Yelcho Cruise
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The Yelcho at Laguna San Rafael
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Chile's wild west fiordland coast is a fascinating region of unique natural beauty. The ice fields of northern Patagonia have glaciers that descend into the sea and the famous San Rafael Glacier with its lagoon of drifting icebergs is accessible by cruise ship from Puerto Chacabuco.
The ship Lago Yelcho is moored at the jetty. A steady stream of expectant tourists file up the gangplank - 45 in all, although the vessel can take 64 passengers. At 5 pm we cruise sedately down Fiordo Aisén towards the Pacific and the cool breeze from the snowy mountains soon drives most travellers indoors to fraternise in the lounge and patronise the bar.
Dinner is delicious, poached salmon with caper sauce. My evening is spent playing chess with a Swiss gentleman who refuses to be beaten. We call it quits and wonder if we should join in the discotheque with all its flashing lights and fantastic rhythm. At 2am I collapse into my reclining bucket seat wondering how the captain can possibly navigate the ship through the maze of channels in the darkness to the famous Laguna San Rafael.
Breakfast is a hurried meal because first light shows an intriguing shoreline - first a little fishing village, then a narrow channel between smooth glaciated rocks and stunted beech trees, with clouds scudding around more distant snowy peaks. The ship does a little dance around various navigation beacons and then glides confidently into Laguna San Rafael and its icebergs.
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Watching for icefalls from the San Rafael Glacier
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The ship hoves to about a kilometre away from the glacier front. Twenty volunteers assemble themselves in a lifeboat. Clad in thick winter woollies and life jackets, shivering and expectant, we putter off into the gloom and mist towards the glacier.
Two crew members guide us to our objective. One crewman operates the inboard motor and steers the boat under the cry of the lookout man standing in the bow who has a long pole used to fend off baby icebergs. I soon realise that colliding with an iceberg just a foot across is like hitting a floating rock.
Our lookout in the bow manages to haul aboard some chunks of ice from a passing berg. Each boat is dispatched with two bottles of whisky and glasses. Being in the bow, I have the job of filling up glasses and passing them to passengers. Eight-year-old whisky served with 10,000 year-old ice. The freezing cold seems suddenly bearable after three swigs.
We drift to within half a kilometre of the glacier cliffs; quite close enough, I decide, after seeing the effect of a small ice fall: a frightening boom, a cloud of ice dust, a huge splash followed by waves up to half a metre high radiating across the lagoon. This happens every 10 minutes or so. Up and down bobs the boat. Hearts flutter.
After lunch we leave the lagoon and cruise northward through the fiords, finally reaching Puerto Chacabuco after breakfast the next day.
Evangelistas Cruise
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The Evangelistas seems a long way off on Laguna San Rafael
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We watch the huge Navimag transbordador Evangelistas arrive from up north, lower its front door and discharge seemingly a never-ending stream of trucks and private cars chockers with everything but the kitchen sink.
This ship serves the double purpose of vehicle transportation from Puerto Montt to Chacabuco and, once unloaded of cargo, it becomes a cruise ship to explore the southern fiords for a few days. The 250 passengers from Puerto Montt have a day of optional bus tours in the mountains and to Coyhaique while the change to cruise ship takes place. Eight more passengers join the ship at Puerto Chacabuco.
We explore the huge ferry with its 3 decks of reclining armchairs, lounges and snack bars. It can take over 400 passengers. All meals are provided, served over several sittings in order to cope with the multitude. Plain fare for budget customers.
A fun feature of the Evangelistas cruise are the nightly discos and the crew organized a riotous concert on the vehicle deck the night on leaving San Rafael. The fantastic scenery remains the same as does the close approach to the glacier by lifeboat.
Isla Grande de Chiloé
We go by bus from Puerto Montt to Ancud (population 20,000), an attractive fishing port on the north end of Chiloé, an island 180 km long and 50 km wide.
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Fuerte San Antonio at Ancud, Chiloé
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A vehicle ferry takes the bus across the channel. The bus terminal is on the outskirts of town so we hire a taxi to go and see the old Spanish fort having many cannon guarding the harbour. A short walk downhill brings us to the busy port where fishing boats discharge not only many fish species, but crabs, shellfish and seaweed.
Ancud's Regional History Museum located on the main plaza is well worth a visit with special art displays. An enjoyable day is spent browsing the shops, lunching and finally we bus through to Castro 90kms south to stay overnight.
Castro (population 15,000), well known for its purple and orange-colored cathedral, is worth stopping at for a few days. There is a great craft market with woollen goods on the waterfront where I note with envy a Skorpios cruise ship moored.
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Wooden church at fishing village Achao, Chiloé
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We spend a day a-roaming, colectivo to Dalcahue, a handcraft center where we scoff seafood empanadas. Next we take the ferry to neighboring Isla Quinchao and bus out to the fishing village of Achao where there is a beautiful wooden church being restored and many picturesque bars and restaurants. The Dalcahue flea market on Sunday mornings is worth a visit.
My last trip here took in the village of Chonchi by the sea, to fish nearby Lago Tarahuin for trout, and Cucao on the wild Pacific coast which has excellent hiking in the National Park. Anglers should head towards the river mouth to tangle with hefty sea-run fish.
It is an easy morning bus trip from Castro to the southern fishing port of Quellón 92 kms distant. In the afternoon we catch the overnight vehicular ferry to Puerto Chacabuco. A few days stopover at Coyhaique (population 50,000) is a must-do excursion and being 80kms from the coast it has a nice sunny climate - it is the little "Santiago of the south" where all the townsfolk are smartly dressed.
To return northwards by bus via the Austral Highway to Chaitén, Caleta Gonzalo and Hornopirén is a bone-shattering experience requiring patience and fortitude. You can always take the regular ferry from Chaitén to Quellón or Puerto Montt, but the fiordland scenery along the main coastline is great and worth the effort to see if possible.
Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our South America Insiders page.
