Waterfall in Parque Aiken del Sur

Nestled in Aysen Fjord , Puerto Chacabuco is the only port in this remote area of Patagonia. Lush verdant hillsides surround the water like a giant’s hands, while peaks laced with snow tower overhead. The setting reminds me of the wild coast of British Columbia, but on shore we find that the similarities end. We head to Parque Aiken del Sur where forests destroyed by fires from 1920-1940 are recovering. Yellow buttercups dot emerald meadows and Chilean Fire Bush, with scarlet trumpet-like blossoms, accent the young forest. Nalca plants, resembling gargantuan rhubarb plants, look like something out of Jurassic Park. We learn that our guide left Germany for this remote part of the world years ago. He wanted to get away from civilization; he has a farm where he and his wife raise their own cows, bake their own bread, and home school their eight children. A life in Berlin sounds a lot more romantic to me. Towards the end of our walk, we arrive at a cascade, plunging sixty-five feet, and Riesco Lake, resting between the hillsides like a napping child. At a pavilion overlooking the lake, we drink pisco sours and feast on asado — grilled lamb — while four children in Chilean costumes dance as for us.

Lamb Asado

Chilean children performing dances

Nalca Plant