It is not all planes, trains, and automobiles!

Planes, trains, and automobiles? More like buses, cabs, ferries, and feet! Since we started our land travel over four months ago we have used planes three times--when we first flew to Peru, to Santiago from the Atacama Desert, and to Puerto Natales from Santiago. We've rented a car once in the Atacama Desert. Otherwise, we have relied solely on buses (both local and long-haul), remís/taxis/Uber, and our own feet. Has it always gone smoothly? No! But we have learned a lot, collected plenty of "remember that one bus/taxi" stories, saved some money, traveled with the locals, and seen some amazing scenery. 

The planes, the one rental care, and that bus/van ride in the desert that we will ALL remember! 

Taxis aren't just for getting around town down here. In Peru, we took a two-hour taxi ride to Ollantaytambo, and another several hour ride back to Cusco that included a few hours touring some ruins while our driver hung out. And at less than $50 each those trips were a steal for our family! Even the smallest towns we've been in have taxis or remís (like a private taxi/chauffeur), but we don't use them much. We tend to take taxis/Uber anytime our stay is more than a 15-minute walk from the transportation terminal. We can each handle our backpacks just fine, but we (Frank) also carry a 15kg of school books--need I say more? Those rides usually only cost us around $5.

That cute bag has 15-16kg of books in it! Taxi drivers are always a little surprised! Our taxi experiences have all been pretty awesome so far.

Peru was definitely where we learned that long-haul bus schedules weren't to be trusted when it came to arrival times! Road work and traffic often had us arriving later than planned, but only once so far has a bus delay caused us to miss a connection and a night of booked accommodations and required me to cancel/buy bus tickets, book a hotel, change border crossing plans, and cancel/book a rental car! That one experience has led us to take our slow travel even slower, intentionally adding an overnight stay between bus connections rather than trusting a five-hour layover. This also gives us time in towns that we would have otherwise skipped (like Rio Gallegos, Argentina, where locals really liked hearing about where we were from and what we were doing in their town!). 

#buslife can sometimes mean a lot of traffic delays, patiently waiting for hours between buses, and getting coffee as soon as the cafe opens, but the crew is holding up well! Our rides have been a mix of boring, fun, and oh so memorable. #whatisthatsmell 

Peru is also where we learned about the seat options! While some short routes only have "classic" seats that recline a smidge, most routes we have been on have at least semi-cama (semi-bed) seats and the really nice ones are full cama (bed)! The semi-cama seats usually recline somewhere between 120 and 140 degrees and have some sort of footrest. The full cama recline a full 180 degrees with a footrest that extends the full bed even further! We have decided that full cama is pretty much always worth the extra money, and pretty much a requirement for any route over 12 hours. It's like you have your own little cocoon! And since I travel with an eye mask and earplugs, I have actually been enjoying these bus rides. We also get to see so much of the country, including lots of animals that some people pay for tours to go see (I mean, we have seen LOTS of llamas, alpaca, guanaco, and ñandu!).

While the semi-camas are fine (top), the full cama (bottom) has spoiled us!

We have crossed four international borders via bus so far and each was done a little differently based on the customs and immigration procedures, but one thing has been consistent--the bus drivers are PROS at moving people along and helping direct everyone (including international travelers) through the process. Sometimes they basically go to the counter, get a window cordoned off just for the bus, then we all skip a huge line of other people crossing. That's helpful! Our most recent border crossings in Patagonia added a new dimension--ferries! Twice we crossed the Strait of Magellan while riding a bus. The bus just drives onto the ferry and off we go! We can get off the bus and enjoy the fresh air during the crossing, too (really appreciated on the "hella hot" bus). And being boaters and having lived in Seattle, we always enjoy a ferry ride. 

"We're on a boat!" Crossing the Strait of Magellan via ferry at Bahia Azul.

While in Cusco we took the local bus quite a bit, but haven't really had a need to since then. I think that will change as we head to more cities in northern Argentina, so that will be fun to learn! You can also take "collectivos" in some towns, where a mini bus fills up with people and heads along a route. We actually used a collectivo for our border crossing between Peru and Chile and it worked out really well. 

