Patagonia and Easter Island | journey to the ends of the world

Magdalena Island - Puerto Natales

In the morning we will take a walk around this very authentic and interesting city, and then (weather permitting) we will go by boat to Magdalena Island. The island is practically uninhabited (the only human presence here is a lighthouse), but about 50 thousand Magellanic penguins live on it, and travelers go to observe their lives.

After lunch, we set off on our further journey and in the evening we will arrive in the city of Puerto Natales on the shores of a picturesque lake, where we will stay overnight at a hotel.

Torres del Paine National Park

It will be a very emotional and impressive day! In the morning we will take a walk on the picturesque embankment, and then we will go to Torres del Paine National Park. We have to go around it all, see a lot of interesting and unusual things.

The stunning mountain landscapes of the park are so beautiful that they have practically no analogues in the world and are considered one of the most impressive creations of nature on the planet. The name of the park Torres del Paine, translated from the language of the Indians who previously inhabited these territories, means “Blue Towers”. In 1978, the park was taken under UNESCO protection as a biosphere reserve.

The main part of the park is occupied by the Torres del Paine and Cuernos del Paine mountain ranges with peaks. This miracle of nature was formed more than 11 million years ago as a result of global tectonic processes and the movement of huge masses of ice. Areas of rock that were in contact with magma have today turned into granite mountains, which continue to grow under the influence of colossal pressure from the bowels of the earth.

During the Ice Age, the entire region was under ice. After the ice retreated, black granite cliffs were exposed - the peaks of the impressive Paine mountain range. Today they are again covered with glaciers, but not as large as millions of years ago. Scattered among the mountain peaks are lagoons and lakes of turquoise, emerald, aquamarine and sapphire colors – creations of nature incredible in beauty and unreal in colors and shades. The largest of them — the emerald Lake Nordenskjold and the huge Lake Pehoe, connected by the Salto Grande waterfall, as well as Lake Sarmiento and Lake Gray with icebergs drifting on it.

Our first stop will be near the impressively sized Milodon Cave. If you are not too lazy and take a walk a little to the side, you can meet huge graceful condors nesting somewhere on the nearby rocks.

Next, we enter the park, register at the entrance and go straight to the Blue Towers - one of the most impressive natural attractions of Patagonia. We will see it from all sides, moving first towards it and then along it. Having completed a 1.5-kilometer trek, we will rise to the Condor observation deck, which offers breathtaking views not only of the Blue Towers, but also of their entire surroundings - turquoise lakes, mountains on all sides, an unusual dead forest.

The next obligatory item on the program for this day will be a visit to a beautiful and very spectacular cascading waterfall overlooking the Blue Towers. Well, it will end with a shallow lagoon with shores white from salt and grazing herds of flamingos. And all this, of course, with a view of the Blue Towers!

Late in the evening we return to our hotel in the town of Puerto Natales.

El Calafate

Since the previous day was very busy and stressful, on this day we will sleep longer in the morning, and then slowly go to El Calafate (about 350 km along the highway), where we will check into a hotel or a large house with three to four bedrooms , the rest of the day we will walk around the town and relax.

The city is very colorful, it has a huge number of restaurants and shops that will not leave almost anyone indifferent.

Perito Moreno Glacier – El Chaltén

Another busy day! Early in the morning we set off to the famous Perito Moreno glacier, which is 80 km away. from the town of El Calafate. This is the third largest source of fresh water on Earth, it has a huge area and at the same time moves at a speed of 2 meters per day! That is why, from observation platforms located at a safe distance, you can see and take photos and videos of how huge blocks of ice break off from the glacier and fall down with a terrible roar - an unforgettable sight!

First, we will go around all the observation platforms and see the glacier from all angles, and then we will board a cruise ship and go on a water excursion along the glacier. The most courageous can buy a tour to the glacier itself, along which, equipped and accompanied by a local guide, we take a short walk – unusual sensations are guaranteed!

After returning from the glacier, we get into the car and make a long (about 300 km) drive to the town of El Chaltén, where we will stay overnight in a hotel.

