Quick Links: Travel Information | Passport | Payment Information | FAQ | Packing List | Staff | Schedule
Arrival Day March 27, 2025- March 27 Puerto Natales by air- We will be staying at the Vendaval – Since we are arriving the day before the retreat begins, we could reserve a room at the Vendaval. Please let kelly@womensquest.com know so she can get you a room mate. (Around $100 for a double)
DAY 1 March 28 YOGA AND GIVING BACK Welcome to Women’s Quest Patagonia. We will begin our retreat with our Yoga and Giving back. You will be picked up at 9:00 am at your hotel and driven to the most magical community on the coast just a few minutes from town. Our wonderful yoga teacher – Susan – will meet us and show us around her home and neighborhood. We will then take an incredible yoga and meditation class in their dome www.yogapatagomlila.com . We will have time to participate in a cooking class where we will help gather the fresh vegetables from her garden. The delicious lunch will be our reward. In the afternoon will participate in a volunteer project for Susan. Her property was ravaged by fire 3 years ago and we will help restore her beautiful property.
After a wonderful day, we will head back to Puerto Natales and enjoy an evening meal at one of the fine restaurants.
Hotel – Vendaval
DAY 2, March 29 – Doratea Trek – Puerto Natales, Chile. We will contiune our retreat enjoying a relaxing breakfast at our hotel. Prepare for a short, challenging and windy hike up the Doratea ridge. We will enjoy miles of spectacular views and see the magnificent landscape of the Fjord of Last Hope, Montt Gulf, and the Patagonian Steppe. After our hike we will return to town for a relaxing afternoon and delicious dinner at a local restaurant (on your own).
Hotel Vendaval
DAY 3, March 30 EcoCamp and Glacier Grey – After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, our bus will pick us up at 7:00 sharp – to leave for the famous Torres Del Paine National Park. The journey is scenic and highly atmospheric, featuring many wild birds and wonderful Patagonian landscapes. Once we arrive at EcoCamp, we will have a quick cup of tea, make our lunch and head out for Glacier Grey. We will be admiring the view of Paine Grande and its snowy peaks, and Los Cuernos with its black, granite horn-like spires.
We stop at various viewpoints on the way to enjoy observing and photographing herds of guanacos, Andean condors and interesting flora. Before the glacier, we walk along the shores of stunning Lake Pehoe, we will see the furious Salto Grande waterfalls where the water from Lake Nordenskjold cascades down into Pehoe. From here, we drive up to Grey Lake and wander along the beach. We will enjoy our tasty bagged lunch by the Lake before embarking on a boat ride across the icy waters to the towering blue walls of Glacier Grey. We will also enjoy a delicious drink, complete with glacial ice on board the boat. After an incredible up-close look at the glacier, we are driven back to EcoCamp.
Overnight EcoCamp Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park.
DAY 4, March 31 BIKE EXCURSION TO LAGUNA AZUL Torres del Paine – We will start our day with a hearty breakfast and create our bagged lunch from a delicious lunch buffet. On our way to Laguna Azul, we will enjoy marvelous views of the famous Torres. We pass through the pampas (the local steppe) and we are on the lookout to spot elegant guanacos. We will have the opportunity to hop out of the van and walk amongst them. After soaking up these beautiful surroundings, we continue our drive to Laguna Azul (“Blue Lagoon”), where we’ll enjoy our bagged lunch overlooking the lake, with a view of the three granite towers in the distance. After our bike ride in the wilderness near Laguna Azul, we will jump back into our van again and head back to the EcoCamp for cocktail hour.
Overnight EcoCamp Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park.
DAY 5, APRIL 1 – FULL DAY HIKE TO THE TOWERS – We leave after a tasty breakfast at EcoCamp to head to Cerro Trek or the Towers – depending on weather and the group. The Cerro Paine trek is a nearby mountain characterized by its two imposing peaks. Warm up while admiring the view of the surrounding pampas. The challenge begins as we start climbing the eastern part of Cerro Paine. We cross the Lenga Forest accompanied by the sounds of local birds and view of the Mountain and its glacier on our left side. With any luck we will follow the tracks of the puma as the towers come into full view. A nice place for lunch!As we are ready to start the steepest part of the hike, we leave the forest and hike on the rock. As we go up, we admire spectacular panoramic views of the immense pampas and the mountains in the distance, like the Balmaceda Mountain. We walk upward for about an hour up to 1500m/4920ft to reach the eastern peak of Cerro Paine, which offers an unforgettable lookout of the towers and the Ascencio Valley.