And...we walk! Once we check in to a new place we head out and grab some food or groceries and get the lay of the land. Everywhere we have stayed has had a supermarket or bodega within a five minute walk. When we need something, we just go grab it! I love that there are so many small stores serving the communities so that the streets don't have to be full of cars heading off to big-box stores. Do they have those? In some places, yes, but they have so much more, too. Let's take our current place in El Calafate, Argentina as an example. The home is across the street from a park and two blocks off the main tourist street. Within a less than five-minute walk I can get to a grocery store, two different fruiteria/verdulerias, a panaderia, a school supply store, a sex toy shop, a hardware store, two barbers, a few pharmacies, a candy store, a health food store...and that's all without even stepping foot on the main tourist street that is full of shops and restaurants. 

Ok, it looks like a lot when piled on the ground together, but for four people it's not bad! When we make a move we each have our big backpack, at this point we each use a purse/daypack for "other" stuff, we have a computer bag, Frank carries the book bag, and I usually have a bag that we use for our lunch/food for the journey. As crazy as it seems, we are some of the lightest-loaded tourists we see!

I guess there is one other way we get around and that's tourist transportation. When we've booked tours (like Rainbow Mountain, the Inca Trail, Nazca flight, penguin tours, etc.) we've either been picked up at our lodgings or at a meeting point and taken buses/boats to the sites. Some places won't pick you up from an AirBnB so we just walk to the nearest hotel, but otherwise all of the tour pickups have been easy since we are usually staying right in town. 

Ok, I think that covers the "how the heck are they getting around South America" question! But if I've left something out, just leave us a comment or hit me up on Instagram and I'll get back to you!

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

El Fin Del Mundo--Ushuaia, Argentina

We executed our second border crossing via bus (which included a ferry ride across the Strait of Magellan) and successfully landed at "El Fin Del Mundo," Ushuaia, Argentina. This is our first time in Tierra del Fuego so we were all pretty excited. Why did we come here, the main departure point for cruises to Antarctica, if we weren't taking a cruise to Antarctica? Because...why not?!?! Tierra del Fuego is known for its natural beauty and fantastic hiking, and we thought it would be neat to spend New Year's as far south as you can go in South America (ok, you can go the wilderness a little further south in Chile, or visit Puerto Williams, Chile, but Ushuaia is regarded as the southernmost city in the world!). 

Ushuaia (oosh-why-ah)! Love the spring flowers here!

After a 10-hour bus ride we arrived around 7pm and settled into our AirBnB, giddy with joy at our view of Beagle Channel! Looking for an easy evening, we stumbled upon Cerveceria Grut '84 and had a great night of games, beers, and delicious food! The next day we settled into life--school, groceries, laundry--and were treated to a stunning rainbow over the channel. It really lifted my spirits!

My super perky crew handled the border crossing and long ride in a semi-coma (almost lie-flat) seat well! A stunning view of the Beagle Channel and a cerveceria at the end of the ride certainly helps...

My AirBnB selection was highly influenced by this balcony and the views of the Beagle Channel from it! We got to see several stunning rainbows during out stay.

We skipped school for a day, hopped on the local shuttle, and headed to Tierra del Fuego National Park. We started our day of hiking at the old Post Office, hiked for three hours along the Beagle Channel and through the woods, and had lunch at the visitor center. We hiked a little past the center for a great view our bus driver had told us about before heading down trails #1 & #3 to Bahía Lapataia. We had a spell of rainy/windy weather while we were on trail #1 and realizing we were approaching six hours of hiking, we opted to catch the shuttle back to town. It was so great that Frank and I went back again the next day while the kids did school so that we could do trails #4, #5, and #6, as well as do #1 again. That second day was very leisurely and we arrived back at the visitor center as the weather deteriorated. We visited the interpretive display inside the center before settling in by the fire with some beers to wait for the shuttle. Talk about a nice couple of days walking in the woods! 

