Chile/Patagonia/Torres del Paine/Valparaiso
 

Hey travelers,

Last year I spent about 3 weeks in Chile and had a amazing time exploring the country during my brief stay. I have recently decided to reflect on my travels through blogging and have wrote some articles on Valparaiso and Torres del Paine/Patagonia. I wrote these articles to share with other travelers, and to provide advice for those looking to explore similar areas that I have been. I have also included some photography from my trips as well.

Please check out my websites if any of these areas interest you.

http://www.ericfreytravels.com/singl...2/24/Patagonia

http://www.ericfreytravels.com/singl...alpara%C3%ADso

Hopefully this provides some help to some fellow travelers, they are no means a all comprehensive review of any of the areas, just what I took in during my time spent there.

Enjoy,

Eric

Just read your article on Patagonia. We are trying to decide between going to Patagonia or the Atacama desert because we don't have time for both. Any thoughts? Mi realize that these areas are quite different. We like hiking, wildlife, natural beauty, but we stay in hotels vs. camping.

My first question would be what month of the year are you planning on going to Chile? After that I will have an answer :).

Hi, I have the same question as Tinaindenver. We are going for about 11 full days in May. Wondering if it is too cold for Patagonia? We love hiking and nature.
Thanks!

anit, do you realize the seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere? May is winter, December is summer..etc

One example of a site with monthly average temps

http://www.accuweather.com/en/cl/tor...onyr=5/01/2017

As mlgb had said, it is off season in Patagonia. Weather in general in this region is even more so unpredictable. Though this is the case with Patagonia in general.

The park is open year round though. You may not have as many options for tour buses to get up to the region(if you rent your own vehicle, this wont matter then), most refugios are closed, and other services might not be as readily available.

One benefit would be less people, which always makes a destination better for the most part. You can also enjoy the park in some of the more harsher conditions, which can make the scenery of the park seem even more powerful.

It's definitely possible to make the trip happen, but there is higher potential for some pretty unfavorable weather, closed roads, poor trail conditions etc. Be prepared for it, bring the right gear, and extra food/water just in case.

The weather isn't extremely cold that time of year (granted I live in a region where winter gets down to -20F to -30F or worse in the peak of Winter) but of course the wind can alter the cold even more.

Just have it in your mind that there will be miserable days due to conditions, but it is still plausible.

I'd love to hear how it goes when you get back, I wish I would have been able to spend that much time down there.

Thanks, Eric! It really puts things in perspective. I'll talk it over with my friend, but I am leaning toward going north. 11 days is not much time (total time we will be in Chile) and I don't think I want to spend most of it dealing with closures and not being able to see or do much. I've always dreamed of going to Patagonia but maybe it's best to return when the weather is better.

No problem. If you run across anyone who is currently in the region, or has been before try asking them for advice on how weather is around that time of year too.

The Atacama desert is a cool location as well! If you head up that way, try to make a stop at Pan de Azúcar National Park. It was a pretty awesome area.

Your photos are magnificent!

Thank you!!!

Hi Eric,
I enjoyed your blog on Chilean Patagonia. My wife and I are going next month for three full days. One thing we wanted to see was the Grey glacier, which I see you visited.
Quick question: how do you get from Puerto Natales to the boat site, which I understand is near the Hotel Lago Grey? Shuttle bus, taxi or should we rent our own car for the day?
I'm wondering about the logistics of getting around the park. Thanks!

That can be a good trip

Sorry for my late response on this, I don't get notifications from my posts unfortunately!

I would say rent a car for the day or for several days. There are a few roads around the area to drive around. It would be cool to get out and explore at your own leisure rather than be confined to a car if its in your budget. It's not a difficult area to drive in by any means either. There are very few roads.

If I remember seeing right there was a shuttle service that would go to the departure point for Grey Glacier as well. I don't know where it would depart from though.