OR THE TOWERS TREK – One of the most iconic hikes in Patagonia – what? – in the world! This hike takes you through the Ascencio Valley, eventually rising up its slopes to a lake pooled beneath the base of the trio of towers that give the massif its name.
Through the valley, the trail passes through a beautiful lenga forest, then it’s a steep 45-minute climb beside a glacier moraine to the lake, where the rock spires tower hundreds of feet above. What a photo op!
After relaxing and taking in one of the most striking views of the National Park, we backtrack along the same trail and return to EcoCamp.
Overnight EcoCamp Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park (B-BL-D)
*Excursion subject to weather conditions, alternative excursion will be provided according to guide’s suggestion
DAY 6, APRIL 2 – FULL DAY HORSEBACK RIDING EXCURSION T – After breakfast we are driven east from EcoCamp to a traditional 19th century Estancia (Patagonian ranch) with a horse-riding range just outside of Torres del Paine National Park. Upon arrival, we meet our local Baqueano (Patagonian cowboy) guide who introduces us to our fine selection of Patagonian horses. Our horses have been raised in the area’s wild geographical surroundings. They are very well trained and comfortable being ridden by anyone – no previous riding experience is needed. We saddle up and set off eastwards, through the fields, passing by a little village en route to Las Flores. Here we cross Baguales River, popular for fly fishing due to its 30km of calm waters and lively trout. From here, the road opens ahead. Riders with more experience may canter and those with less experience may walk or trot. In Las Flores, we are very close to Sierra Baguales and have a great view of the mound with its condor and eagle nests. We also may visit an adobe house — the only remaining adobe house in the southern Patagonia Magallanes region. During the ride, we will stop to enjoy our picnic amid the spectacular Patagonian scenery and reflect on the generations of Baqueanos who have travelled across Patagonia’s plains before us. Our guide will expand on the region’s horse riding history and the geography of this fascinating area so close to the worlds end. There are a wealth of stories passed down through generations — such as Santiago Zamora who travelled from Central Chile down to Punta Arenas in 1868 and integrated with the European colonists, spending his life exploring the region alongside them on horseback and forming part of the rich intercultural heritage of the region. We ride back to the stables by way of Vega Nash, soaking up the experience of riding across the Patagonian plains in traditional fashion. After saying goodbye to our guide and horse, we are driven back to EcoCamp to enjoy our evening aperitif and dinner.
Overnight EcoCamp Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park.
DAY 7, APRIL 3 – FULL DAY HIKE TO THE FRENCH VALLEY Torres del Paine NP, Chile – After breakfast, we are driven to Pudeto Dock, located on the shores of Pehoe Lake. We will board the catamaran that will take us to the north-western sector of the Lake. There we begin the challenging trek to Valle Frances (French Valley) along a steep trail that leads to the very heart of the Paine Massif. How far in we go depends on our group’s trekking rhythm. A faster pace leads us to the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south east face of the Massif. Here there are fantastic views of the valley. We will continue ascending towards the upper section of the valley where we will marvel at the extensive mass of the valley’s geological formations: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress).
After our upward trek, we pause for a picnic and relax a while. We descend, ending this day’s adventure through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest taking us to Refugio Paine Grande, located on the peaceful shores of Lake Pehoe. We board the catamaran which takes us back to Pudeto, where we are then transported back to EcoCamp.
Overnight EcoCamp Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park.
DAY 8, APRIL 4 – GIVING BACK AND TRANSFER TO PUNTA ARENAS – At WQ, we want to give back to the area that have embraced us for the trip. Torres del Paine was ravaged by 2 terrible fires in the last several years. We will help give back by planting little trees in their nursery in the morning. We also would love you to donate to this program – $30. www.amatorresdelpaine.org
We say goodbye to our guides in Puerto Natales and continue to Punta Arenas. We begin our early morning by boarding a vehicle for a scenic ride with a stop for lunch at a local restaurant. This is your time to sit back, relax, and reflect on your journey. We arrive in the afternoon and will have time to walk about the town, buy lunch or snacks
Overnight Hotel Cabo de Hornos or similar, Punta Arenas.
DAY 9, APRIL 5 – KAYAKING STRAITS OF MAGELLAN – Pick up at 8:00 am in our hotel and transfer to Agua Fresca bay for your kayaking excursions. The tour includes full kayak equipment (semi dry two pieces kokatat suits that you wear over your own cloth, we recommend to bring extra cloth to change any way), bilingual guide, transport and a homemade snack at the Agua Fresca Inn. The duration of the activity is 4,5 hours in total and 2 hours paddling. Return to Hotel Cabo de Hornos at 12.30 pm. .
Final transfer to Punta Arenas Airport (after 3 pm) in time to board your flight home or stay another night