Patagonia for Young Birders

After a briefing about the region and presentation of the itinerary for the next couple of days, you will transfer to a Natural Private Reserve at the Maullín River (25 minutes from Puerto Varas). There, you will have a briefing about the Flora and Wildlife of the Lake District.

We’ll kike through the temperate rainforest (2 hours aprox.) using a magnifying glass and binoculars, which will be provided to each traveler in order to discover the world of the miniature forest of the South.

Children and parents will learn about nonvascular plants and they will discover the unique birdlife that inhabits the area. We’ll look for the elusive endemic species of birds that live hidden in the forest.

After the hike, we will have a snack and then we will visit the rescue center for wildlife located in the Reserve. There are Pumas, wild cats, the endemic Pudú (one of the smallest deer in the world), Slender-billed Parakeets, the Magellanic Great-horned Owl, Grey Foxes and more.

All these species are native to Chile and Patagonia and they were all rescued and are rehabilitated here to be liberated into the wild once they will be ready to get back to their natural environment.

There will be a lunch consisting of local products (Children’s menus is available) and this Chilean lunch will be served along the shore of the Maullín River. Children and parents will help to collect vegetables for the preparation of the lunch.

In the afternoon, families can choose between a horseback ride or a navigation through the sunken forest of the river Maullín.
 Return to Puerto Varas by 5:00 pm. Overnight in Puerto Varas.

A complete day to enjoy the outdoor activities in the National Park Vicente Pérez Rosales.

We will drive along the south shore of Llanquihue lake and then up the Osorno volcano. The perfect conic and snowy capped mountain will be the starting point of a hike to one of the craters, a zip line and a chairlift with stunning views of the Lake Llanquihue and the mountains around.

We’ll drive to the National Park Vicente Pérez Rosales and the Osorno Volcano and then hike to the Red Crater (45 minutes, upway) Chairlift and Zipline Experience (the highest zip line of Chile!)

We’ll have lunch at a restaurant on the Osorno Volcano (Children’s menu is available). In the afternoon, we’ll take a soft hike inside a forest near Todos los Santos lake, at the National Park Vicente Perez Rosales. This is a very beautiful hike (anywhere from 1 1/2 hrs to 4 hrs, flexible depending of the conditions of the group).

Then, we’ll visit the Petrohué river falls and return to Puerto Varas by 5:00 pm. Overnight in Puerto Varas.

On our last day, we’ll begin by driving and ferrying to the island of Chiloé and navigate our way to the Penguin Colony Puñihuil to visit the villages of Chacao, Ancud, and Caulín.

The island of Chiloé is a full cultural and natural immersion experience. The native roots are still alive through the myths and legends that survive on the island. The history of Chile and the Spanish domination in South America is strongly linked with the history of this island.

The unique architecture of the Jesuits and Franciscans churches, the simplicity of its colorful villages, the human scale economy based in agriculture, and the fishing activities capture the attention of visitors from all over the world that want to experience the life of an island that still preserves its uniqueness and that slowly is changing with the arrival of modernity.

The natural part of the trip will be the navigation to the Birdlife and Penguin Colony of Puñihuil. Among different species of sea mammals and birds, we will find the only place in the world where Humboldt and Magellanic Penguin breed together.

We’ll have lunch at a local fishermen’s restaurant (Children’s menu is available) before returning to Puerto Varas by 6:00 pm. Overnight in Puerto Varas.