Central and South America

Chile | Quest for the Puma and Wonders of Patagonia

Photography with Todd Gustafson, Gustafson Photo Safari
Date:
Sep 26 - Oct 9, 2022
Duration:
14 Days
Interests:
Photography
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Battling guanacos
Black-faced Ibis
Glacial ice
South Andean deer
Magellanic Penguin
Mating sea lions
Puma in Patagonia
Torres del Paine
Puma in Patagonia
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About this trip

Join Gustafson Photo Safari for an exceptional photography tour in Patagonia. Patagonia’s incredible landscapes feature towering mountains, thundering glacial waterfalls, and stunning emerald lakes. This trip visits some of the world’s most picturesque natural sites including the Strait of Magellan, the Darwin Mountain Range, Torres del Paine National Park, and Punta Arenas. Under the guidance of professional photographer Todd Gustafson, you will enjoy opportunities to photograph amazing and unique wildlife such as Andean Condor, Magellan and King Penguins, South American Sea Lions, Guanaco, South Andean Deer, and the solitary yet beautiful Puma.

Highlights

  • Spend several days searching for and photographing pumas in Torres del Paine National Park and surrounding private lands, in an area well-known for holding one of the world's largest concentrations of wild pumas.
  • Ascend into the mountains above Santiago for the chance to witness the impressive Andean Condor as well as other typical Andean birds, including Mountain Caracara, White-sided Hillstar, Mountain Parakeet, and others.
  • Visit a King Penguin colony in Tierra del Fuego, where other possible sightings include guanaco, southern gray fox, and Chilean Flamingo.
  • Capture stunning images of Torres del Paine’s iconic granite peaks bathed in early morning light.

Meet your leader

Todd Gustafson

Todd Gustafson is a professional nature photographer and founder of Gustafson Photo Safari. Todd grew up in Tanzania and has won numerous photography awards. His work has been featured in many international publications and museum exhibits, including a display in a permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History, publications by the United Nations, and product guides for NIKON Corporation, where he works as a clinician/teacher. Todd is also a highly accomplished trumpet player and has degrees in music education and trumpet performance.

What makes us different

Wildlife up-close

Enjoy up-close observation of the behaviors and interactions of wildlife in their native habitats

Service anytime

Enjoy worry-free travel — our emergency line is monitored 24/7/365 so we can assist you if any problems arise while you’re traveling with us

Designed for photographers

Itineraries are thoughtfully scheduled to provide an optimum balance of beautiful natural light and wildlife activity

Sustainable travel

We believe travel should have a positive impact on the world. We are committed to maintaining responsible travel practices and partner with ClimateSafe to provide carbon offsetting.

Expert guides

We take pride in hiring local guides who are carefully selected for their knowledge, sensitivity and skill in the field

Flight arrangements

We’re a full service travel provider and are happy to assist with making your flight arrangements if desired

AND MORE!

