Chile : Cruises : Catamaranes del Sur

Catamarans of the South invites you on a voyage to get to know the spirit of the Chilean Patagonia, traveling through a unique scenery: perpendicular glaciers that fall on the coast, waterfalls, millenary forest impossible to explore and passing icebergs that travel drift through Tempano River. The first destination of the trop is the San Rafael Lagoon that forms part of the National Park that carries the same name. Where its grand protagonist is the San Rafael Glacier in gradual retrocession. Aboard the zodiac boats the travelers can get a close up of the Glacier and of course have the opportunity to drink a glass of whisky with ice that is thousands of years old recently extracted from the lagoon.

Day 1 Balmaceda - Puerto Chacabuco
Reception at Balmaceda Airport and transfer to Hotel Loberias del Sur, located in Puerto Chacabuco. To get there you will go across part of the Austral Road, which goes through Llanquihue and Palena provinces, on the side of the continent, up to Aysen region, passing by the beautiful city of Coyhaique. On the ride to the hotel, you will have the opportunity to appreciate a small sample of this astonishing landscape that makes part of these latitudes, as we will cross the Andes mountain range through the Chilean Patagonia.
Arrival to Hotel Loberias del Sur having the beautiful bay of Puerto Chacabuco as scenery. You will stay three nights in the hotel.
At nightfall a Welcome Dinner will be offered in the hotel, including appetizers, main course, dessert and coffee.

Day 2 Laguna San Rafael
At 8:00 a.m. you will take part of an unforgettable trip on board of a catamaran that will take you across islands, channels, and fiords inside unimaginable scenery until reaching the marvelous Laguna San Rafael at about 2:00 p.m. The main tour attraction is the peacefulness of this lagoon with a surface of 170 square kilometers, floes and snowdrifts letting millenary ice rocks fall down constantly and thunderously. Then on board of a zodiac you will get in closer contact with San Rafael snowdrift and a number of floes moving around. Upon the end of the excursion you will taste a whisky on the rocks with cubes of ice being more than 20,000 years old. You will stay there for 2 - 3 hours and then will go back to Puerto Chacabuco, where you will be at about 9:00 p.m. Back in the hotel, you will enjoy a refreshing relax time after a long day full of magic and unforgettable emotions.

Day 3 Visit to "Aiken del Sur" Private Park
At 10:00 a.m. in the morning a bus will take you from Hotel Loberias del Sur to the Aiken del Sur Private Park across a landscape of unique beauty in the Patagonia. You will start there an excursion combining adventure, close contact with Patagonian virgin nature, emotion, and the tasteful local food (Patagonian barbecues).

The Aiken del Sur Park offers natural beauties such as the area on the shore of Lago Riesco. The lake has a surface of 14 km2, quiet and blue crystal clear waters; a waterfall 22 meters high; native woodlands with perennial species, annual plants, humid species such as a ferns, some of them first found in Chile, moss and liverworts; widespread prairies where aged myrtles and tepa trees as chilco and calafate mix together; taro and mallin plants; swamp lands.

Day 4 Optional Excursion
After an abundant breakfast at the hotel, visitors may choose one of the three following excursion: Horse Riding across the valley of Rio Simpson or Fishing on Simpson River

Day 5 Trip back to Santiago
After a well-deserved night rest in the comfortable guestrooms at Hotel Loberías del Sur and a breakfast, visitors will be taken to Balmaceda Airport for the flight back to Santiago.

Included Excursions

Austral Road.
Once you leave the Balmaceda Airport you will tour part of the Austral Road, continental route that connects the provinces of Llanquihue and Palena to the Aysén region (Northern Patagonia), passing by the lovely city of Coyhaique. During this trip, you will be able to observe the impressive landscape that forms only a portion of these latitudes, since you will be passing through the majestic Andes mountain chain of the Chilean Patagonia.

Horseback Ride through Simpson River Valley
After approximately one hour traveling from the Hotel towards Coyhaique, enjoying the spectacular scenery of the Simpson Valley, we will arrive to a typical Patagonian Hacienda where our guides await to show us around this grand house and its accommodations that have remained the same since its
construction. After the tour of the house and its surroundings, a box lunch will be served that even includes a pisco sour and coffee, as we continue to enjoy our surrounding enviroment. After lunch, our guide will lead our group, on horseback, through the native forests of the hacienda, rivers, and
remarkable landscapes. This tour will last approximately 3 hours, during which we will stop in a few places to rest or eat a snack. The flora and fauna of the area is impressive, where all kinds of birds, rabbits, hares, and other kinds of animals are visible.

