Destination Patagonia - The Remota Experience 
(Tour Report October 2012)
Remota… our luxury destination hidden in a Patagonian fjord near Chile's famous Torres del Paine National Park, the name alone hints at a wild and distant place.  Far from the frenetic life in the cities where most of us live, our journey begins with a flight from Chile's capital, Santiago, to Punta Arenas in the far south.  The routing passes over some of the most remote parts of the Andes; the ease of travel belies the amazing terrain below.  Luck is with us as we see some of the most impressive mountains in the world from our seats on the plane – the spire of Mount Fitzroy, the Torres del Paine, and the vast glaciers of Chile and Argentina’s southern icefields. The impressive formations below hint at what we will visit in the coming days. - wild Patagonia!
​The transfer from Remota is waiting for us as we arrive at Punta Arenas Airport (at this time of the year there are no flights to Puerto Natales, the small town nearest to the hotel).  The four-hour drive passes swiftly, through terrain both subtle and vast.  For a short while we travel the northern shore of the Straights of Magellan, before the road turns inland through the pampas of southern Patagonia towards the mountains beyond.  We enjoy the windy landscape, with its sinuous and flowing hills, and its scattered “estancias” with their thousands of hectares and countless numbers of sheep. They are a legacy of a former age, extending farther than the eye can see. The puffy-white clouds and the blue hues of the sky unite with the flora and fauna of Patagonia in welcoming harmony.  We spot flamingos, rhea, and many raptors.  Even a young fox.  The vastness is humbling!
Just past Puerto Natales, Remota appears to emerge suddenly out of the ground, like the "erratic" boulders in the countryside around here. “Erratics“ are huge and isolated boulders left behind by the glaciers that once covered this landscape, clues to the forces that shaped Patagonia.  The architecture of Remota consciously evokes the sheep ranches or “estancias” of Patagonia with its dark exterior textures and with its interior corridors and ramps.  At the same time the interior is filled with light, and has sumptuous views out onto the fjord, with its constantly changing Patagonian light.  Remota’s designer, Germán del Sol, was awarded a National Architecture Prize for his striking design; the common areas of the hotel feature walls of glass that open to vistas of the fjord Seno Ultima Esperanza and the Andes beyond, while the grass fields on the hotel grounds and the grasses on the roof pay homage to the pampas.
Remota has earned international acclaim as one of the best hotels in the world; recognition for both its unique and fascinating design, and for the high standards of service provided. The staff take pride in the hotel, and in the care they offer their guests.
Our room on the second floor is large and spacious, with high ceilings and panels of native woods characteristic  of the region. The bathroom has a big shower, dark tiles, and a diagonal mirror and glass that overlook the room.  There is a feeling of unity that comes from the design of Remota; its rooms, hallways, and common areas feature many artefacts from the region, of its people, and their history and life.
​After freshening up, we stroll through the hotel, finally stopping to see the maps and excursions offered by Remota.
The hotel prides itself on offering a great variety of excursions to suit all tastes and abilities, from short nearby trips aimed at fun and relaxation, to all day journeys visiting the mountains, lakes, glaciers, estancias, and forests that surround Remota.  Guided Half-Day or Full Day tours, day treks into remote sections of Torres del Paine National Park, horseback riding, mountain-biking, birding, and fly fishing (prior booking required) are just some of the options that guests at Remota can choose from.  There is also a delightful Spa that offers all sorts of therapies and has hot-tubs located outside with fabulous views of the fjord.  With rueful smiles we realize that our 3-night visit is far too short to experience all that Remota can offer!  Fortunately, our guide is very experienced, and helps us narrow down our plans to best meet our interests in the time we have available. We will finalize our plans that evening after dinner. 
​Being a bit tired from traveling we do not want that much action the afternoon we arrive.  At the reception desk Remota personnel suggest an easy bike ride or walk into town, perfect for the late afternoon before dinner.  A 20-minute walk brings us to the statue of the Milodon, which welcomes tourists at the entrance of Puerto Natales.  Remains of the now extinct Milodon (giant sloth) were found in the vicinity of Puerto Natales in the Cueva del Milodon in 1895.  We continue walking down the costanera on the shore of the Seno Última Esperanza (Sound of “Last Hope”), where we observe a number of hotels and restaurants on our left, and on our right some maps explaining the landscape view we witness across from the channel.  Many birds inhabit the shoreline; they shyly retreat when we approach.  After our stroll, we return by taxi to the hotel, for we are starting to feel a bit weary… this has been a long day and we have to digest all we’ve seen and experienced. 
​Dinner at Remota is served between 7 and 10 pm. The menu features local foods, and despite being so far south we are served a fresh salad and excellent choices for the main course.  After a delicious meal, we sit down with our guide to start planning our next day's activities. 
The following morning we will have a leisurely breakfast, then meet the rest of the group we will be travelling with (4 couples plus the driver and guide). Based on the weather forecast, we have decided to visit Torres del Paine National Park.
