Puerto Natales - ilivetotravel's travel log

Puerto Natales, Chile | Starting Point for the Torres del Paine

8 September 2015 by Raul Leave a Comment

Puerto Natales is an outpost town in Chile that is entry point to the Torres del Paine National Park. It is about 150 miles northwest of Punta Arenas and serves also as an entry point to the glaciers that kiss the water in this part of Patagonia (Grey, Serrano, Balmaceda, etc.).

A small southern town

It is a small town by our standards with less than 20,000 inhabitants. The area where the town is was first sighted by Europeans in the second half of the 1500s, by a Spaniard. The area was populated by quite a diverse combination of European nationalities (English, Welsh, Croats, Spanish, Greeks). The city of Puerto Natales itself was found in 1911, a relative newcomer.

However, I would venture say that it is impressively big given where it is in this planet! So far south, in such tough climate. And hard to reach being almost 3 hours away from Punta Arenas which, itself, is like four hours flying from Santiago. To continue by road up to the rest of Chile from Puerto Natales, one must cross over east to Argentina, then north, and then head back west into Chile. Hard to reach indeed! And you really want to avoid crossing the border to Argentina unless you like inefficiency and waste of time…

Two visits five years apart

I first visited this town of 18,500 inhabitants in December 2010, at the start of summer. I got to return in 2015 when I went hiking in Patagonia in February towards the end of summer and I was delighted to walk around town again, but with friends this time. I noticed some improvements like the main square across from the church and a little better tourism infrastructure.

Food in Puerto Natales is pretty good

I also got to go to two restaurants that I greatly enjoyed back in 2010: La Burbuja and La Picada de Carlitos. See pictures below for some images of what I got to eat!

Great day trips

There are a few neat things to pack into day trips from Puerto Natales beyond the obvious must-see Torres del Paine National Park. La Cueva del Milodon is impressive and the route there offers some beautiful landscapes. A boat tour to explore the fjord and see the nearby water-kissing glaciers is a phenomenal opportunity to explore deeper into the wilderness of Patagonia, much as it is a tourist trip.

Colorful town

As you can appreciate from the pictures below, the town is colorful. I assume that the darkness of the prolonged winter calls for bright colors. Much as you see if you visit towns in Scandinavia. While some of the construction is simple there are beautiful details around doors, windows and eaves. Walk around the town aimlessly, especially beyond the main streets. Pretty cool.

Two summer visits – how is winter?

Having visited twice in the summer season, I only see the town in the best weather. While it is hard to get down there in winter, it must look and feel very differently. I realize that the idea may be crazy but… I would enjoy experiencing this town in the middle of winter just to see what life in a southern town is. The town has definitely been spruced up in the five years between my visits, clearly an indication of the effect of rising interest in Patagonia and the influx of more tourists.

I leave you with images of this Patagonian town in Chile. Click on a photo to enlarge!

Puerto Natales, Chile, Patagonia, Canon EOS Rebel

A typical house in Puerto Natales, in 2010

Puerto Natales, Chile, Patagonia, tourism, travel, photos

Same green house, now in 2015

Puerto Natales, Patagonia, Chile, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, architecture

Example of the local architecture in Puerto Natales

Rainbow and dark sky in Puerto Natales, Chile

Dark skies and a rainbow over the church

The damaged top of the Cathedral of Puerto Natalesin 2010

The Cathedral in 2015, fixed up

Building next to the Cathedral

The new square across from the church

Puerto Natales, Chile, Patagonia, tourism, travel, photos, avocado, aguacate, palta

Palta York (avocado stuffed with ham salad

Puerto Natales, Chile, Patagonia, tourism, travel, photos, avocado, palta, aguacate, food, foodporn

Palta York (avocado stuffed with ham salad, side view!

Puerto Natales, Chile, Patagonia, tourism, travel, photos, food, foodporn, potatoes

Delicious potato dish!

Typical architecture of the area

Dark skies make for great photos

Typical architecture of the area

Large hotel facing the “boardwalk” by the water

Yours truly loving life!

