Glacier Cruise in Patagonia
I left the hotel in Puerto Natales this morning before the sun was up, bundled in every layer I had brought with me, to board the catamaran for a full-day glacier sightseeing cruise through the Ultima Esperanza Fjord. It was a long day on the water (nearly 10 hours round trip), but absolutely worth it.
The fjord itself is a stunning deep blue ribbon of water cutting through rugged, untouched Patagonian wilderness. We passed sea lion colonies barking on rocky outcrops and countless waterfalls tumbling down near-vertical cliffsides. The air was frigid and smelled of salt and ice.
The first major stop was the Mount Balmaceda area, where we disembarked for a short walk through a quiet, ancient forest to the viewpoint of the Serrano Glacier. This glacier has been retreating steadily for decades, which makes seeing its remaining blue ice even more poignant. There were icebergs floating in the lagoon that were so blue they looked fake.
The real showstopper, though, was the Balmaceda Glacier. Our boat got surprisingly close, but it was a perfect distance for photos, and the sheer scale of the ice face was mind-numbing. We sat on the deck, sipping hot chocolate spiked with local pisco (a local tradition), watching the ice shimmer in the fleeting sun.
The captain made sure we were there at a quiet moment, so we experienced that profound Patagonian silence.
Before heading back, we stopped at a remote ranch for a traditional Patagonian meal. It was a hearty and perfect end to a day surrounded by pristine nature.