Fishing in the Simpson River
About one hour away from the Hotel heading towards Coyhaique through a spectacular Simpson Valley landcape, we will arrive to a typical Patagonian Hacienda where our guides await to show us around this grand house and its accommodations that have remained the same since its construction. Once we
have become acquainted with the place we will enjoy a box lunch that includes a pre meal drink as well as coffee. After lunch, our guides will take the fishers to a specific fishing area to begin the tour of part of the Simpson River. During the tour you will be supplied with a fishing rod, flies, bait, adequate clothing and taught either the fly fishing or trolling techniques. During the excursion, lasting about 3 hours, we will stop to rest or eat a snack. (The fishing excursions always takes place in the afternoon.)

San Rafael Lagoon
The Catamarán Iceberg Expedition will take the passengers through patagonian channels and fjords, among islands, that offer a spectacle beyond one's imagination. Finally, we will arrive at the marvelous San Rafael Lagoon. The main attraction of this tranquil, 170 sq. km (106 sq. mi) lagoon are the glacier and surrounding icebergs. Equally impressive are the chunks of ice loosening and breaking off the glacier, creating a thunderous sound as they crash to the water. On board zodiac boats, we can approach the Glacier and the various icebergs in its proximity, to admire them from up close. At the conclusion of the excursion, we will be enjoy a delicious whiskey drink served with the age-old ice that dates back more than 20,000 years. The visit will last approximately 2 to 3 hours and then we will return to Puerto Chacabuco. Arrive around 9:00pm and transfer to hotel to relax after a magical day filled with emotions riding high.

Aiken del Sur Private Park
Aikén del Sur Private Park is set amidst unique and magnificent natural surroundings. Noteworthy is the long and luxuriant shore of Lake Riesco renowned for its placid, crystal-clear blue waters, as well as the natural prairies, forests and wide variety of local fauna. This Park offers the proper facilities and safe environment for exploring the untouched landscape of the Chilean Patagonia. Three Natural Trails equipped with footbridges, lookout points and resting-places, which through the use of tutorial stations, give visitors an insight to the biogeographical history of the region. Breathtaking views of the lake, river, hills, and nearby mountains as well as the chance to spot some of the local birds such as the "chucao" and "hueta", are among the main attractions. At night, you will enjoy a pleasant dinner in the hotel, accompanied by the most exquisite fruits of the ocean and national wine.

On board the Iceberg Expedition Catamaran you will tour the unparallel attractions in the Aysén region, where you can enjoy your marvelous surroundings sitting comfortably inside or from the deck, if you seek to be more one with nature. The food on board is first-class, always faithful to the quality of a fine international fare, and in accord with the environment that unfolds around you. The large parlor on the second deck offers the visitor a splendid view and a large bar where you can taste fine Chilean
wine.

Characteristics

	• Total Length: 24 mts (78.7 ft) • Total Width: 7.20 mts (23.6 ft) • Depth: 2.185 mts (7.16 ft)
Lateral View
Main Deck	Bridge Deck

Inclusions

• Transfers Balmaceda Airport / Hotel Loberias del Sur / Balmaceda Airport
• Welcome drink
• Welcome dinner at Hotel on day of arrival
• 4 nights of accommodations at Hotel Loberias del Sur in Puerto Chacabuco with breakfast buffet
• Navigation in Catamaran to Laguna San Rafael with zodiac excursion among icebergs, all meals on board and open bar.
• Whisky with age old ice
• Full day excursion, including box lunch and snack, to:
  • Horse Trail Ride at Patagonian Hacienda
  • Fly fishing at Rio Simpson
• Dinner together at Hotel
• Full day visit to Aiken del Sur Private Park, tour on trails accompanied by bilingual guide and Patagonian Barbeque (spit roasted lamb)
• Farewell dinner at Hotel on day of visit to the Park

Notes

• Rate per participant
• Please consult set dates for entrance and departure

Rates

Rates per passenger.

Promotions for the beginning of the Season

In September

• Promotion 2x1. Departures of the 8th and 29th of September.
• Second passenger pays 50%. Departure of September 17th.

In October

• Second passenger pays 50%. Departures of the 13th, 20th and 27th of October.

Important

• Promotions valid only for the indicated dates
• These promotions do not include plane ticket
• The additional expenses must be paid directly in the hotel
• Ask for entrance and exit dates of the program

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be written, specifying the cause and assuming responsibility of the corresponding penalty. Once the reservation has been confirmed by Gotolatin, the following charges will apply for cancellations made by the passenger, according to the program departure date.

• 45 working days before the beginning of the program
  Charge of US$100 per passenger
• Between 45 and 30 working days before the beginning of the program
  30% of total program value per passenger
• Between 30 and 15 working days before the beginning of the program
  70% of total program value per passenger
• Between 10 and 0 working days before the beginning of the program: No refund.
• There are no refunds for portions of the program not used, hotel accommodations, etc.
• We recommend considering Travel Insurance for any reason.