Patagonia 2022!: Our First (of Many) Glaciers

In all the extra time we had before we actually left on this tour, we had the opportunity to watch two extended documentaries on Patagonia. Both were excellent, and truly whetted our appetite for the natural beauty we knew we'd be seeing...eventually. Until now, aside from some spectacular mountain views during our flight south from Santiago, we had really only seen some water and lots of tundra and grazing land. Following breakfast, we took a short ride on the bus around the harbor to meet up with a tour boat, that was to take us to the Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, and our first glacier -- Serrano. Yes, I know O'Higgins doesn't exactly sound like a Hispanic name. The park is named after one of Chile's founding fathers, an immigrant of Spanish and Irish descent, who fought for independence from Spain in the early 1800's. He was also the first so-called "Supreme Ruler" of an independent Chile.

The boat was a large and comfortable catamaran, and our group loaded in with several others, to the point that most every seat was occupied. For the next few hours we cruised up the fjord until we finally passed several glaciers. Along the way we saw our first Andean Condor, sea lions, and all kinds of other bird life. Being Spring in the Southern Hemisphere, the quantity and diversity of birdlife was almost beyond description. I ultimately downloaded an app on my phone to help identify all the different birds we were seeing.

Our Catamaran Tour Boat From Puero Natales

Sea Lions!

Our First Andean Condor Sighting

We moored at the official entrance to Bernardo O'Higgins National Park and took about a 20-minute hike up and over to inlet, on which Serrano Glacier sits. The glacier has retreated so much, its terminal moraine has closed off and resulted in a large lake, which spills into a narrow river, down into the fjord. Rain had threatened most of the morning, and much of the inbound hike was in the rain. It cleared on the way back, and warmed up considerably, to the point that we were shedding many of our outer layers of clothing.

Serrano Glacier

Back on the boat, we began the return journey, stopping along the way at a sheep farm, which was set up to accommodate our large group for a grilled lamb luncheon. They also served us some whiskey or orange juice with crystal-clear ice from one of the icebergs we passed. While we'd had grilled lamb the day before, this preparation was entirely different, and was equally as tasty. Still, between the abundant food and free-flowing wine, most of us dozed in and out of consciousness once back on the boat, for the final hour-or-so ride back to Puerto Natales.

The Flag of "Independent" Patagonia

Whiskey With Glacial Ice...

...We Went With the Orange Juice

Just a LITTLE Windy

At Our Lunch Stop

The Lunch Pavillion

When we had been at Serrano Glacier, Javy explained that our next destination -- the famous Torres del Paine National Park -- was only a few kilometers to the northwest. In previous years, tours would take the boat from O'Higgins park, even further up the fjord, into the Serrano River, and dock close to our hotel at Torres del Paine. The area, however, has been suffering from drought for several years now and the river is no longer consistently navigable to permit arrival by boat. As such, we had to board the bus and take a very circuitous overland route to reach Torres del Paine. It took about 90 minutes, but luckily the weather was improving greatly, and there was great excitement on the bus when we caught our first glimpses of the famous Torres del Paine mountain range.

Torres del Paine - Our First Glimpse

The Four of Us

I should add, too, the most of the route we took for this leg was unpaved gravel road. We drove into much greener and Alpine-like terrain, which coupled with the gravel roads, made Katherine and I immediately think of Denali National Park in Alaska. The scenery was nearly identical.

Torres del Paine National Park is absolutely huge, at more than 700 square miles, and there are no hotels within the park proper. We were staying at a resort immediately outside the western gate, alongside a couple of other hotels and cabin complexes. The setting and scenery were simply stunning. Clouds kept clearing, and you can see from the photos how close and clear the views were. All of the rooms, too, had perfect views out and over the park. As there were very few options for food and drink in the immediate area, our resort was all inclusive, with unlimited food and drinks. That was an unexpected -- and welcome -- surprise for us all, and we availed ourselves, even though we were all pretty tired. Drinks, dinner, and more drinks were the order of the night, and we all lifted collective hopes for good weather the next day.