We call it the classic route because we visit our six thousand hectare Hacienda on our way down to the San Rafael glacier. The hacienda is mostly a natural sanctuary in which the Mallin River cuts through the pristine valley, making this the ideal spot for fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, bird watching, and spit-roasted lamb asado. The hacienda used to have a cattle operation, which we maintain at a minimum, but the place is still a time capsule of old-time Patagonian gaucho way of life, where we grow organic vegetables, make our own cheese and butter, and live from the land with the minimum impact possible. After replenishing the galley we set sail into deep Patagonia territory, nature getting wilder as one moves south. Once in San Rafael, where the most northerly-situated VENTISQUERO in the world is located, it is not strange to meet leopard seals, whales and dolphins. The view of the Ventisquero is breathtaking and one can have a scotch with millenary ice taken from the thousand of icebergs floating around the lagoon. Anchoring at various coves of outstanding beauty topple the trip as what could also be described as a trip into extreme wild Patagonia, where except from our 3 workers in Quitralco you probably won’t meet other people during your entire trip.
The Guaitecas archipelago and Taitao peninsula offer a variety of experiences so Taylor made cruises are an experience in itself. Just looking at the charts opens many possibilities where more than five hundred islands appear before you. After thirty years of experience sailing through these remote channels and fjords we can recommend different spots according to your interests. Famous are the chono (extinct local aborigines) burial sights; they used to roam these channels in canoes only protected from the environment with sea lion oil. Sea wrecks are also abundant although difficult to find and for the adventurous fly-fisher there are many lakes and rivers we have only dreamed of visiting while studying the charts but would be delighted to explore to open up for future trips. If the adventurous spirit is on we can even discuss the trip over a cup of wine while we head out into the last unexplored territories on earth.
This cruise also includes departing from Puerto Aisen and a twelve-hour voyage through northern Guaitecas to arrive at the Corcovado Gulf. Here it has been discovered lately more than six kinds of whales feed and take coverage from the open sea, including the famous blue whale, the largest mammal on earth. Nearly half of the world’s cetacean population roam Patagonia during the summer but within our experience we recommend the months of March and April for a real whale watching experience. We have encountered up to twenty whales in a day during these months and the feeling is overwhelming. We subscribe to a true commitment for their protection and take all the precautions to not alter their environment. The size of Noctiluca permits anchoring in the Tic Toc islands only six miles from the whales, so since early in the morning the adventure con commence for three days in a row.