Hiking at the End of the World is magical!

A few tips on TDFNP:

• You can get there via rental car, local shuttle, taxi, or a tour. We opted for the shuttle as there were multiple pickup times and locations which gave us flexibility with our return. There is no cell coverage in the park so if you taxi, you have to arrange a pickup location and time. The trails are really well marked and we don't like big groups, so we did not do a tour. Guides are probably awesome, but the visitor center gives lots of information about the flora, fauna, and history and we don't feel like we missed out.
• You can buy a two-day ticket that gives you 50% off for your second day. I'd highly recommend this if you have time in your schedule as there are plenty of trails to keep you busy.
• There is a restaurant in the visitor center if you don't want to pack in your own food. We didn't see any picnic tables/shelters on the trails we were on or at the visitor center, and you can't bring your own food into the restaurant tables. If it's raining, your best bet is to find a semi-protected area in the woods (or hang out in the vestibule of the visitor center, which is what we did briefly to enjoy our sandwiches). 
• If cruise ships are in town the more popular spots near the parking areas can be crazy or the visitor center can be packed. This happened on our second day--all of the restaurant tables were reserved for a Disney cruise and they came all at once! Any non-cruise diner was relegated to some cramped tables in a loft that had no view. We lucked out and eventually found some seats on the lower level in a little lounge room, but the crush of people was shocking after our peaceful hike!
• You can camp in the park! We didn't have a car or gear, but I would totally go for that option if I did. It's majestic.

Parents' Day Out! I think all parents should escape like this every once in a while. We had a peaceful day, a nice lunch on the water, and adult beverages by the fire. Ahhhh....

Our NYE dinner plans didn't exactly pan out, but we found empanadas, chips, and wine so it worked out! Local NYE action consisted of some air-raid sirens from the naval base and some ships in the harbor blowing their horns. We toasted, kissed, and were off to bed! New Year's Day we were back at school, but Frank and I walked the waterfront during a strangely wind-free period of the morning. The boys and I were going to head to Martial Glacier in the afternoon, but apparently most of the taxis are off for the holiday so we scrapped that plan and turned it into an afternoon/evening of relaxing and games. All good!

We also decided to splurge on another penguin excursion and it was totally worth it! This time we boarded a bus in a dreary, windy downpour and headed out to the Haberton Estate (the first Argentinian estancia in Patagonia back in the late 1800's). The rain had mostly stopped as we boarded a covered 400hp RHIB boat and zipped (ok, pounded into the waves) across the Beagle Channel for 20 minutes to arrive at the rookery on Martillo Island. This experience was somehow smaller and more intimate than the one we did on Magdalena Island in Punta Arenas (though we would still recommend that one, too). We again saw tons of Magellanic penguins (and their downy chicks!), but also saw a colony of Gentoo penguins! And the real treat? A pair of King penguins that found their way to the island six years ago and have been trying to establish themselves there (one egg last year, but the chick didn't make it). So amazing and despite the daily visitors these penguins just don't seem to care that you're there and walk all around you. We saw them walking, swimming, preening, mating, snoozing...loved it all!

A Beagle Channel boat ride AND PENGUINS! Can't believe we got to see a pair of King Penguins and we loved the Gentoo penguins and their unique, rocky nests!

There really is plenty to do in Ushuaia. Even with a week here we aren't hitting all the attractions because we have school and like to take things slow, but we did hit the Prison/Maritime Museum (Ushuaia was originally a penal colony) and hiked up to Martial Glacier.

We had snow and crazy winds (maybe 70kmph?) to get there, but it was worth it! The weather cleared as we approached the glacier and we had a fantastic view of Ushuaia below us! 

Being in Patagonia for over a month now has given us many opportunities to learn about the natives of the area and how explorers and missionaries "helped" the native Tehuelchans to extinction. Just as Peru reminded us of our nation's history with our natives, so has Patagonia. While we can't change it, we can recognize the atrocities, learn from them, and work to preserve the memory, beliefs, and even skills of the native cultures. For my part, I will continue to tell the story of "Lehe Paine" and the Tehuelche language that inspired it.

