Learn more about what to expect on this tailor made adventure holiday to southern Chile including when to go and how comfortable you can expect to be. You can also find out what Pirenwinkul means.

Itinerary

Photos

Dates & prices

Holiday info

Maps & more

Further information

When should I go?
The best time of year to visit the Lake District and Patagonia is October to April. There is relatively little difference in precipitation across this period.

You are likely to experience cold evenings and mornings but mild daytime temperatures – Torres del Paine is basically at sea level and you are on the same latitude, roughly speaking, as Birmingham.

However, the proximity of the Patagonian icefields means that you can expect weather to change rapidly from warm sunshine to cold rain and and wind.

Overall you should expect fairly cool nighttimes but warm daytime temperatures of around 20c.

Who is it for?
Being tailor made, this holiday is made for you.

In general this holiday attracts people in their 40s and 50s with some a bit younger or a bit older. Being tailor made, you get to choose the pace so if it sounds good to you then it probably will be.

The holiday appeals to people who enjoy being outdoors; are reasonably fit and active.

We do not expect you to be expert at any of the activities. On the contrary, most people coming on this holiday will have little or no experience of either rafting or riding.

How active?
You choose.

Riding, mountain biking and rafting are suitable for any level from beginners up.

Walks are strenuous at times if you so choose, there is really every level of activity available from relaxed exploration to challenging hiking.

How comfortable?
Premium small hotels and lodges.

How independent?
Completely. When you stay in Huilo Huilo and in Patagonia, you are looked after by a team of guides based at the lodge itself.

How responsible?
Pura Aventura is passionate about the places it visits.

To preserve the integrity of destinations we:

• Keep groups small to minimise impact.
• Work directly with local businesses and organisations to directly benefit local economies.
• Use small, locally owned hotels and restaurants.
• Work with local guides so that our holidays are more interesting for clients and beneficial locally.
• Make payment to suppliers before our clients arrive.

What is Pirenwinul?
The short answer is that it means ‘the Milky Way’ in the Mapuche language, Mapudungu.

The first part of the holiday, through the Chilean Lakes, runs the length of the Mapuche indigenous lands.

When Pura first started, all of our holidays were named using local indigenous languages. After a while we realised that most people had no idea how to pronounce weneleufu, pilanpiren or winkulentu and that probably wasn’t helping our cause.

We kept pirenwinkul though, just to be difficult. And because it’s close enough to periwinkle that most people have a stab at pronouncing it.

Pura Handmade Holiday

This adventure holiday is unique to Pura. In fact, it was the first holiday we designed, back in 1999.

What makes our Chile different?

The brief was to come up with a holiday based on what we would want to do and see if we had two weeks to visit Chile for the first time.

This holiday was the result. It has changed remarkably little in the past ten years.

The holiday is about getting to know Chile’s landscape, people and cultures whilst spending as much time as possible outdoors doing active, fun things.

It is resolutely not about frenetic adventure.

The activities you choose to suit both whilst in the Lakes and in Patagonia you have a menu of included activities available each day. These allow you to see the country from different perspectives: the activity, the scenery and the people/culture.

Add to this mixture comfortable nights spent in our choice of premium lodges and hotels and you get the essence of our Active, Comfortable and Responsible holiday concept.

Useful Links

As you already know, Pura Aventura is dedicated to safe and responsible travel. The links below provide useful content and more information about Chile. Please call us of any special requirements on 01273 676 712.

Country Information

FCO

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides useful travel advices on Chile.

BBC News

BBC News provides useful information about Chile. Read more about it.

Official Government website

Find out more about Chile, by visiting its official governement website.

Prepare your holiday

Health

Before you go on your holiday to Chile, please ensure you have the correct vaccinations. Check out the NHS website for advices and visit your GP or a travel clinic.

Currency Exchange

For the latest information on the Chilean Peso currency, visit the ICE website.

Weather

To know the forecast in Chile, visit wunderground.

Pura’s Amazon shop

Find out our own Chile selection in Amazon.co.uk for a wide range of travel essentials, such as books, gadgets, clothing, etc. in preparation for your upcoming holiday.

Train ticket

If you are leaving from the UK, and want to be easy in your mind before you leave, book your train ticket or airport hotel now.

Flight deals

Find the best flight deals for your holiday to Chile with Kayak, Expedia, Vayama and Opodo.

Maps

If you are going to one of our Chile self drive holidays you will perhaps need to know more about the car traffic. Maplandia provides good maps.

Ferries & Trains

Whether your doing one of self drive holiday in Chile, have more information about ferry timetables and bookings or train timetables and bookings.