Dates April 10–21, 2006
Leader John Shaw and local guides
Fee $3,495 from Balmaceda, Chile
Deposit $400
Limit 16
Terms and Conditions
Beyond the famous towering massifs of Fitzroy and Torres del Paine, and the stereotypically desolate windswept pampas, Patagonia is also home to a largely undiscovered landscape where cyan-colored lakes, crystalline rivers, soaring snowcapped mountain peaks and vast blue-green ice fields emerge in counterpoint to the surrounding fall-colored magenta hillsides of luxuriant southern beech trees.

These are the relic forests of ancient Gondwanaland, where “Tolkienesque” Middle Earth woodlands of lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) and nirre (Nothofagus antarctica) blaze with unexpected crimson grandeur. These luminous forests offer an April photo shoot of the Southern Hemisphere’s autumn color extravaganza that rivals any place on Earth!

Along with photographing vibrant fall colors, we’ll shoot the snowcapped peaks, hanging glaciers, rushing streams and granite spires that can be seen on all sides. In one small area, the volcanic peaks of the central lakes district give way to the granite summits of the Southern Andes as well as to the golden grasslands of the Patagonian steppe.
In this grassland, herds of guanacos are always a good possibility and we will watch for them as we traverse a variety of photogenic habitats during our journey. We’ll visit the stunning Cavernas de Mármol, or Marble Caves, near the town of Puerto Tranquilo. Photography here is reminiscent of the swirling sandstone forms of Arizona’s Antelope Canyon—only sculpted in marble!

“Central” Patagonia is a little-known land of incredible scenic beauty and natural wonders that is off-the-beaten-track for most visitors traveling to the famous Patagonian national parks to the south. Not surprisingly, that makes the district a new and noteworthy destination for serious landscape photography. The combination of exhilarating fall colors, wild and pristine scenery, a tasty local cuisine, and comfortable accommodations promises an extraordinary photographic destination. This trip can be combined with our spectacular Patagonia’s Mountain Landscapes Photo Safari.




Day 1
Depart on overnight flights from the US to Santiago, Chile.

Day 2
Arrive in Santiago in time to connect with a late morning flight to the Balmaceda airport. We drive to Coyhaique, the regional capital, with a population of 42,000 inhabitants. At our hotel we’ll have an orientation meeting and dinner. (D)

Day 3
Our search for images of fall color starts at Dos Lagunas Natural Monument and Coyhaique National Reserve—surrounded by dense deciduous beech forests and snowcapped peaks. (BLD)

Day 4
Departing early, we gain elevation traversing some of the most colorful and photogenic beech forests of the region. We continue by way of the Ibañez mountain pass to shoot one of Patagonia’s most photogenic peaks—Cerro Castillo (Castle Mountain)—and then continue to Puerto Guadal. (BLD)

Day 5
We journey to Cochrane, photographing along the Rio Baker with its striking blue color and into the high steppes. (BLD)

Day 6
We continue exploring the Cochrane area, capturing images along the coasts of Lago Esmeralda and Lago Chacabuco, and the surrounding mountain peaks. We drive to our comfortable lodge located on the scenic shore of Lago General Carrera. (BLD)

Days 7–9
We spend these next 3 days photographing at the fantastic Marble Caves, the incredible Rio Exploradores Valley—a fantasyland of rock and ice with dramatic hanging glaciers, rushing streams, and photogenic granite towers—and along the southern coast of Lago General Carrera, South America’s second largest lake and the continent’s deepest.
The area also has a wealth of picturesque farms with working gauchos to tempt our photographic creativity. (BLD)

Day 10
We return to Coyhaique today searching out our last images of colorful beech forests, some festooned with hanging lichens that impart the trees a primeval aura. (BLD)

Day 11
We return to Balmaceda airport and fly to Santiago and connect with flights home. Participants continuing on the Patagonia’s Mountain Landscapes tour fly to Punta Arenas. (B)

Day 12
Arrive home.


Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris, Inc. P.O. Box 655, Vashon Island, Washington USA 98070
Phone: (206) 463-5383   Fax: (206) 463-5484    Email: info@photosafaris.com
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