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

Punta Arenas--53 South

New city! Punta Arenas is definitely a little bigger than I was prepared for after Puerto Natales, but our place here is within walking distance of the city center and plenty of grocery and restaurant options. Our host offered up some good suggestions of things to check out in the area, too. We spent the first few days in Punta Arenas making sure we were all set for a cozy Christmas and learning more about this immigrant-rich area.

All around Punta Arenas

One of the suggestions we took was to visit Fort Bulnes. We joined a Brazilian couple for a cold, windy tour of this site of strategic importance. On the way there we stopped at the geographic center of Chile, which seems crazy at around 53S latitude until you realize that Chile claims a slice of territory in Antarctica. We also stopped in at the fishing village of Bahía Buena (Good Bay) and passed by and learned about Puerto del Hambre (Port Famine which is where, you guessed it, lots of folks died of famine trying to settle here). We visited the fort, walked through the forest and along the strait, and toured the Museum of the Strait. While the history of the fort and Chile's claim to the area was interesting, the highlight for us was talking to our guide, Eduardo, who shared a lot of information about the general history, people, and politics of the Magallenes region and we appreciate his openness. We also learned a bit about Brazil from our tour mates so that was a bonus!

"Center" of Chile and Bahía Buena

Fort Bulnes

Christmas Eve night is actually when Chileans have their big family gatherings for the holiday, but in the morning and early afternoon, everything was open and bustling! We were up super early to board a boat for a ride in the Strait of Magellan to Magdalena Island to see PENGUINS! This tour did not disappoint. Upon arrival at the island would could see thousands of Magallenic penguins and gulls. Tourists are kept on a very strict walking path, but the birds cross it freely and we were amazed at just how close we were to the birds and their nests. We were there durning a very special time--chicks had been hatching for three weeks and there were a bunch of cute, fluffy baby penguins and gulls! We also saw geese and skuas while we were there. It was awesome. Next we headed for Marta Island for observation of sea lions and cormorants from the boat. It was a little "brisk" and the ride was rough, but the whole experience was really great. I definitely enjoyed this Christmas present!

¡Los pingüinos!

After grabbing some amazing empanadas on our way back home, we had a relaxing Christmas Eve. We played some games, I made a simple cheese/bread/veggies spread, and we watched a movie before the kids gave gifts--I received a beautiful bracelet they'd had tucked away since Peru and Frank got whiskey. Christmas morning we ate pie and cake for breakfast, the kids got to open their gifts from us (snacks, a movie, and some makeup for the girl), and I was surprised with a gift of maté straws. It was simple and wonderful. That afternoon we enjoyed a nice late lunch/early dinner at La Yegua Local with amazing views of the city and the Strait of Magellan. The weather was spectacular so we enjoyed a nice walk through town before returning home. It was indeed a very merry Christmas.

Nothing quite like a relaxing Christmas Eve with my crew.

Gorgeous weather for our relaxing Christmas Day!

We got back to the school grind to finish out our time in Punta Arenas, but also squeezed in a little more culture. We visited Museo Nao Victoria and toured replicas of the Victoria (from Magellan's expedition), the Beagle (from the FitzRoy/Darwin expedition), the Ancud (from when Chile took possession of the Strait of Magellan) and the James Cairn (lifeboat from Shackleton's journey to save his crew in Antarctica). The Uber rides and $5000 pesos per person were definitely worth a visit to that very interesting, educational museum on the shores of the Strait of Magellan! 

On our last day in town Frank and I visited the Museo Naval y Maritimo, the Chilean Navy's museum, while the kids did school. It was a small museum highlighting the Armada's role in exploration and navigation of the area. We loved seeing a plaque from UNITAS in one of the rooms and I especially liked seeing a meteorological room. And being big geeks over the Shackleton expedition, we were really excited to learn more about the ship, Yelcho, and her Captain, Luis Alberto Pardo Villalón, who undertook the journey to rescue the crew of the Endurance. Later we all visited the Museo Maggiorino Borgatello, a diverse museum with exhibits about natural history, indigenous cultures, the southern expeditions and religious missions, regional history, and Antarctica. And on the way home we popped in to the municipal cemetery which is renowned for its beauty. 