By the way, we will be driving along the national highway number 40, which is considered one of the most deserted roads in the world! And the city of El Chaltén, according to National Geographic – one of the most beautiful small towns in the world! Built as an outpost on the site of a sports territory between Argentina and Chile, today it is experiencing a boom in development and prosperity - tourists from all over the world stop here before hiking and Mount Fitzroy and its surroundings, forcing the not very, frankly, enterprising and active local residents to move and invest money earned in the construction of new hotels and guest houses, cafes and restaurants, offering tourists more and more advanced services.

Track to Mount Fitzroy

Today we have a difficult but emotional day ahead of us – We're going on a hike to Mount Fitzroy! The one-way route is 12 km with an elevation gain of 970 meters – it’s not as simple as it might seem to someone, but it’s not extremely difficult either – any healthy person can withstand these loads without any problems. At the end of the road we will reach a lake with stunning views of Fitzroy, 2 and along the way there will be several dozen other, no less impressive views and reasons to take many amazing pictures.

We will return to the hotel in the evening, tired but happy. Once again you will have the opportunity to sit in a cozy restaurant and enjoy the atmosphere and views of this wonderful town for the last time.

El Calafate - Buenos Aires

Early in the morning departure to the airport and flight to Buenos Aires. taxi to the city, hotel accommodation, walks around the city.

Buenos Aires

Independent stay in Buenos Aires (due to the need to return the minibus to Buenos Aires or Santiago, where it can be rented for our trip).

Those interested can take a one or two-day city tour with a trusted Russian-speaking guide, walk around the city independently, or even have time to fly to Iguazu Falls - everyone will be given detailed recommendations and contacts based on their requests.

Easter Island

Flight to Easter Island. Transfer to the airport by taxi and flight first to Santiago, and from there to the island. Depending on the tickets purchased, you may have to fly to Santiago the evening before or at night, since the flight to the island from Santiago departs in the morning. Upon arrival on the island, transfer to the hotel, accommodation. After lunch we go to Anakena beach to swim and sunbathe and there, near the beach, we will see a platform with the first Maoi on our way. And in the evening we will have dinner at one of the trusted restaurants, where you can try fresh tuna in a variety of dishes, as well as other fresh and deliciously prepared fish.

Acquaintance with the famous stone idols

All day we have a tour of the main attractions of the island, accompanied by the only Russian-speaking guide on the island. Having a local certified guide is a prerequisite for visiting most of the most interesting attractions of the island, as he not only tells the story, but also looks after the tourists, being responsible for their actions and deeds. The islanders are very sensitive to their shrines and do not allow visitors to even touch the stone idols, not to mention the more barbaric actions for which European guests of past centuries, as well as the first tourists, were famous, when there were no rules yet. It is these rules that the guide monitors, not allowing you to go beyond the restrictive signs and perform other actions that could offend the Rapa Nui people and cause their anger.
First of all, we will go to the office of the park of stone idols and buy entrance tickets. They are personalized and will have to be shown along with a passport confirming your identity near each significant landmark. The ticket is stamped each time, because despite the fact that the ticket is valid for 10 days, you can only enter some of the most interesting places once.

So, on this day we will see:
- Ahu Akivi - a platform with restored Moai – the most famous and photographed idols,
- Vinapu is a mystical place with two types of platforms, one of which repeats all other platforms on the island and is obviously built by local residents, and the other seems to be built by aliens - huge stones fit together so perfectly that it speaks of the higher skill of the builders and proves the presence on the island of another, more developed civilization that existed before the part of history that we know - - Puna Pau - a place where multi-ton “caps” for stone idols were made from red rock, then rolled out across the island,
- Orongo - a place on a steep bank where the bird-man competitions were held
- let's look into the impressive crater of the Rano Kau volcano - one of the three volcanoes that created the island,
- Ahu Akanhanga - a platform of unrestored moai, fallen from the platform, and we will also see the remains of fishermen's houses, ovens, chicken coops and even greenhouses of the island's indigenous inhabitants,
- we’ll stop by a remake village, created by the indigenous inhabitants of the island as a visual aid of what houses and other buildings looked like before they were destroyed by time,
- we will see the platform under which the ashes of the legendary first king of the island Hotu Matua rest,
- we will visit the moai factory of Rano Raraku - the volcano at the foot of which all the moai were made. Some 400 unfinished statues still lie here and it is home to the largest number of moai on the island. This is the most interesting and photographed place and we will spend about two hours here
- let's approach Tongariki - the platform with the largest number of maoi installed on it. 15 stone idols stand on it against the background of the steep shores of the island and this is a truly impressive sight!
- let's approach Te Pito Kura - a stone with magnetic properties, according to legend, brought by the indigenous inhabitants of the island from their former place of residence on one of the Polynesian islands and having phenomenal healing properties. Local residents consider this place to be nothing less than the “navel of the Earth.” Previously, real pilgrimages were made here: people came for the healing of a variety of diseases and, according to the assurances of local residents, were healed, but more recently, due to the cynical actions of one of the tourists, who posted a depraved photograph on a stone online, local residents got angry and blocked access to the stone. visitors can only look at it, but cannot touch it. .

