Patagonia Nature in Depth
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Port
Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
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Activity Level
Strenuous
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$199.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 5 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
A 15-minute ride takes you along an outstandingly beautiful road. Your destination is Aikén del Sur Private Park. On the banks of the placid, transparent waters of Lake Riesco, the park covers an area of five square miles.
At the Visitor Center, interpretive stations explain the bio-geographical history of the region; then, outdoors, you’ll stroll down the River Trail, complete with rails and bridges, to discover the different zones -- forest, prairie, swamp and the humid forest that characterize this part of the world. The flora here consists of patriarchal myrtle and turf mingled with wild fuchsia and calafate shrubbery. In the indigenous perennial forest, you’ll see ferns (some typified for the first time in Chile), mosses and lichens. Macal and Mallines wetlands round out the wealth of habitat found at Aikén del Sur.
A 65-foot-tall waterfall -- the impressive Old Man’s Beard cascade -- awaits at the trail’s end. Take photos before you return to base via the Waterfall Trail.
A delicious, typical Patagonian lunch of barbecued lamb is served before you return to the ship.
Notes:
Dress warmly in layers with a windproof and waterproof outer layer; bring a warm hat, gloves and a scarf. Not advisable for guests with mobility limitations. Terrain includes even and uneven surfaces, cobblestones, inclines, gravel, grass, and many steps. If you have dietary restrictions, please advise the Shore Excursions team on board the ship. Limited tourism infrastructure is part of the charm here; you are trading breadth of guide experience for authentic interaction. Please bring your spirit of adventure and bear with any language difficulties or operational surprises that may crop up. The coach is not air-conditioned.