaweskar route, the tourists board the ferry ”Evangelistas” which, travelling along almost the entire length of Patagonia, will take them through its channels and into its fjords enabling them to witness the splendour of the islands in the south of the continent.
It is the best way to get to Torres del Paine and/or to continue your journey towards the north of Chile, being able to enjoy this beautiful region.
Originating from the melting of the eternal ice fields, the lagoon tells of the planet’s past. In the midst of the silence of the stillness of its waters and the majestic spectacle of floating icebergs, Laguna San Rafael impresses travellers as an emblem of pristine nature.
Setting out from Puerto Montt, Navimag’s ferry heads south across the gulfs of Ancud and Corcovado. After sailing though the Moraleda channel it calls at Puerto Chacabuco, an important point on the Austral Road. At a speed of 12 knots, the “Puerto Edén” resumes its journey, sailing out of the Aysén fjord and through to the end of the Elefantes fjord until it reaches the Témpano river, the doorway into Laguna San Rafael. Situated southwest of Puerto Chacabuco, at the foot of the Northern Ice Fields, the San Rafael lagoon has as its backdrop the imposing wall of the glacier that carries its name: the San Rafael glacier. The setting is captivating because of the huge blocks of bluish ice that continually break off from the glacier and fall into the lagoon, giving rise to new shapes.
The lagoon is part of the Laguna San Rafael National Park, which was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1979. It displays the wonders of a pristine ecosystem, where black-necked swans, caiquenes and a variety of ducks and cormorants, along with coipos, pudús, foxes and seals, are part of the beauty of an unexplored area.
There is nothing like the majestic daybreak that welcomes travellers as they sail into the lagoon or like the deafening noise of the blocks of ice breaking off the glacier to feed the multicoloured waters. In the midst of this setting, Navimag passengers will be able to venture closer to the glacier on boats, weaving their way across the white mantle of floating ice while enjoying the traditional whisky with age-old ice.