See all the reasons why you should travel with Holbrook

What makes us different

Daily Itinerary

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U.S.A
Depart for Santiago, Chile on your overnight flight
Punta Arenas
Welcome to Chile! After clearing Immigration and Customs, we will check in to our domestic flight to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival we will collect our luggage and meet our guide - who will be with us until we fly back to Santiago - outside of the airport. We will transfer to our hotel and have the rest of the afternoon free to rest and relax. Dinner will be on our own tonight and depending on how we feel, we can either use the hotel's restaurant or go explore what the city of Punta Arenas offers. Our guide will be available to make suggestions. Check in starts at 3 p.m.
Hotel Cabo de Hornos
Torres del Paine National Park
After breakfast we will start our transfer to Torres del Paine National Park. On our way, we will visit the Patagonian ranch Olga Teresa, which is probably one of the most accessible locations in the world to see and photograph the world's heaviest flying creature: the majestic Andean Condor. Reachable by car in approximately 60 minutes from Punta Arenas, the ranch protects, researches, and showcases a population of 100+ Andean Condors that soar, socialize, and sleep at a 20-meter-tall, vertical rock face that itself is embedded in a steep, 200-meter-high (700-foot-high) hill. In the Patagonian Andes, Condors are a common sight but the conditions at Ranch Olga Teresa are usually extraordinary. We will look for them in the field, watch them flying or resting on the cliffs, with the help of binoculars and spotting scopes. The photographic opportunities are usually great but you will need a suitable long lens (400mm or larger) for better results. After lunch we will continue with our transfer, which will take about another 4 hours. There will be stops on the way to stretch our legs and enjoy the scenary. Upon arrival we will check into our hotel that will be home for the next 7 nights. Before dinner, our guide will give us an orientation to next days events
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Hotel Las Torres
Torres del Paine National Park
The next 6 days we will have a busy schedule where we will search for the Pumas of Torres del Paine. We will inspect the guanaco-rich puma hunting grounds located to the east - beyond the park limits - into the private ranch Estancia Laguna Amarga, where Pumas occupy the same habitat as in the park. The area comprised of the northern coast of Sarmiento Lake, Laguna Amarga, and Laguna Azul is well known for holding one of the world's largest concentrations of pumas in the wild. A typical day in the field starts quite early and this depends on the season of the year. We have to remember that Patagonia is a high latitude location (51°S). We will have longer daylight hours during the spring and summer and much shorter field days during autumn and winter. We will have an early breakfast and will drive right after for approximately 30 minutes, from our hotel to the puma search area at Estancia Laguna Amarga. Beforehand, our guide will have communication with the puma tracker in order to determine where individual pumas are concentrating. Our puma tracker will patrol puma corridors by car and on foot, and using this information we will plan our 1.2/2-mile hikes inside the ranch, where we will have flexibility and freedom to walk off-trail, looking for pumas. These are moderate walks, so a minimum degree of fitness is required in order to be able to keep up with the group. Topography is usually not too demanding but there might be differences in altitude of around 160-1,000ft sometimes, although our group will walk at a slow and gentle pace. Maximum elevation during this trip will be 1,000ft above sea level. Participants must be able to carry their own gear. If this is difficult for you, we ask you to coordinate this in advance with us in order to arrange some help.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Hotel Las Torres
Torres del Paine National Park
Pumas of Torres del Paine - 2nd day - - Pumas are normally quite active at night, early in the mornings and late in the evenings. Our activities will gravitate around these preferred times by cats, when they are usually patrolling their territory, hunting guanacos and other prey, interacting with their offspring or commuting from their hunting grounds to their dens. We will have two sessions each day, a morning session and an evening session. During the middle of the day, we will not be watching pumas in order to avoid disturbance at a critical time, when they are resting, sleeping after a long night hunting elusive guanaco. Normally and depending on the light and condition of the day, we can continue photographing other wildlife in the park or provide our guests with some time to rest, charge batteries and get ready for the evening puma session. Estancia Laguna Amarga model is very good in preventing overlapping among different groups of puma enthusiasts as they limit the number of visitors on a daily basis. We will investigate our own designated areas of the ranch (which will shift every day) and concentrate on individual pumas. We will have packed lunches, snacks and drinks for our field days. Later in the evening, we will have dinner back at our hotel or sometimes inside the park, depending on the daylight hours and the season.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Hotel Las Torres
