When I started to realise that the weather would play a bigger part in my vacation in Southern Chile than I had thought it would, I began to worry about my trip to visit the only king penguin colony outside of the South Pole. Luckily everything went the way it was planned, even though we at one point were stuck on the Big Island as the ferry back to the mainland had been temporarily halted. One of my tour mates had her tour cancelled the day before due to the weather conditions.
Shortly after I was picked up at the hotel, we boarded the first ferry of the day, from Punta Arenas to Porvenir. A little over 2 hour long ride, during which I somehow fell asleep… Did go out on deck to see if I could spot some dolphins, no such luck.
Our first stop on the Tierra del Fuego tour was Plaza Selk’nam in Porvenir. A memorial to the indigenous people.
Second stop was at the Fernando Cordero Rusque museum, also in Porvenir. Must say it wasn’t a big deal. What stood out was the elephant seal skeleton, the dugout canoe, and the black and white photography outdoor display. The stop here lasted a lot longer than I would have chosen to, but when you’re part of a tour, you’re part of a tour – patience is a virtue 🙂
Then lunch was on the agenda. And what a lunch! At Nacho’s in Porvenir the portions are huuuuge, really really tasty, plenty of dishes to choose from, and there’s nothing Mexican about it 😀 One of the highlights of the day! PS! Cost of lunch is not included in tour price.
When visiting all these spots in Porvenir, we also got a glimpse of the small town far south in Chile.
Next we were off to Mirador Hain. Another memorial and a viewing point of Porvenir.
Then king penguins!!! The reason I went 😀 Parque Pingüino Rey is the only king penguin colony outside of the South Pole, so as long as the South Pole is still in the distant future, I was not going to miss this opportunity. Unfortunately once again weather came into play. Because of the strong winds, the penguins had taken cover, unlike the stupid humans that came to visit, so even though we could spot them in the distance, and make them out, it was not as close as I had hoped. That is when optical zoom, photo editing software, and binoculars help out. Our guide shot really cool pics through the binoculars – practice makes perfect he said, when I tried myself 😀 After you have paid your entrance fee, not included in the tour price, can be paid by card, you enter the grounds that consist of two observation hides with binoculars, and trails linking them, and the penguins’ turf. Even though this wasn’t optimal, I had a good time, and did not regret doing the tour.
Cerro Sombrero was kind of a curiosity. A village growing out of a residential and service centre founded in 1958 for the National Petroleum Company. Most of what we saw were remains of what they had back then, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, botanical garden, but the community centre is still in use, and we got to sit in on the upcoming show’s rehearsal.
Ok, who would have thought rusting shipwrecks would be this interesting? Not me, so I was a bit: ok, whatever, when we got off the minibus. But this was really cool! I bet the sun going down had something to do with it 🙂 Made our way down a sandy beach, sinking, in the wind, free face exfoliation 🙂 Barca Ambassador and Vapor Amadeo definitely shone. The deserted buildings adjacent were a former estancia, cattle ranch.
Then it was just one more thing, the second ferry, taking us back to the mainland, from Bahia Azul to Punta Delgada. A 20 min ride on a teeny tiny vessel. Luckily it was running again shortly after it had been halted due to the weather.
During this tour there was some time spent on the road. Here are some shots of the scenery swooshing by, including some wildlife, ostriches and flamingos, a.k.a. pink dots 😀
On this tour I went with Patagonia Tours. Since their website is in Spanish only, I sent them an e-mail, and got an answer right away. Very helpful, and answering all my questions. Paid through Western Union. The day before the tour, I got a reminder on WhatsApp. The guide made sure the three English speaking guests were taken good care of. Great guy! All but the entrance to the penguin park and lunch were included in the price. The penguin park fee and lunch you can pay by credit card. The tour lasts 11 hours.
What a great trip! Love the coloured buildings and of course the penguins! Flamingos too – how exciting! #FarawayFiles
I was initially there for the penguins only, but I got so much more. Had a great time!
What a fabulous trip. I was lucky to get to Antarctica some years ago but have yet to see King Penguins. Its very much on the list! #farawayfiles
Oh, lucky you! After this taster, I am even more eager to go to Antarctica.
Ah – so cool! It’s crazy though that penguins and flamingos are in the same place – I think of them as so tropical and so arctic and so different! Thanks for sharing your very interesting tour with #FarawayFiles. Cheers from Denmark.
That is actually true, I have never thought of it that way 🙂