A Taste of Home in One of the Most Remote Places on Earth
It's not quite the end of the world—but it's close. Arriving by plane, I gaze out the window to see the small Chilean city of Puerto Natales surrounded by vast, unforgiving terrain. Another city, Punta Arenas, lies about 200 kilometres south, and Argentina's Ushuaia is even further down, yet this spot feels like the edge of existence. Set on the shore of Patagonia's intricate fjord network, icy waters disappear among snowy mountains that stretch toward the horizon, their serrated peaks cutting through the clouds.
Remote and Wild: Puma Tracking Adventures
Remote... and wild. I wake up early, well before sunrise, to join a group heading from the city into the surrounding wilderness for the day. With guides from the local tour company Chile Nativo, we're focused on finding one thing: pumas. There are thought to be about 300 in the region, and for the best chance to spot them, you need to be up early when they're hunting.
The van makes a quick stop on a desolate road, where our guide uses binoculars before ushering us into the crisp air. He points to a ridge about 150 metres away, where I can see a slinking spot of yellow-grey fur with my bare eyes. Through my camera's zoom, it more clearly resembles a young male, possibly a new alpha, as I'm told. In the opposite direction, a silhouette atop a crest marks a guanaco, a native llama-like animal acting as sentinel for its group, but we leave before either spots the other.
We receive a heads-up that a short drive away, an older female puma is sitting under a tree closer to the road. When we arrive, I easily see her licking her paws, perhaps cleaning after a meal. Occasionally, she looks over at us. "You feel the power of nature when you see its eyes," our guide says quietly, capturing the raw essence of this wild encounter.
The Colossal Power of Nature: Torres del Paine National Park
Out here, you also feel the power of nature in the colossal. We're on the edge of the mountainous Torres del Paine National Park, a huge expanse and a major drawcard. Most people staying in Puerto Natales use the city as a base to explore the park, with the nearest entry about 80 kilometres away. While I spend four days within its borders, hiking the famous W Trek, it's possible to do a day trip to the base of the towers for the most iconic view.
Across a glacial lake of milky green, surrounded by a basin of gravel and snow, the three towers of jagged granite rise more than a kilometre high. It's an incredible sight... and an adventure. Even the day trip involves a steep round hike of about eight hours, testing endurance but rewarding with breathtaking scenery.
From Puerto Natales, plenty of other tours explore the park in a more relaxed way, with interesting landscapes and viewpoints accessible from the road. Our puma-tracking trip with Chile Nativo stops on the southern shore of Lake Nordenskjld for a panoramic vista of the whole Paine Massif. This 24-kilometre-long mountain group of sharp spires includes the Torres (Towers) and the aptly-named Cuernos (Horns), showcasing Patagonia's dramatic geology.
By Land and Water: Exploring Grey Lake and Glacier
Another morning, I discover some of the national park by boat on a cruise of Grey Lake, about the size of Sydney Harbour. There's no life in the lake because the thick sediment that gives the water its grey colour blocks sunlight. Yet it still feels so alive with rich blue icebergs drifting across. At the far end, I am supposed to go kayaking, but the wind is too strong. Instead, I'm taken on a zodiac right up to the face of Grey Glacier.
"The Southern Patagonian Icefield is like a hand with 48 fingers, and this is one of them," the guide explains as I look in awe at the hulking wall of ice shimmering and cracking. This experience highlights the raw, untamed beauty of Patagonia's glacial landscapes.
Puerto Natales: A Remote Refuge with Warm Hospitality
Back in town, you rarely forget that Puerto Natales is a remote refuge. Wind and rain often howl down its streets, most lined with low-rise houses made of weatherboard and corrugated iron to suit the elements, painted colourfully as a contrast. But there are also worthwhile things to see, like the handful of heritage buildings around the main square, Plaza de Armas, and the promenade along the water.
I walk this coastal path quite a few times from my hotel, Remota Patagonia Lodge, about two kilometres from the city centre. A gorgeous property with a design inspired by Patagonian barns, it feels rustic and modern at the same time, full of local furnishings, high ceilings, and large windows to stare out at the fjords and snowy peaks.
Despite—or perhaps because—so many people in Puerto Natales are simply using the city as a base for adventures, there's a friendly and warm atmosphere when you enter its small businesses and close the door on the cold air outside. The beers and burgers hit the spot at Slowly Bar, and some of the best food is at Lenga Restaurant, where a fine-dining chef serves well-priced Chilean dishes in what feels like a family dining room.
Before you leave for your Patagonian adventures, pop into Last Hope Distillery, set within just another house at the end of a residential block. Inside, you'll find a quaint little cocktail bar run by two Australians who arrived here in 2015 to hike the W Trek and fell in love with the region. In one of the most remote places on Earth, the Last Hope will feel like home, offering a comforting slice of familiarity amid the wild expanse.