Torres del Paine National Park
Pumas of Torres del Paine - 3rd day - - To see a female puma and its cubs against this magnificent mountain backdrop and big sky is one of the most magnificent wildlife spectacles in this part of the world. In company of our guide and puma tracker, we will follow pumas at a prudent distance with the help of binoculars and spotting scopes. The approach distance varies but there is a 50-meter (164ft) rule. Sometimes pumas are inquisitive and indulging, being very habituated to the human presence. Those will be our stars but we must respect their space; we must be prepared in advance and bring your longest lenses (400mm +) in order to take advantage of our photographic opportunities. Bringing a tripod or monopod is always recommended; a light-weight carbon-fiber version is always the best option.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Hotel Las Torres
Torres del Paine National Park
Pumas of Torres del Paine - 4th day
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Hotel Las Torres
Torres del Paine National Park
Pumas of Torres del Paine - 5th day
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Hotel Las Torres
Torres del Paine National Park
Pumas of Torres del Paine - 6th day
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Hotel Las Torres
Torres del Paine National Park
We will have an early start in order to be at location to photograph the Paine Massif at dawn. Today we will explore the southern and western regions of this huge national park, which comprises an extent of 600,000 acres. The omnipresent Paine Massif, a magnificent set of rugged peaks, formed out of granite and sedimentary rock, dominates the landscape. The long-gone Indians of Patagonia called it Paine, meaning Blue, presumably referring to its remarkable coloration when observed at a distance. We will have the opportunity to explore the Nothofagus Southern Beech forests and its diversity of plants and animals; we may find Magellanic Woodpecker, Austral Parakeet and, if we are lucky, the shy Andean Deer or Huemul. We will be marveled by seeing the contrasting mosaic of towering mountains, glaciers, wetlands, steppes and forests.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Patagonia Camp
Torres del Paine National Park
This morning we will have again an early start in order to be ready to photograph the Towers or the Horns with the first light. With the right lighting, the mountain base turns to orange colors and the scene becomes very dramatic with peculiar lenticular clouds moving fast over the peaks. At the eastern corner of Sarmiento Lake, we will reach a location that commands the most incredible views of the towering peaks of Las Torres, the pinnacles from which the park takes its name. As we move around the park, we will observe confiding herds of Guanaco, a southern relative to camels, the curious-looking Lesser Rhea and impressive Andean Condors soaring along the road. During the morning we will visit the eastern side of the park to enjoy the views of one of the impressive waterfalls of Paine River and if it's clear, of the fabulous granite columns of the Paine massif from Laguna Amarga. We will keep exploring the alkaline ponds and reed-fringed lagoons located of the eastern part of the park. There are approximately 120 species of birds in the park and we will see a considerable number of them, some with the help of binoculars and the spotting scope. The flora is also a very interesting subject for observation and photography. The park holds probably nearly 500 species of plants; the southern spring and early summer (mid-October through late January) are great to see the myriad of flowers that bloom in these magnificent landscapes. After our return to the hotel and enjoy our delicious dinner, we will have another chance to photograph the mountains and clouds at sunset.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Patagonia Camp
Torres del Paine National Park
Full day photography at Torres del Paine National Park and surrounding areas around Patagonia Camp.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Patagonia Camp
Santiago
After breakfast, we will have our last morning of photography around Patagonia Camp. Late in the morning we will leave Torres del Paine National Park, hopefully with many rewarding memories of our explorations and wildlife encounters on this beautiful corner of Patagonia, and start our 5 hour transfer back to Punta Arenas airport to fly back to Santiago on our 7 pm flight. At the Punta Arenas airport we will say goodbye to our guide. Upon arrival to Santiago, we will collect our luggage and find our way to our hotel. Holiday Inn Aeropuerto is very conveniently located close to the airport - just across the street from the terminal where passengers exit. Dinner will be on your own tonight. WE suggest purchasing something to eat at the Punta Arenas airport during the flight.
Breakfast-Lunch- included
Holiday Inn Aeropuerto
U.S.A
This morning you will find your way back to the airport from the hotel to check in for your international flight home departing early in the morning. Hotel is located right across the terminal, crossing the street. Check out is at 10 a.m.
What's Included
What's Not Included
Pricing Details
Cost is based on a minimum of 7 participants in double occupancy.