Pin this image in your favorite “to do” board!

Filed Under: Chile, South America, Travel Journal Tagged With: Chile, glaciers, Patagonia, photo, Puerto Natales, travel

Photo of the Week – A Colorful Home

8 June 2011 by Raul Leave a Comment

Last December, I finally fulfilled a dream almost 19 years old: to go to Punta Arenas and see the Chilean Patagonia. I have written about the trip already in the blog but I thought this picture merited a Photo of the Week entry of its own. This is a home in Puerto Natales, near the hotel where I stayed and not far from the waterfront. The mix of colors and dominance of the blue of the exterior of the home really caught my eye.

Puerto Natales Home

Note: Though I already posted a picture this week, I decided to just “go crazy” and post more than 1 since I will not be posting in the next two weeks 🙂

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: architecture, Chile, house, Patagonia, Puerto Natales

Going with Serendipity in Chile’s Patagonia

28 December 2010 by Raul 11 Comments

The agency that helped me organize my trip down south to Patagonia created a suggested itinerary based on what I wanted to see. In their itinerary, they had me staying 3 nights in Puerto Natales and 1 night in a place sort of in the middle of nowhere. I would stay at that place the second night of the 4 nights. I wrote to the agency asking for the rationale behind this as I would certainly prefer being in one place so I could unpack once, pack one especially in a year where I think I spent 10% of my time unpacking and packing already…

The answer was sort of OK. It was that the morning after staying in this place for one night I would save 20 mins in the ride over to see the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina. Oh, and 20 mins the night before as I would get dropped off before the bus got to Puerto Natales. In other words, a total of 40 mins savings by staying further north of Puerto Natales since my travels around that night were north as well. I decided to not argue it as they better knew the lay of the land than myself.

I chose right. Though I was up there to see the well-known sites and sights, I was not aware that I was about to discover a place that for me would showcase some of the best in the beauty of the Chilean Patagonia as well as just a plain and simple quiet setting – something well needed after the last few weeks…

A Lodging Paradise in Patagonia

The Hotel Posada 3 Pasos (http://www.hotel3pasos.cl/) is located on a site where there has been a hotel or inn for most of the time that part of the country has been colonized. Of course, the structure has changed a few times since then. But once one has traveled in the area, one can see that a trail or road likely always existed once the land was colonized and that the location of this place of lodging was well chosen as a place to stop, eat, and sleep.

Looking at this inn’s setting I couldn’t help but feel I was in a special place on this planet – a real paradise of serenity and beauty.

A Building with Charm and Good Food!

The employees told me that many visitors stop on the drive from El Calafate to Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas simply to dine (the food was great! anything with the “vazca” sauce is well worth trying!). The next morning I was pleasantly, no, correction: VERY pleaseantly surprised at the incredible spread they served me for breakfast. I was SO engrossed by it that I forgot to take a picture of the table!! The bakery type of items and the jams were all home made and simply exquisite. I could not eat half of what was offered!

But, of course, food always distracts me… The inn is not the very original one from early 20th century but it is still of a period and style: country! It is charming, with a limited number of rooms, a small bar, a living room with a fireplace (which I am sure is used here year-round in the evenings!), and a dining room area.

Hotel Posada 3 Pasos in Chile's Patagonia

Living Room

Bedroom

The inn is in a very remote area so power is not easily available. At some point late at night, the generator is turned off. One is given a rather powerful battery-powered lamp in case one needs it (like for that middle-of-the-night bathroom run…) so it is not an issue should one want to read, etc. All the rooms have a private bathroom and, likely, a beautiful and serene view.

Gardens and Walking Around

The inn is in a great setting and they maximize how you can experience it. Across the road, there is an area where one can walk to one’s content as far as one wants, even up the hill at the end of the area. The inn also has a nice garden dedicated to the great Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral where I went to town using the micro settings in my camera on flowers, moss, and acorns! Certainly a great way to practice my hobby and also relax and unwind, something I badly needed during this trip.