Can't keep two Navy veterans out of a naval museum!

And with that (and one more crazy good meal at El Alambrado), our time in Chile has come to an end! A day-long bus ride will see us across the border to Argentina and on to new places, new currency, and new adventures! But there is no doubt that we love Chile (and would return to all of the places we visited) and have so much more to see of this beautiful country.

Vegetarian Pichanga and Meat Chorillana from El Alambrado. It's a ton of food, even with two people sharing the mediano! 

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

A bit of Last Hope, a sloth, and a move

We closed out our time in Puerto Natales with a week of school, relaxing, fútbol, enjoying this cute town, and history! We returned to the same AirBnB we stayed at before the "W" as we really enjoyed being in this local neighborhood, the house worked out great for school, and the house had great TV's for watching the World Cup final (hey, you pick you places your way and I'll pick mine my way!). 

We treated the kids to a night out at Last Hope Distillery for drinks (FANTASTIC mocktails!) and tapas and also took them with us for a night out at Indigo Hotel's restaurant which is where we originally learned about the meaning of "Paine" and the Tehuelche language so many years ago. While I love eating in and stretching our travel budget, it was really nice to have some nights out. The adults had one last date at Last Hope where we officially closed out our tour of the menu, having tried ALL of the cocktails and food on the entire December menu. We look forward to returning in a few years when their whiskey is ready!

We simply love Last Hope! Comfortable, friendly, and delicious!

We don't do "fancy" very often, but we enjoyed this trip down memory lane.

We decided to get one last tourist site in before we left town--la Cueva del Milodón! The cave was discovered at the end of the 19th century with skins and bones of a milodon, a giant, extinct sloth. We spent an afternoon exploring the big cave, as well as two smaller caves (which we actually preferred) and climbed up La Silla del Diablo, "The Devil's Chair," to take in the views and enjoy a snack. It was a nice, easy day of hiking in the hills. 

Cueva Grande and the milodón.

Cueva del Medio and the trail tunnel.

Deep inside Cueva Chica.

La Silla del Diablo.

When it was time to leave our comfort in Puerto Natales we packed up some sandwiches, grabbed our bags, and walked 10 minutes to the bus station. We enjoyed a three-hour ride south through beautiful country and saw tons of guanaco, nandu, and sheep along the way. And after another 10-15 minute walk, we were at our new home in Punta Arenas. This was a super easy transfer.

And then there was a bit of crazy! As we were being welcomed by our host, it was clear she was an American ex-pat so I asked where she was originally from. When she said "northern Illinois" I had to dig a little more. Turns out she was from Peru, Illinois, a whopping 30-minute drive from where I was born and raised. We live in such a small, wonderful world and I love the adventurers that we are meeting along the way!

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

The W--Torres del Paine National Park

We did it. We really did it. We hiked the "W" in Torres del Paine National Park with our children. Almost 16 years ago (and when we only had one kid), I remember lying in a tent on this very same trek and saying to Frank, "I want to bring our kids here someday." And we did it. A real dream come true.

The "W" trail (in yellow) and the "O" trail (in red) in Torres del Paine National Park.

