HIDDEN AND SURPRISING PLACES IN CHILEAN PATAGONIA

A fjord is a valley that is found completely submerged under water. It is a result of the weight of melting glaciers that have been receding over hundreds of years. As the glaciers melt, large valleys are sculpted from the land and water from the nearby ocean fills them, creating a fjord. Fjords combine fresh water from their neighboring glaciers and salt water from the ocean, forming a double ecosystem. This is unique because deep beneath the surface there is a large diversity of marine fauna due to its salinity, while on the surface something totally different occurs. 

 

In Chilean Patagonia, you’ll find many narrow but long channels surrounded by snow-covered mountains and glaciers. One of the most famous channels is the Fjord of the Mountains, an exclusive area lined with ice-capped peaks, lush vegetation and mountains with glaciers cascading down their faces. It has a narrow entrance to the deep sea, exceeding 200mts, which is the result of glacial erosion and allows visitors to visit the area via water. Here, visitors are surrounded by many dream-like opportunities to hike through pristine landscapes similar to those found in Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Chile. 

 

The Fjord of the Mountains is oriented from north to south, and can have winds up to 160kms per hour. Inside this fjord you’ll find the Bernal Glacier, an area protected by CONAF and is considered one of Chilean Patagonia’s hidden treasures. This spectacular area has a characteristic U-shape, which is like a tongue of water detached from a glacier. At the tip of the fjords it is common to find accumulated rocks, a result of glacial erosion over hundreds of years ago. 

 

The Fjord of the Mountains is a virgin landscape just 60km from Puerto Natales. It has 66km in length and it is located in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, between mountains and still waters. Although rugged, it is full of extensive vegetation, native fauna and five glaciers stretching down from the Sarmiento Mountain Range: Bernal, Hermán, Encina, Alsina and Paredes. 

 

One of the most well-known glaciers in the area is the Bernal Glacier, an icy formation in its terminal stage, allowing visitors to enjoy the entire process of thawing history in one place. Here, it is possible to see flora that is already colonizing in a space that for thousands of years was occupied by a glacier. 

 

Meanwhile, the Alsina Glacier, shows off a multicolored moraine and a massive ice wall that glistens with the reflection of the sun. To arrive, you’ll pass through a small channel filled with floating icebergs and a mountain backdrop shifting from green to white- a truly unforgettable vision! 

 

The beauty of hidden secrets in the depths of Patagonia surprises even the most experienced travelers. Discover how to explore the beauty of the Fjords, Mountains and Glaciers here: http://bit.ly/2YvAg4Z