Finally, I have to say the staff that day was very friendly and wanting to make sure my stay was comfortable and relaxing. I thank them for that!

What Did I Re-Learn?

I have realized over time that sometimes it is better to let things happen rather than have them all planned. This lodging experience drove the point home. Certainly my research would likely lead me to choices that better match what I am looking for in a trip. However, it is impossible for research to uncover it all and leaving space for the random discoveries is just as important. Lesson well learned. I may even get back to Patagonia just to stay at this place but this time for a few days of R&R!

Filed Under: Chile, Good Eats and Drinks, South America Tagged With: Chile, hotel, Patagonia, perito moreno glacier, Puerto Natales

Out and About to Check Out the Torres del Paine!

26 December 2010 by Raul 1 Comment

The Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, is the main “attraction” in the Chilean Patagonia. Certainly, there is a lot more to explore in the region (Perito Moreno in Argentina, Puerto Natales, penguin colonies, etc.) but nothing seems as well known as this National Park and its centerpiece the mountains that carry the name “Paine”. The picture below will not do them justice but it may ring a bell for some readers (read on… better pictures below!).

Seeing these mountains was the top goal for my trip down south. (For more info about the park, check out http://www.torresdelpaine.com/ingles/index.asp). I wish I had had the time and “knee-health” to do the hike (the famous “W” hike) everyone else does but that was not to be. So I signed up for a driven tour of the park which ended up being a really good way to see more in a limited time window. (I used a Chilean travel agency named Comapa (http://www.comapa.com/en/) – there were about 14 of us in a mid-sized bus – it was very well-organized.) While generally I prefer more “on my own” traveling, one good thing about this type of travel is meeting other folks and this particular day was not exception as I met friendly folks from Brazil and Chile. Sometimes it is not only the sights but the people one meets along the way that make a trip worthwhile!

In any case, the day started by visiting the Cueva del Milodón, a cave carved by a glacier thousands and thousands of years ago and where the remains of a prehistoric type of beast that resembles a bear with a long tail were found. Here is my picture of a milodón (or, I should say, a statue of one).

Cueva del Milodón near Torres del Paine in Chile's Patagonia, north of Puerto Natales

The entrance to la Cueva del Milodón

The visit to the cave involved a nice short hike through one of the most beautiful vistas I have ever seen. Ever.

Vista of Patagonia's majesty from la Cueva del Milodón

Wow. Just wow. No digital enhancement of colors. Wow again.

We proceeded to enter the main part of the park and visiting lake after lake, each beautiful in its own way and most with a view of the Torres themselves. As the day started, there was a cloud-cover on the Torres but over the morning the cover mostly dissipated providing us visitors an almost clear view of the Torres. Since it can be hit or miss, I was worried I may get to see the Torres on the day when they would actually not be visible rending this a rather long distance to go and not see them… But luck was on my side and I was glad for the almost perfect view of the Torres.

Map of the National Park

In any case, we visited Lake Sarmiento, Lake Nordenskjol (beautiful colored water), Lake Pehoé (where we had lunch at a local place sitting on the shore of the lake AND looking straight at the Torres!), Lake Grey and the glacier with the same name (which was way too far from the lake’s edge where we were to enjoy it much; but the short hike to get there was nice), and Lago del Toro. The views were majestic and offered way too many photo opportunities. But the Torres remained wrapped in fog. I kept getting dis-heartened as there is no guarantee that on a given day, the fog clears…

Foggy view of the Torres del Paine

Close up but a little foggy still…

Finally, the fog lifted enough for incredible views as we went further away from the Torres. Incredible land!!!

Amazing photo of Torres del Paine on a beautiful day with Canon EOS Rebel

Glorious!