Recreation, beaches and ocean

We will devote this last day on the island and our entire trip to relaxation, the beach and the ocean. We will go to Anakena beach and then to Ovahe, each of which is interesting and unique in its own way. Anakena is the cradle of the island's civilization, it is from here that, according to scientists, its settlement originated, and Ovahe is famous for its local flora, which has not changed since the development of the island 1200 years ago. Those interested can go diving to see the sunken moai.

One evening on the island we will have a Rapa Nui dancing show with ethnic traditional dances of the Rapa Nui people. The most famous ensemble - Kari Kari performs three times a week in its own concert hall and this is a show that is definitely worth a visit!

Flight from Easter Island to Santiago, and from there home. Farewell to the end of the world!

The weather in the south of Argentina and Chile is changeable and abounds in rain, wind and fog, especially in mountainous areas. Therefore, it is necessary to take with you a sufficient supply of warm and waterproof hiking clothing - a membrane jacket, pants, trekking boots, sneakers for moving around cities, as well as a hat, gloves, warm socks, fleece.

For going out during the day, you need a small backpack (can be an urban type) and a waterproof case for it.

The weather on Easter Island in March is warm and comfortable - 20 - 27 degrees Celsius during the day, about 20 degrees at night. The average water temperature in the ocean is 25 degrees. Bring shorts and swimsuits!

The tour is very active and intense, and therefore requires discipline and personal involvement in the process from the participants. This is not a relaxing all-inclusive holiday. - you must understand this very well and be prepared for adventure and, sometimes, lack of comfort - in the mode of daily travel and overnight stays in different places, it is not always possible to eat on time, as well as choose a hotel room for each participant according to his needs. Almost every day there will be quite long journeys - from 200 to 600 km, you must be prepared for all this!

During travel, delays and unforeseen circumstances are possible - car breakdown, road and bridge repairs, cancellation of ferries or planned excursions, etc. The tour organizer will make every effort to minimize costs and implement everything planned by the program, but, in extreme cases, the program may be reduced or changed based on circumstances. Changes are discussed with the participants, but the final decision is up to the organizer, since he is the one responsible for the program and the safety of the group.

All air tickets are purchased by participants themselves! Now it has become possible again - purchasing tickets through aggregators for rubles with payment using Russian bank cards. The travel organizer will advise each participant in detail about the possibilities and options for purchasing tickets, but the responsibility for their purchase lies with the participants.

It is best to have money in cash dollars or euros. Argentina has an official exchange rate and a black market rate. The black market is not prohibited by law or criminalized; it is quite safe to change money at this rate. By exchanging currency at the black market rate, you get almost three times as much local money, which is extremely profitable. Cards of international payment systems are not accepted everywhere; in many places, when paying by card, they charge an additional commission and certainly do not offer any discounts in places where you can bargain.

1. If you are interested in this tour, leave a request using the form below or call the indicated numbers, we will contact you and answer all your questions.
2. To reserve a place on THIS tour, you must make a prepayment before 01/20/2024 (later applications will not be accepted!) in the amount of 30% of the tour cost - visa invitations and the purchase of air tickets for domestic flights are made in advance. Prepayment is refundable (minus expenses paid and commissions of banks and payment systems) 45 or more days before the start of the tour and non-refundable, unfortunately, less than 45 days before the start of the tour if the refund is related to your refusal to participate (for any reason ). If the tour does not take place due to our fault, due to the group not being formed or due to force majeure, the advance payment will be guaranteed to be returned to you in any case and in full.
3. Final payment is due seven to three working days before the start of the tour or in cash on the spot.