Our 5-day trek started with an early morning walk to the bus station, a bus to Laguna Amarga where we checked in to the park, then another bus to the Welcome Center for Torre Central. We only had to walk about 10 minutes to the camp registration office where we checked in, got our meal tickets, and were able to drop our bags for the day's hike to one of the most famous views in the park, The Towers. We crossed a hanging bridge that we totally remembered from 16 years ago and we were off on our trek by 1000. We hiked about two hours to Refugio Chileno, then about an hour through the woods (my favorite!), then began our final hour's climb to the towers. This is where we got the first big surprise of the trip--SO MANY PEOPLE! With people coming down and people going up, there were several points of stand-still bottlenecks. The wind was whipping for our final 20 minutes of climbing, but we were blessed with clear skies and amazing views! But with so many people clustered around the lake we opted to hang back and enjoy a little solitude on a big rock with a pretty awesome view. I cried! It was so great seeing our kids there and seeing them witness the majesty of Torres del Paine with their own eyes. Our hike back down took just under four hours and we "moved in" to our tents just as hot water was turned on at at the campground. Perfect! And the tents were cozy! We opted for the full gear campsite--tents, pads, and sleeping bags all included. And dinner? Delicious AND there was a bar! I think this was "glamping" rather than camping as we had fabulous weather and slept under a glorious southern sky.

This bridge brought a flood of memories! I remember starting our other trek here!

Entering the park and hiking up the valley along Rio Ascencio.

The famous Mirador de las Torres!

Our first campsite had a wonderful view of the towers!

Our second trekking day was an "easy" day with a five-hour hike to the Cuernos campsite. While short, the trail had plenty of ups and downs to keep it interesting. We arrived at the Cuernos Refugio about an hour before campsite checkin so we ordered some anniversary margaritas and settled in for a family game of Farkle under the Cuernos. It was awesome and I definitely think I remembered this place! Our tents were far from the refugio and the bathrooms, but the campground was small and it all worked out fine. We napped, showered, and relaxed. Dinner was excellent again (both the food and the company of a nice couple from Park City!) and we slept great ahead of our next long day on the trail.

We had great weather and amazing views of Los Cuernos as we hiked past Laguna Inge and along Lago Nordenskjöld for the day.

Thanks to the other Americanos for our pic with Lago Nordenskjöld!

The campsite at Los Cuernos was super fun and cozy (and was a nice place to mark our anniversary!).

We expected the third day to be a challenge and...it was! But it was also amazing and Frank recalled it being his favorite day from our previous visit. We hiked a few hours to the new Camp Italiano, dumped our big bags, and headed for Mirador Frances, location of a very cool Earth Cache with stunning views of Frances Glacer! We heard and saw many ice falls on our way up the valley, and got hit with some strong winds right at the viewpoint for the glacier. We opted to continue on another two kilometers to Mirador Británico which we didn't visit during our previous visit due to poor weather and a lack of time. The hike was through some pretty gorgeous woods and the view was absolutely worth it. But 1/4 of our crew was done with heading further for more views so we had lunch (BTW, box lunches were AMAZING) at Británico and made our way back to Camp Italiano to collect our big bags. From there, we had a 7.5km hike to the Paine Grande Refugio. I totally recognized this one! We checked in, picked out our four beds in a six-bed room, showered, and went to enjoy our free welcome drinks at the bar. We again had fabulous view of Los Cuernos and Paine Grande, and could see the wind whipping up the water. We ignored the 70+km/h forecast for the next day, enjoyed a big buffet dinner, and slept like babies in super cozy, warm beds. I think the kids were sold on refugios!

An early start took us right along the shore of Lago Nordenskjöld on the way to Camp Italiano. 

A windy stop at Mirador Frances!

Mirador Británico was amazing!

Packs back on, over some bridges, and into the wind as we made our way to Paine Grande.

Refugio Paine Grande was sweet (and very familiar!). We had great views of Paine Grande and Los Cuernos from our room and saw a beautiful rainbow over Lago Pehoé!

Day four FINALLY brought us some "real" Patagonia weather! We had to hike 11km into that sometimes 70km/hr cold wind to get to Refugio Grey. It was cold, hot, windy, sunny, rainy, hard on the face...everything we wanted the kids to experience from this trek! We arrived at the refugio ahead of check-in, but that was ok--we ate our lunches and hiked about an hour north (and uphill) to a suspension bridge with an amazing view of Glacier Grey! It was so windy on the water, but the hike through the woods was nice and afforded lots of time to reflect on the journey so far. When we returned to the refugio we were surprised that the rooms were four-man and we had one all to ourselves! After hot showers we settled in to the bar for a round of Farkle, snacks, and a World Cup semi-final! Argentina beat Croatia and the bar was lit!