A $4000 per person deposit and enrollment form is due to hold your space on this trip. This deposit is not refundable.

Please note: Your participation as a traveler indicates acceptance of Holbrook Travel’s Covid-19 protocols in place at time of travel.

Holbrook Travel strongly recommends the purchase of travel insurance for medical emergencies while traveling and to protect your investment. Please note the purchase of Cancel for Any Reason Coverage or to exclude pre-existing conditions with Trip Cancellation coverage may require policy purchase within 10-14 days of your initial deposit, depending upon the provider.

Final payment due date: June 28, 2022

Travel Info

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Entry & Exit Requirements

U.S. citizens must have a valid passport to enter Chile. Passports must be valid for at least six months after the date of entry.

A visa is not required for visits up to 90 days.

A tourist card is required for anyone entering Chile from the United States and is issued upon arrival. This card allows visitors to stay for up to 90 days and will allow multiple entries. Keep the tourist card with your passport; it is important not to lose it, as you must present the card to Customs when you leave the country.

If you are not traveling with a U.S. passport, please check with the Chilean Embassy for the requirements based on your nationality.

Health Information

IMMUNIZATIONS

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all travelers be up-to-date on routine vaccinations such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine, varicella (chicken pox) vaccine, and your yearly flu shot before every trip.

There are no vaccinations required for entry into Chile.

The CDC recommends inoculation against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and typhoid for most unvaccinated travelers to Chile.

Please consult your physician for additional information and recommendations based on your individual circumstances.

ALTITUDE SICKNESS

Upon arrival at locations of high elevation, shortness of breath and a pounding heart are normal responses to the lack of oxygen in the air. However, for some visitors, these symptoms can deteriorate into altitude sickness. Headache, extreme tiredness, dizziness, nausea, and loss of appetite are standard symptoms. Staying hydrated and well rested is important to adjust to the altitude. Avoiding heavy, fatty foods and alcohol in the days before arriving to altitude can help. Over-the-counter medications are also available to help prevent or alleviate symptoms. It’s advisable to avoid sleep medications, as they can slow breathing and respiration, which aid in getting the blood oxygenated while sleeping. Participants who take blood pressure medications should discuss this with their doctor as the medication can drop pressure too low at times.

SUN EXPOSURE

The effects of the sun can be damaging to the eyes and skin. Spending time outdoors exposes you to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, even on cloudy days. To protect yourself from the sun, use a broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 15, protect skin with clothing, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and drink plenty of fluids.

Resources

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Suggested Packing List

Everyone has personal preferences when it comes to packing; for this reason, the information below is offered as a general guide and not a definitive list. You know yourself best: Use your discretion and pack what you think will serve you, based on your personal preferences and specific itinerary.

You may find many of the items below in our Gear Store.

CLOTHING

Casual, comfortable clothing is suitable for most activities. You may wish to bring a slightly nicer outfit or two if your itinerary includes dinners out or more formal activities. Keep in mind that locals tend to dress conservatively.

Bring enough clothing suitable for the length of your program. If you prefer to pack light, note that many hotels offer laundry services at an additional cost.

Pack clothing that can be worn in layers to adapt to weather changes throughout the day. Santiago experiences a mild, Mediterranean climate, with average highs in the 80s during the summer months (Dec-Feb) and in the 60s during the winter (Jun-Aug). Patagonia is cool and windy all year, with snow in winter.