​The trip to the park sounds long at first, around 2 hours, but we encounter an astonishing variety of wildlife along the way, and the trip is completely fascinating.   Remota’s drivers are very experienced and have a keen eye for spotting wildlife along the road. We stop many times before we get to the Park to see and photograph the many animals and birds on the pampas.   Among these were several varieties of caracaras (hawks), eagles, flamingos, rhea (or ñandu in Spanish; small ostrich-like birds), vultures, upland geese, red-eyed oystercatchers, and many Andean condors.   Both our guide and our driver answer all the questions we have about this fauna. We also spot a chingue or zorrino (skunk) who is hurt on the side of the road, probably hit by a passing car.  One of the guests briefly spies a Patagonia gray fox as well; and in the Park we see many guanacos (a kind of llama) that inhabit the landscape, as well as sheep and cows of the estancias.
Traveling across Patagonia, one is reminded of the African savannah – but instead of elephants and water buffalo there are cows and sheep; instead of lions and jackals there are pumas and foxes; guanacos and huemul (the Chilean deer that adorns the national coat of arms) take the place of antelope.  We see a flock of condors in the distance feeding on a fallen sheep while smaller scavengers await their turn at the banquet; hawks nervously eye the feast.  Despite the cold and windy climate, the richness of Patagonian animal life is everywhere evident.
Once in the park, all 10 pairs of eyes are alert for the sight of other animals, such as foxes, huemul, puma, swans, or sheep.   Alas, we did not see any pumas or huemul, but we were able to observe hundreds of guanacos, coscoroba and black-necked swans (the latter unique to Patagonia), flamingos, and even an armadillo!  Especially beautiful were the oystercatchers and austral parakeets.
​Our luck with the weather continued, and the peaks of the Torres, the South, Central and North towers were showing their entire splendour that day rising up to the blue sky.  It was a long sought dream coming true!  The postcard view often seen in the many books and tourist guides from Chile lay right in front of us!  Hard to believe… but better get a good photograph of the moment!  Next to the towers is the massive granite wall known as Nido de Condores, or Condor’s Nest. We easily see why, with actual condors soaring amongst the spires that day.  The colours and textures of the park are striking; during our visit it was early spring, and several types of shrubs were in brilliant bloom.  Our van stops often, and we find it is difficult to keep moving or sticking to any particular schedule, for the landscape pulls all of us so strongly.
We continue on to Salto Grande, literally “big waterfall”.  Its waters are coloured a brilliant Caribbean blue-green by glacial runoff, and flow into cascades and a waterfall over 20 meters high. The high volume and strong current create a deafening roar, and the midday sunlight gives birth to a brilliant rainbow at the foot of the falls. The lagoon formed down from the waterfall is the same colour, but as water advances to a larger lake beyond the colours shift to a deep sapphire blue.
We have a picnic lunch at a perfect spot in the park.  Our guide and driver wisely choose a shelter with a long table and a barbeque place inside a picnic area.  While all gather around the table, our guide serves pisco sour, wine and beer, or soft drinks and cheese and appetizers.  In the meantime, our driver has magically transformed into our cook and makes a magnificent chicken and beef stew (deliciously spicy).  Abundant rice and salads are the side dishes.  We even get dessert; a selection of delicious pastries that go well with coffee or tea. The view of the Torres del Paine from the nearby lakeshore is justifiably considered one of the grandest natural views in the world, and we count ourselves fortunate to be there.
After our late lunch, we begin heading back to Remota. A couple of hours still await us with even more surprises, for we return by a different route. On the way to visit Lago Grey we surprise a feeding condor, who leaps into the air right in front of us as we round a corner.  Lago Grey is where icebergs that have calved from the Southern Icefield drift, pushed by strong winds. The saturated deep blue colours of the icebergs are in stark  contrast to the hills and mountains beyond the lake.   A piece of ice has washed ashore, and we have the chance to chip out ice that was formed many thousands of years ago.   In a ritual for glacier visitors to Chile, we each chill a glass of Pisco Sour with ice formed at the dawn of human civilization.
As we complete our journey back to Remota, we pause by Lago Sarmiento at sunset, with a last view of the Torres to the north, and the deep blue sky scattered with pastel hued clouds.
That evening we arrange a guided tour for the next day to visit to the 3 caves of the Cueva del Milodon Natural Monument.  Frankly, my expectations were somewhat low for what we might see. Well, our guide and the tour of the 3 caves easily proved me wrong!
Our guide provided us with helmets and lanterns so we could enter to admire the work of nature.  There was a short uphill walk through beautiful Magellanic woodland.  In the largest of the caves in 1895 German explorer Herman Eberhard found some well preserved skin, hair and bones from an extinct mammal, the Milodon, a huge sloth-like beast.  At the entrance of the cave is a life-sized replica, rearing upwards!  The cave itself is gigantic vault, extending 250 metres inwards from the entrance.  Yet again, our expectations were far exceeded on this half-day tour, which should not be missed. 


​​We wish we could have spent more days at Remota, so as to be able to enjoy more of the experiences this superb destination offers. However, the next morning, after a delicious breakfast, we are off to the airport in Punta Arenas.  The ride with the friendly driver from our first day goes by swiftly.  Our driver stops several times at our request, allowing us to capture a few last pictures of this superb experience, even a small lamb no more than a few hours old!