On my second day in Chile as part of the USTOA 2010: Out of the Country Meeting in Chile, my group and I left the Grand Hyatt Santiago at around 6:30 a.m. for a flight to Balmaceda.
The flight took roughly three hours, including a short stop in Puerto Montt. We then took a nearly three-hour bus ride to Puerto Chacabucu, but first stopped in the small town of Coyhaique on the way.
Coyhaique is small shopping town with restaurants and markets, and basically the perfect spot to stretch your feet, do some shopping and grab something to eat before continuing the journey to Puerto Chacabucu. It is about 30 minutes from Balmaceda.
Once we arrived in Puerto Chacabucu, we took a five-hour long catamaran trip aboard the Patagonia Express. The catamaran is the boat used by the Puyuhuapi Lodge and Spa and is included in packages offered by the hotel. The catamaran includes a late lunch, an open bar and some spectacular views of the mountains of Chile.
We finally arrived at the Puyuhuapi Lodge and Spa around 8:30 p.m. on the small island of Puyuhuapi in the heart of Patagonia.
Once we all took a quick dip in one of the many hot springs offered by the hotel, we made our way to a terrific dinner, which, like most meals in Chile, included a lot of wine and some tasty dishes. I highly recommend the pork ribs.
It was then off to my room, Superior Room #205, for some much needed sleep before I tackled the Queulat National Park for a two-hour hike.
As you can probably gather, the trip isn’t exactly easy and requires a little patience, but once guests get to Puyuhuapi, it is well worth it. Recommend this for affluent, travel savvy clients.
Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for more updates throughout my trip.