channel of last hope (ultima esperanza)

AlexanderA805

We stayed in Puerto Natales as our base for visiting Patagonia and the town is located on this large, scenic channel or fjord. All the local hotels provide boat tours to visit glaciers, colonies of cormorants, a salmon nursery and many waterfalls that spill into the fjord. It would be worth your time to take one, but be aware that the unpredictable weather may cause cancellations on very short notice.

PSchicke

Navigating the Patagonian fjords will undoubtedly be a memorable experience as it was for us. The boat rides offered from Puerto Natales will take you on the same path that some 460 years ago the Spaniard explorer, Juan Ladrillero, sailed in search of the occidental entrance to the Magellan Strait, the natural connection between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. These navigations were a full-day experience that depart from the docks in Puerto Natales around 7:30am and return at 5:30pm. The journey took us to the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers, the first of which will be seen from the boat, while the second required an easy 30 min hike to get right up to the front of the ice. During the ride we passed by many sea lions and Cormorant communities, encountered many different marine and land birds, and got to see the untouched flora of Bernando O´higgins National Park.

Mr_Klingeldraht

After having visited "Torres del Paine" it was rather mediocre. Nothing really spectacular. We did the trip to glacier Serrano, which I do not recommend either. It was also really expensive.

cewcil

We passed this channel on our cruise to Serrano Balmaceda. It was a nice channel and we even managed to do some bird watching!

Macallan01

The weather wasn't great when we took a boat through the channel. But still saw waterfalls and seals along the way. Then stopped and walked up a path to a glacier (can't remember the name). Icebergs in the water and firebush all around - very unexpected.

Lilianeneves

This boat trip is really worth!!! We saw he fjords, many birds, waterfalls, Glaciers, and stoped for a lunch at Estancia Perales... And when we thought it couldn't get any better, our boat was surrounded by dolphins!!!! Great!

Jitule

The all day trip is worth for the money it costs. Many animals and gletchers Balmaceda and Serrano make your trip unforgetable. The dinner in one of the farms on the bank of Ultima Esperanza is rich and there is enough different sorts of meat. Even if the weather wasn´t nice, teh pictures we made are real beautiful. Raincoat is very necessary!

MariaNunes

I went to the day tour of "navegacion" which also included a great (delicious) lunch at Estancia Perales.It was a very nice day.I loved the "navegacion" and being by the "glaciar" - it was really an amazing experience.Be prepared for cold weather!

BIZAS

After the glacier Grey in the park , the two glaciers Balmaceda and Serrano offered of the full day tour by boat Ultima Esperanca fjiord were poor relatives.The BBQ excellent thgough

KansasSwede

This is a different place, well worth a visit. Great views. Enjoy it!

tantallon3

Last Hope Bay is a long arm of the Pacific which swings by Puerto Natalis and goes miles up to the base of the mountains. A spectacular trip from The Singular to the Cerrano glacier

JWRAustin_TX

The strait of Ultima Esperanza leads to the Balameda Glacier, very spectacular as it creeps down the mountain toward the waters of the strait. The boat ride from Puerto Natales was several hours long and the boat was packed with mostly day-trippers, many of them Chilean, I think. Seals can be seen in caves just above the water line and there are supposed to be condors that sometimes visit. We were on our way to a small ranch with guest cabins where we spent a day and a couple of nights before heading for Glacier Grey and the Torres del Paine.

FolkRod

The Navigation to Bernardo O'Higgins National Park departs from Puerto Natales dock every morning. It is a beautiful journey surrounded by mountains, pristine forests and islands, hanging glaciers.. lots of wildlife and the stunning Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers.. really a beautiful trip! Book it with Punta Alta or 21 de Mayo. The only companies doing daily navigation to there! The trip includes a visit to a traditional estancia, drinks and patagonic lamb barbeque.. this trip it is definitely a must-do

dearsoum

Something about this just tugs at your heartstrings. The expanse of blue water, to know its name means The last Hope, the tall peaks surrounding it and all the glaciers feeding it, this is no ordinary water body! There are boating options available and a few upmarket hotels overlooking it from really near, plus some interesting seating and play areas for an entire family to behold its beauty. And to think it lies in this quaint and beautiful town Puerto Natales, which though thousands of miles away from home@India seemed to be just the place I would love to settle in :). Maybe thats MY Ultima Esperanza !

KilburnAngie

We took a boat trip early one morning to the Bernardo O'Higgins National Park to see the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers. It was a lovely way to spend the day. On the way up the fjords we passed some wildlife and smaller glaciers.Our catamaran took us to the park where we disembarked and walked up near to, the glacier with our guide passing a beautiful frozen lake on the way. We were rewarded with a pisco or whisky on the rocks when we returned to the catamaran.After our trip to the park we were back on our catamaran and off to lunch at an estancia where we had barbecued lamb before making our way back to Puerto Natales.The scenery was amazing, it was a great trip and good value for money. I would definitely recommend this if you have time when in Puerto Natales.