CHILEAN PATAGONIA

Chilean Patagonia is one the landscape most important of Chile. It offers many activities: to do excursions, horseback ride, canopy, fishing and also tourist can see National Parks, Flora and Fauna, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, fjords and huge ice blocks. The Chilean Patagonia is located at South of Chile. It is shared by Argentina and Chile. The name Patagonia comes from word Patagon because of than the Spanish thought the Native people had the big feet (it is not effective). Native people were mainly a nomad tribe that moved from east to west during the change of seasons, following their hunting habits, also they would feed their families with fish and seafood during autumn and winter. Avoiding the cold ice, snow storms and the strong polar wind. They would camp during the winter in the valleys near the rivers, lakes and fiords. Then, they would travel up the rivers and creeks until the highest of the valleys. We can say than Chilean Patagonia is divided into two types of territories: 1. The Patagonia Insular which includes fjords and channels along the Pacific Oceans down to Tierra del Fuego.
2. The Cordillera Patagonica , which includes Valleys and glaciers

CHAITEN: is a marvelous place. It has a airport calle de Chaiten. An important lake called lago yelcho, some rivers such as Yelcho, Futaleuf, and some ports as Tic-Toc, Crdenas and Ramrez.

In May 2008, this Town was evacuated when the Chaitn Volcano erupted for first time in more than 9.000 years. The eruption caused damage in town. The most affected were people and animals and also the landscape was damage. In spite of this problem Chaitn has been capable to arise day to day. Tourist can do Trekking to the Yelcho snowdrift, along trails cross the native forests until to arrive the huge glaciers. In this zone there are rivers and waterfalls which people can do fishing and Rafting down El Espoln River with crystalline waters. Trekking to the Huemules Reserve is a great idea because enjoying beautiful views of the valley and the current of the rivers Futaleuf and Espoln. PALENA: there are several parks and natural reserve such as Palena Lake, Palena River and National Reserve which has a lot of native lenga forest. This place can be visited only in summer because it can be accessed by horse or trekking route. Also is the private Pumaln Park which is protect by the State of Chile by owned Douglas Tompkins AYSN: In Puyuhuapi is Queulat National Park, which highlights the famous ganging glacier and also to do Kayak on the sea, is very comfortable. People than like bike ride can do it along the Austral Road. Also there is a modern Spa of the Hotel with a large thermal swimming pool with sea bath. Near Aysn is the famous Quitralco Hot Spring, here there are free use of the indoor and outdoor swimming pool. This zone has some important Ports as Puerto Santo, Puerto Domingo, Puerto Puyuguapi, Puerto Cisnes. Puerto Gaviota, Puerto Aguirre, Puerto Aysn, Puerto Chacabuco, and the Baker River which it has been named because Endesa has proposed to build a dam in a project named Hidroaysn. The citizens have demonstrated their discontent about the Hidroaysn project. There are many Fjords as Aysn, Quitralco, elefantes but another place very beautiful and quite famous it is San Rafael Park, it has many hectare of millenarian ice and has the highlight is the San Rafael lagoon, declared Biosfere Reserve by Unesco in 1979. San Rafael Lagoon was formed by the retreat of the San Rafael glacier. Today it is a popular tourism destination. The most wonderful is to see how huge ice blocks falling into the lagoon, is visited for a lot of tourist around the world, they can do explorations on motor boats, thereby can see the huge ice blocks and the occasion for the traditional Whisky toast with millenarian ice.

The ships sail from Puerto Chacabuco, Puyuhuapi and Puerto Montt. Cruises pass by this area too. At the end is the large Campo de hielo norte.

COYHAIQUE: In this place tourist can visit Cerro Castillo National Reserve. It is an outstanding beauty, which may be strolled by signaled trails. Also can do an excursion to Lake General Carrera, touring an important section of Austral Road. Then, people can visit the Catedrales de mrmol. Rocky formations in the middle of Lake General Carrera. This lake is shared by Argentina and Chile. In Argentina this lake is called Lake Buenos Aires and in Chile it is called Lake General Carrera. Both names are internationally accepted. The weather in this area is generally cold and humid. The area near the coast of the lake was first inhabited by criollos and Europeans immigrants between 1.900 and 1.925. In 1.971 and 1.991 eruption of the Hudson volcano affected the local economy In Balmaceda can do horseback ride to Malln lagoon and an excursion to lake Bertran. The beautiful lake is surrounded by snowdrifts and native forest. Tamango national reservation is possible of seeing Huemules in a natural habitat. Puerto Guadal to make a horseback riding to a marine fossil, and to see the marvelous Ro Maqui waterfall. Tourist can see a huge variety of birdlife, dolphins, seals, sea lions, the Chilean pud, the smallest of the world; it can be seen with a bit of luck and Puma Mountain. Among other animals. TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK: Declared Biosphere Reserve in 1978 by UNESCO. It is recognized as one of the most pristine and unique places on earth. The most outstanding summits are the so called Cuernos and Torres Del Paine. The animal Variety is one of the features of the park, sheltering around 25 mammal species, among which are the Guanacos, Pumas, gray and Culpeo foxes. The avifauna is of an outstanding richness with more than 110 species: there are condors, eagles, rheas, black-necked swans, flamingoes, and ducks on lakes and lagoons and other animals in their natural environments.

People may be many activities as horseback riding and Trekking, at this park there are lakes, rivers and waterfall, enjoying an impressive view of the Torres Del Paine. Excursion to Lake Grey, with a navigation on the lake, thereby enjoying to Grey glacier. PUERTO NATALES: tourist can sails through the channels Sarmiento, Pitt and Concepcin, arriving at the Antrium fjord. Also there is the Po XI glacier, the largest of South America. Tourist also may be climbing, hiking, excursions on feet or on horse. This place is the Milodn Cave, important archaeological and paleontological site of the region, a huge cavern of 30 meters high, 50 meters wide and 70 meters deep. It means to go back to Prehistoric times. The caves attraction is not only its impressive view, or else for a mammal which lived here 5.000 years ago. Among other prehistoric animals. Scientifics have found vestiges a lot of years ago, the existence of the big guanacos, human population and of course the milodn. In 1896, captain Hermann Eberhard found at this place the remains of a prehistoric animal called Milodn. People can visit this zone all years along PUNTA ARENAS: at the Mirador hill offers a panoramic view of the Strait of Magellan and the city itself. Visiting the Salesiano Regional Museum, which displays interesting historical documents about the primitive inhabitants of the region such as: Yaganes, Onas, and Alacalufes. People can go to see the Shepherd Monument, the graveyard with its well-kept gardens. Madgalena Island, Natural Penguin Reserve is a wonderful place. There is an important penguin nest with more than 50.000 Magellan penguins pairs. Tourist can do a small walk to the lighthouse that dominates the entire island, enjoying a beautiful view of the Strait and Tierra del Fuego. This places are consider the capital of Chiles wood industry.