  • Shirts: Several short- and long-sleeved shirts to layer under a sweatshirt and jacket as needed
  • A combination of lightweight and medium-weight/warmer long pants, slacks, or jeans
  • Undergarments and socks: Bring some thin, synthetic socks (liner socks), heavy woolen socks, and a few pairs of thermal underwear (polypropylene or silk) for the hikes. Underwear, socks, and nightwear should be lightweight and designed to dry quickly. Warm hiking socks (e.g. Smartwool or similar) are recommended. You may wish to pack a fleece top and pants to sleep in.
  • Sleepwear
  • Jacket, fleece, or sweater/sweatshirt: Include a polar fiber or down jacket. A sweater, vest, and down jacket may be needed for cool nights or at higher elevations.
  • Gloves
  • Headgear: Include a hat (preferably with a wide brim) for sun protection. A tie under the chin is helpful in case of windy conditions. Beanie hats are excellent for windy conditions.
  • Bathing suit: Pools are available at some hotels.
  • Shoes: Consider your specific itinerary when choosing footwear. For most programs, you’ll likely want at least one pair of comfortable, closed-toe walking or hiking shoes suitable for outdoor hikes and walking over cobblestones or other uneven terrain. Sturdier hiking boots may be appropriate for more rugged itineraries. In addition, many participants opt for a pair of sturdy sport-strap sandals (e.g. Keens, Tevas, or similar) and/or casual flip-flops or sandals.
  • Lightweight rain jacket, hooded poncho, and/or windbreaker
  • Bandana, scarf, or neck gaiter

Personal Toiletries

Pack toiletries based on your personal preferences and habits. Below are just a few recommendations to keep in mind.

  • Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, deodorant/antiperspirant , etc. – If possible, avoid strong fragrances if you are sensitive to insect bites and in consideration of your fellow travelers.
  • Soap and washcloth or a small, quick-drying microfiber towel – Washcloths are not standard in all hotels. If you normally use a washcloth, you may wish to bring one from home.
  • Hairbrush, comb, hair ties, shower cap. Most—but not all—hotel rooms provide a hair dryer, but you may wish to bring one from home.
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Razor
  • Ear plugs, especially if you are a light sleeper
  • Personal hygiene products
  • Insect repellent with DEET or picaridin
  • Sunscreen and lip balm with SPF
  • Aloe vera gel
  • A travel pack of tissues – also useful as napkins or toilet paper if needed

In addition to your personal toiletries, it is useful to pack a small medical kit, which you can easily prepare. Helpful items might include: bandages, antihistamine, a pain reliever, motion sickness and/or altitude sickness medication (if you are prone to either), anti-diarrhea medicine, individually wrapped pre-moistened towelettes and/or hand sanitizer, antibiotic ointment, anti-fungal cream, moleskin for blisters, eye drops, tweezers, a mini sewing kit, and an extra pair of disposable contact lenses or eyeglasses if you wear them.

Miscellaneous

Remember to pack valuables such as your passport, cash/credit cards, and medications in your carry-on luggage.

  • Passport and photocopies of all travel documentation
  • Personal insurance card and travel insurance information
  • Money – ATM/credit card, traveler's checks, and/or cash; small bills in good condition are recommended
  • Prescription medicines (if applicable), with a copy of the prescription
  • Sunglasses with strap
  • Small day pack for hikes and excursions
  • Flashlight and/or head lamp
  • Travel alarm clock or inexpensive waterproof wristwatch with alarm – Not all hotels provide alarm clocks.
  • A pocket calculator or phone to assist with conversions and currency exchange
  • Binoculars with lens cleaner
  • Camera and related equipment, such as charger, lenses, and extra memory cards
  • Reusable water bottle
  • Non-perishable snacks
  • Pocket-knife or multipurpose tool - Pack in your checked luggage.
  • Zip-top style bags – useful for packing toiletries, sorting clothing, storing damp or muddy shoes, or as a dry bag for protecting electronics
  • Notepad or travel journal and pen
  • Music or reading material for down time, long bus drives, or on the airplane, and a portable bright light to read by
  • Collapsible walking stick with rubber tip
  • A small quantity of laundry detergent if you’ll be washing clothing by hand
  • Money belt
  • Plug adapter and voltage converter for electronics
  • Chargers for electronics
Overall, just an excellent trip. Very impressed with guides and quality of program. Felt all details were covered.
- Sue Duffy
Chile ,
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How to Pack for Patagonia
Patagonia is known the world over for its breathtaking, remote, and sometimes challenging terrain, offering travelers rewarding opportunities for hiking, boating, and other activities.
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