Following Puma’s Fingerprints Winter 2018

Itinerary: 4 days, 3 nights

The new photographic safari seeks to discover the great biodiversity of the Torres del Paine National Park and at the same time find the puma.

The four-day itinerary covers places like Laguna Amarga, Lago Pehoe, Lago Sarmiento and Laguna Azul. Travelers, camera in hand, have the ability to portray the majesty of nature, guided by a professional photographer, Mauricio Escalona, who has studied the area for years, discovering the best places to get amazing images.

In this safari, participants can discover the beauty of the rest of the Patagonian wildlife, with large herds of guanacos, foxes and a variety of birds, including the condor; one of the largest flying birds in the world, while a team wildlife photographers tracked the elusive puma for you.

Hostería Pehoe is located on the shore of Pehoe Lake, this cozy inn offers accommodations in Torres del Paine, surrounded by spectacular views of the mountains and forest. WiFi is available in public areas and is free of charge.

DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION

Punta Arenas Airport, Chile

DEPARTURE TIME

Departure at 10:00 AM from Punta Arenas Airport to Torres del Paine.

RETURN TIME

Approximately 17:00 PM at Punta Arenas Airport.

WEAR

Winter jacket, gloves, hat, first layer clothes, glasses, hiking boots and sunscreen.

INCLUDED

Professional instructor
Accommodations in a double room at Hostería Pehoe.
Transportation
All Meals
Entrance fee to Torres del Paine National Park.

NOT INCLUDED

Air ticket from Santiago/Pta. Arenas/Santaigo.

Photographic equipment

Alcoholic beverages

Travel insurance

Instructor gratuity

Any other use not specified in the program

Please Note: Minimum 2 persons required for the tour. This itinerary is meant as a guideline and can change due to the unpredictable nature of the wind and weather in Patagonia. On some occasions these conditions may require us to deviate from our intended itinerary, in which case we will provide the best available alternative. And we’ll make a great adventure of it!

It is very important to coordinate the flights from Santiago to Punta Arenas as there are several alternatives. You may also arrive a day early to Punta Arenas and coordinate pick you up at hotel.

Day 1

Punta Arenas / Torres del Paine

Our guide will meet you at the Punta Arenas airport. Transfer to Puerto Natales.

We immediately head towards Puerto Natales, a three-hour drive through the Patagonian pampa, making stops to take pictures of the amazing landscapes. Lunch in the city. Then we will go directly to our final destination Torres del Paine National Park.

Lodging in Notros Island at Hostería Pehoe, Pisco Sour welcome drink, dinner and meeting to discuss trip program.

Review the photographic equipment.
Tips for best Puma shots
Review locations.

Day 2

Workshop 1: Photographing the Pumas at Sarmiento Lake

We start our day at 7:30 AM with our delicious breakfast buffet in the lodge with a breathtaking view of the lake and the masisos. Then we head to Sarmiento Lake, where we may take puma’s pictures with the beautiful view of masiso on the background.

We return to the lodge at 7:00 PM for dinner, review our pictures and prepare for the next morning activities.

We review our pictures and show you:

Digital processing with Adobe Lightroom.
Crop, dodge and burn.
Sharpening.

Day 3

Workshop 2: Photographing the Pumas at Laguna Amarga

We start our day early at 8:30 AM with a delicious breakfast buffet at the lodge and then go to the Laguna Amarga area. On the way we can photograph the diverse wildlife of the park like the condor, foxes, guanacos among others.

Patagonian pumas, especially around Torres del Paine, are the largest race of the species in the Americas. With an uncommon higher density rate, this national Park and surroundings have become the most sought-after places to watch and photograph wild pumas on Earth. This is mainly due to the stable growing of Guanaco’s populations in the Patagonian steppes, and the protection that Puma has been granted in the past years.

Return to the hotel and dinner at 7:00 PM. We review our pictures and show you:

Digital processing with Adobe Lightroom 2.
Organizing our files.
Ready for printing.

Day 4

Torres del Paine / Punta Arenas

This is our last day. Those wishing to take pictures of dawn will do so in the viewpoint of the island. Then we will have breakfast, we will prepare our luggage and lunch in Puerto Natales. We’ll be stopping to take pictures of the road and end up in Punta Arenas airport to take the flight back to Santiago.