Overview
Welcome to Patagonia
To many people, the word Patagonia conjures up myths and legends at the end of the earth. El fin del Mundo. A land of monsters, roaring seas, freezing winds and empty spaces.
Patagonia has always been an evocative place. To the first explorers it was a land of monsters, untamed and unknown. To the Victorians, the archetypal wilderness, a place at the end of the world where the restrictions of polite society could be escaped. To recent commentators, it is a land of exiles and nomads, who, from the first Indians to the refugees and bandits of the twentieth century, have been arriving at the end of the world with nowhere else left to go.
The Torres del Paine National Park, the center point of most of BlueGreen’s trips, is situated in the far south of Patagonia. It is Chile’s most prized national park. Its 180,000 hectares of diverse scenery and wild landscape on the edge of the southern ice fields is one of the largest sources of temperate-zone glaciers in the world. It lies 120 kilometers north of Puerto Natales. The park was created in 1959 and was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978. Before that, it was part of a huge sheep estancia.
The name ‘Paine’ (pronounced ‘pie-nee’) comes from a Tehuelche Indian word meaning ‘blue’. The ‘Torres’ are named after three spectacular granite peaks, the highest reaching 2,900 meters, that form the centrepiece of Torres del Paine. These dramatic peaks are part of the Cordillera del Paine, the youngest mountain range on earth. Other notable peaks include Paine Grande at 3,050 meters and Los Cuernos (the Horns) that range from 2,200 to 2,600 meters. Forests, steppe lands, lakes and valleys surround them.
BlueGreen Adventures extends a very warm welcome to those of you who want to experience the wilderness and beauty of Southern Patagonia and the Torres del Paine National Park.
Over a decade ago, this small family run company was founded with the desire to show the world the authentic Patagonia. BlueGreen’s priority since the beginning was to introduce not only this stunning landscape to guests – but also the people it sustains. While traveling amongst the iceberg-choked lakes, tall granite peaks, immense glaciers, windswept trees and unusual wildlife, BlueGreen wanted to encourage visitors to get to know and understand a little about the life of the hard working gauchos, estancia owners, park rangers and local families – the people that make this region so special.
A visit here is a once in a lifetime privilege and BlueGreen Adventures sets out to give guests a world-class experience that is worthy of the world-class surroundings.
BlueGreen has more than succeeded in their goal and their family has now expanded to include drivers, cooks, estancia owners, guides, administrators and their beloved string of Criollo horses.
Join a BlueGreen Adventure and you soon feel that you are traveling with an extended family. You will get to know on a first-hand basis everyone that is involved in your visit and feel the warmth and welcome that all guests and staff experience at every stop on their journey.
BlueGreen’s range of adventures has expanded too. In addition to quality run scheduled group trips involving hiking, riding, fishing, sea kayaking (or combinations of any of these activities), they can arrange estancia visits and lodge to lodge hikes. They also offer custom itineraries designed to suit you and your party, be it a couple wanting to visit the area in private, hiking some of the lesser known trails and staying at lovely converted estancias in comfort, or a group of family and friends looking for an exciting adventure. During these private trips guests can combine different outdoor activities tailored to their specific desires; perhaps mixing remote camping days with some welcoming wilderness lodges. BlueGreen specializes in putting together these unique and exciting itineraries and making them memorable from start to finish.
The Blue Green Adventures base is located in the waterfront town of Puerto Natales, the gateway to the wilderness of southern Patagonia. Located beside the beautiful Seno de Ultimo Esperanza (Last Hope Sound), this quaint smallish town of about 20,000 residents offers clean air, wonderful views across the water and accessibility to one of the world’s greatest National Parks, Torres del Paine. A quintessential frontier town very much at the end of the world; paved roads, phone lines and internet connections all end here. This is the jumping off point to your adventure. Their bright, friendly office is situated in the center of town and there is always someone available to answer any questions or help plan your visit to the area. Guests are welcome to stop by for a chat and a warm maté. They can store luggage, charge batteries, look at maps, enjoy a game of ping pong or ask about the ‘hot’ fishing holes of the moment. BlueGreen maintains VHF radio contact with groups from here and can usually get in contact with guests in case of emergencies, wherever they may be in the wilderness.
BlueGreen also owns and maintains a base camp cabin on the Serrano River in the western sector of Torres del Paine National Park – also with VHF contact. Storing food supplies, equipment, kayaks, and fishing gear here, this serves as BlueGreen’s remote home during the summer months as well as adding a sense of security to guests when the weather gets bad. Spontaneous cookouts are a feature here through the summer months.
BlueGreen Adventures has an Environmental and Social Sustainability Policy. They are committed to providing authentic and unique experiences for conscientious travelers visiting the pristine wilderness areas that make up Torres del Paine National Park and the surrounding areas. They do so in a way that minimizes impact on the environment: encouraging interaction with the local people and raising environmental awareness by providing information about the unique features of this World Unesco Heritage site.
BlueGreen Adventures is a company are committed to these philosophies. As they grow, by hiring locally as a company preference, they are infusing badly needed wages in this very poor region. BlueGreen is working towards Green Globe certification as evidence to all of our long term commitment to environmental and socially sustainable practices.
BlueGreen Adventures has evolved, but their philosophy remains the same. They still spend their free time researching new trails, riding and walking them and meeting and sharing with local Patagonians. BlueGreen still invests a great deal in local people and resources. Their baqueanos have been with them for years and are part of the BlueGreen family. Guides are valued experts in their field. Criollo horses offer strength, willingness and honesty whether they are carrying clients or their supplies. And their clients, many of whom have become friends, come back year after year because they know that a BlueGreen Adventure will always be unique, well planned, challenging and surprising.
BlueGreen invites you to join them in a travel experience that positively impacts the people and places they treasure.
Affiliations
- LATA
- Green Globe
- Sustainable Travel International
Payments Accepted
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- Personal Checks
- Wire Transfer
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Reservation Policy
Reserve your place on a scheduled or custom Patagonia tour and include any questions you may have by contacting BlueGreen via email. They will promptly answer any questions and send you a booking form and a copy of their booking conditions to complete, sign and return together with your deposit payment of US$400 per person.
Cancellation Policy
a)If you cancel your booking more than eight weeks prior to the start of the trip, any money paid, less the deposit will be refunded.
b)If you wish to cancel your booking at any time after payment of a deposit, the following terms apply: - 56 Days or more: Deposit
- 28-55 Days: 50% of trip cost
- Less than 28 Days: 100% of trip cost
Other Travel Offerings
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