The visit to the park absolutely met my expectations of the landscape. I only wish I had been able to stay right there at a place with a view of the Torres so I could see them at sunset and sunrise (assuming a clear view) – I can imagine how spectacular the setting must become at those times and with that type of light… Maybe another visit? But I still had more to discover about Patagonia in the next couple of days, including crossing the border to Argentina…

Torres del Paine in Chile's Patagonia with Canon EOS Rebel

Happy traveler!

Pin these images as you plan your trip to Chile!

Filed Under: Chile, South America Tagged With: Chile, Cueva del Milodón, Lake Nordenskjol, Lake Pehoé, Lake Sarmiento, milodón, Patagonia, Puerto Natales, torres del paine

Beginning the Journey into Patagonia: Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales

25 December 2010 by Raul 13 Comments

While Punta Arenas was my entry point to Patagonia (see map for a good visual!), I wasn’t going to spend too much time there – I had places to go in Patagonia! Punta Arenas is known for being very windy but much to my joy, the landing was very smooth.

Final approach before landing in Punta Arenas, Chile

Final approach before finally landing in Punta Arenas!

After a quick lunch at La Luna near the new costanera (“coastal”) avenue (chupe de centolla – a delicious king crab dish) and a failed attempt at using a coffee shop’s wi-fi on Ave. Pedro Montt after buying a coffee (the wi-fi “didn’t” work, something that seems to affect most places in this part of the country who claim to have one…), I walked around town for a couple of hours before I finally left town to head north into the heart of the Chilean Patagonia.

Chupe de centolla (crab dish) in Punta Arenas, Chile

Chupe de centolla. Yum!

Along the waterfront

Cormoranes on the waterfront of Punta Arenas

I made a stop at the penguin colony in Otway (I didn’t know I was going to see penguins right off the waterfront in Punta Arenas!). It was fascinating to walk among all the penguin nests on the shores of this body of water (more enclosed than a bay, but not a lake) – you stay on a slightly elevated walkway to avoid mis-stepping onto a penguin nest.

Penguins in Otway, north of Punta Arenas, Chile

On the way to see the penguins with dark skies in the distance

I was beginning to feel the wind and also be slightly disoriented in terms of direction. In Punta Arenas the water was to the east of the town yet somehow my brain thought it would be south and my many months in Chile would make me expect water to the west of land. Going to Otway, the water was to the west again. But my brain had a hard time processing this as I had not studied a map yet. My driver told me everyone from Chile goes through the same disorientation so I felt better.

Heading to the beach

“I’m sexy and I know it”

At the beach!

Younger penguin testing his strut

From Otway, we went back east to the main road again and headed north the remaining 2.5 hrs or so until we got to Puerto Natales, a small town of perhaps 20k inhabitants that tends to serve as the main launching point to explore the Chilean Patagonia. I am assuming El Calafate may serve a slightly similar purpose on the Argentine Patagonia. Puerto Natales does not have necessarily tons of charm but going to the coastal avenue does provide a 180 degree (plus) view of mountains and water that is very nice.

I stayed at a nice hotel called Aquaterra whose staff was very friendly and helpful even if the rooms were somewhat spartan. The best eating experience in Puerto Natales had to be the highly recommended La Picada de Carlitos. I was expecting to eat meat but the waiter recommended the chupe de centolla and, boy, he was right! It was phenomenal and easily beat the one I had at La Luna in Punta Arenas. Here is what it looked like:

Other than this, the only other thing to call out about Puerto Natales that I saw was some of the architecture and some bright coloring of house facades. I found the town to be charming and a great platform to launch into the rest of Patagonia. The views from its waterfront were beautiful.

Yours truly loving life!

From here I would begin my visit to Torres del Paine, glaciers and fjords… Majestic!!

Filed Under: Chile, Good Eats and Drinks, Patagonia, South America Tagged With: Chile, chupe de centolla, Otway, Patagonia, penguins, Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, waterfront

The Key Places to See in Patagonia – On a Map!

24 December 2010 by Raul 1 Comment

As I sit to write about my trip, I thought a map of the Chilean Patagonia would be helpful to illustrate the different places I will be writing about!