Don’t miss kayaking with Vincenzo in Puerto Prat

Patagonia | Apr 15 - Apr 21, 2026

Our trip to Torres del Paine/Puerto Natales was spectacular! It was a VERY active trip, which is what we were looking for! It was fun to see our guides underestimate us (49 and 56 year old nurses!)!

Our planner was very responsive and helpful in picking activities that suited us! Trekking poles were provided for all the hikes which was great not to have to pack any.

We were a little disappointed that our Condor watching involved no Condors. Our guide had let us know that the time of year for them was not unusual to not see them. Such information would have been appreciated ahead of time. Nonetheless it was a beautiful day and our guide took spectacular pictures for us on a very vertical hike! He also brought tea and granola bars for a break at the summit. If your itinerary states that you will be getting a meal, be sure to verify what it will be.

We wanted to do the Torres Base hike and also the ferry on Pehoe Lake, which was a lot to do in one day, but our planners at Kim Kim made sure they worked it out for us. We left our hotel in Puerto Natales at 5am, snoozed during the two hour ride to the park and hiked the first section mostly in the dark with headlamps. The sunrise was a spectacular unexpected benefit of leaving so early. The hike was heart rate raising but very doable. Hiking boots, trekking poles, rain gear, water and layers are essential. We had rain, sleet, snow and sunshine throughout the day. I am dairy free and was glad to pack some dairy free snacks but options are available at the midpoint central Refugio too. Due to cloudy conditions we couldn’t see the peaks clearly so our guide recommended not to hike the last section and we did the alternative lookout instead because of our time crunch, but honestly we could have made it. Which brings us to our guide - he said he was going to the “natures bathroom” often because he was on blood pressure medication which caused this need. We actually figured out he was sneaking off to vape. I suspect he wanted to finish the hike to vape at the end because he was in a huge rush to get back and we had quite a bit of time to spare. He was not nearly as informative nor helpful as the guide we had our first day (Paulo Angel). We mentioned several times we wished he had been with us. Nonetheless, we had a spectacular day and Kim Kim did a great job planning the timing for us.

The ferry to Lake Pehoe provides amazing views, especially on a sunny day. The Refugio Grande was much better than we expected - the meals were buffet style and we had many options that were very well prepared!!

We very much enjoyed the Glacier Grey hike that we did on our own. It allowed for us to speak freely between ourselves, go at our own pace and stop for pictures and lunch (arranged by Kim Kim and provided by the Refugio) when we wanted. Relaxing at the Refugio before going back to PN via the ferry and a bus was easy and comfortable. Information from Kim Kim on the bus departure timing was incorrect, probably because of being the shoulder season, but I feel this could have been anticipated and communicated better. A taxi from the bus terminal to our hotel was $5ish. Kimkim arranged for our luggage to be transferred to our second hotel which was seamless! Hotel Vandaval was fantastic and very responsive.

After two days of active hiking we had a day of a boat ride to Serrano glacier and an estancia for lunch. It was a relaxing day, which was needed but it wasn’t a highlight of the trip.

The last day was THE BEST. As we were pretty tired from all our activity we considered skipping it and were so glad we didn’t!! Vincenzo was a top notch top tier tour guide - friendly, immensely knowledgeable and extremely positive and patient. It was a very gusty and windy day and his tips, attitude and assistance was the difference between a good day and an unforgettable one! To say we had fun would be an extreme understatement! He stopped on the way to Puerto Prat when we wanted to see the birds along the way or to take pictures of the breathtaking scenery. I cannot say enough good things about this young man!!! After our kayaking around the fjords we had lunch with a very sweet woman, Alicia, from Puerto Prat in her home, which we had no idea we were going to do - which was an extremely pleasant surprise! The hospitality of this day well represented Pantagonia hospitality and was the crown jewel of our trip!!!

All in all, our trip was well planned and the execution was great. Travelers to Pantagonia should be aware of the weather, rugged conditions and remoteness of Puerto Natales - which we were. With such an attitude, you are pleasantly surprised with the comforts and hospitality that do pop up.

A note about diet concerns: I have a severe intolerance to milk products and communicated this to KimKim. They did the best they could to communicate this need to all the vendors. I was amazed at the availability of vegan protein bars and food products in the park, at restaurants in town and at stores. Our favorite: Patagonia Dulce, which has amazing chocolate, coffees and pastries, as well as sandwiches. Soy and almond milk was available for all drinks.

We can’t wait to come back with our spouses on another trip!