Walking into 70km/hr was a challenge at times, but Lago Grey was spectacular!

Just enjoying the view of Glacier Grey.

We had time before check-in (and the fútbol game) so we hiked up to one of the suspension bridges for better views of the glacier. I loved it!

Refugio life...satellite tv, cold beers, fellow travelers, and plenty of relaxation.

The last day was...easy! We had a late breakfast, a slow hike back to Paine Grande refugio, a fantastic game of Farkle with our hiking friends Oscar and Sofia, and another crazy World Cup semi-final where France beat Morocco before we had to catch our ferry out of the park. I cried again. I love Torres del Paine. I love the challenge it gives my body, the time it gives my mind, and the beauty that it leaves in my memories. And after a half-hour ferry ride we were on the bus that would take us back to Puerto Natales. That bus ride has some stories of its own that I will leave for the boys to tell when they are ready... ;) 

A beautiful hike along Lago Grey (with the wind at our backs!).

Lunch in the forest and our final look at Los Cuernos before boarding the catamaran to cross Lago Pehoé  for our return to Puerto Natales. 

Did the trip live up to all of my expectations? No. I had built this up so much in my head…full of romance, life-changing for the kids, glorious views, new traveling friends, tons of laughs…that’s a lot to ask out of any trip and it’s part of the danger of dreaming about something so hard for so long. But it was many of those things, and that’s enough.

Thank you, Torres del Paine. You were, and remain, a dream come true.

THE DETAILS: There are so many ways to hike the "W" or the "O" in Torres del Paine that fit a range of budgets. When we were here 16 years ago we had a guide, private transportation, didn't worry about any tickets of any sort...we blissfully hiked from bed to bed and were fed! You can also self-book transportation, refugio/tent sites, carry all or some of your own gear and food, and follow the well-marked trails. Or you can go somewhere in between, which is what we did this time. I was trying to self-book the trip, but the booking site was down for quite a while and we were busy enjoying Peru so I started to shop for a tour company. We ended up booking the Classic 5-day W Trek through Vertice Travel. You can opt for camping with or without your own gear, refugios (think hostel) with full bedding or use your own, and with as many meals as you want. Given availability, we ended up with two nights at campsites with full equipment (tents, nice mats, and sleeping bags all set up and ready to go) and two nights at refugios with full bedding. The package included bus tickets from Puerto Natales to the park entrance, the park tickets, tickets for a shuttle bus within the park, catamaran tickets across the lake at the west end, and bus tickets back to town. We opted for the "full board" option, provided us with breakfast, a bag lunch, and dinner every day. And I can honestly say, it was worth every penny (hit me up for price details if you want, but the tour websites all give pretty detailed quotes). Vertice is VERY organized and at our orientation meeting the evening before we left, they gave us a perfectly ordered packet of tickets and vouchers for the entire trip, just like how I would have done it! They gave us some dry bags, water bottles, buffs, maps, and our lunch for the first day (fun fact--the vegetarian sandwiches were often better than the meat ones), then stored the luggage we weren't taking with us. Easy peasy! I personally am comfortable booking all of that myself at this point, but for those new to the park/area, we can definitely recommend Vertice as a reputable tour outfit. Also, no matter how you do it, BOOK EARLY! The best weather is limited to about two months and that overlaps with Southern Hemisphere summer vacations so popular routes/tours can sell out.

FUN SIDE STORY: When we first visited Patagonia (and did the W) in 2007 we carried LLBean packs and trekking poles. We have that same gear with us on the return trip in 2022! (I mean, why else would I have a purple pack?!?!)

That's me in 2007 (upper left) enjoying my first trip to Patagonia with my LLBean pack! And here it is again, in 2022 (and Frank's equally old pack) along with our 16 year-old LLBean Vario Hikelite trekking poles. Good gear lasts (even if the colors are a bit dated!)!

~Jo, Nomadic Momma