Our day begins with a fascinating excursion to the Mylodon Cave, just outside of Puerto Natales. At the end of the 19th century, the remains of long-extinct prehistoric animals were discovered inside this immense cave, including those of a giant sloth belonging to the genus Mylodon (Mylodon darwinii). Archaeological findings prove that this cave was used by the first indigenous people as a temporary shelter around 11,000 years ago.

We will explore the interior of this imposing cave on an easy walk. Outside, we will be captivated by spectacular views of the surrounding area, including the mythical Última Esperanza (Last Hope) Sound. The area around the cave is also a habitat for numerous bird species, including the Patagonian Sierra-Finch, Fire-eyed Diucon, Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant, Austral Parakeet, and Southern Crested Caracara.

During the course of the morning, we'll head northeast towards the Sierra Baguales. This mountain range forms the border with Argentina and, despite its proximity to Torres del Paine, is well off the beaten tourist path. We are likely to spot mammals such as the Big Hairy Armadillo, Guanaco, and South American Gray Fox, as well as birds like Austral Canastero, Chocolate-vented Tyrant, and the colorful American Kestrel.

Time to explore the Chilean Fjords, a maze of islands, channels, deep fjords, snow-capped mountains and unnamed glaciers. This remote and pristine wilderness comprises most of the topography of western Patagonia. We will see part of it by visiting the Última Esperanza Fjord.

This morning we will board the comfortable vessel ‘Tonina’ to enjoy a scenic 3-hour journey through usually smooth and sheltered waters. During our navigation, we will have good chances of seeing interesting marine mammals and seabirds, such as the endemic and little-known Chilean Dolphin, South American Sea Lion, King Cormorants and Chilean Skuas.

We will be admiring the striking scenery until we reach the foothills of the imposing Balmaceda Mount, at the gates of Bernardo O’Higgins National Park. After landing, we will have a picnic lunch and a fairly easy hike through dense and pristine rainforests, eventually reaching a glacier lake and the imposing front of Serrano Glacier.

We will have two full days to explore Torres del Paine National Park and we will have early starts to photograph the Paine Massif at dawn. Today we will concentrate on exploring the eastern region of this huge Biosphere Reserve, comprising nearly 600,000 acres (242,000+ hectares).

At the eastern corner of Sarmiento Lake, we will reach locations that command 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, you shall observe confiding herds of Guanaco, the curious-looking Lesser Rhea and impressive Andean Condors soaring along the road.

We will visit the eastern side to enjoy views of the impressive waterfalls of Paine river and the fabulous granite columns from Laguna Amarga. We will also explore the alkaline ponds and reed-fringed lagoons. There are approximately 120 species of birds in the park and nearly 500 species of plants. The southern spring and early summer are great to see the myriad of flowers that bloom in these magnificent landscapes.

The landscape is dominated by the omnipresent ‘Paine Massif’, a magnificent set of rugged peaks formed out of granite and sedimentary rock. The long-gone Indians of Patagonia gave the name Paine, meaning “blue,” presumably referring to its remarkably hazy coloration when observed at a distance.

We will have the opportunity to explore the Nothofagus or southern Beech forests to study its diversity of plants and animals; we will try to see Magellanic Woodpecker, Austral Parakeet and the shy Andean Deer or Huemul, if we are lucky. We will be marveled by the contrasting mosaic of towering mountains, glaciers, wetlands, steppes and forests.

Lago Grey is today's highlight. Colossal icebergs are stranded on the southern shore of the lake. From this shore we will board our boat (the M/V Grey II) for a 3-hour excursion through the icy waters towards the impressive and actively calving front of the Grey Glacier. ‘Grey’ is one of the nearly 50 outlet glaciers which originate from the massive Southern Patagonian Ice Field, world's third largest after Antarctica and Greenland. We will be treated with a glass of ‘pisco sour’ containing glacier ice of hundreds, possibly thousand years old!

We will leave Remota and Puerto Natales, hopefully with many rewarding memories of our explorations. We will drive eastwards across the vast wind-swept steppes and along the border with Argentina. Pali Aike National Park and its many extinct cinder cones mark a place that breaks this uniform, big-sky country. The area was extensively occupied by long-gone Indians, and it has a very rich archaeology and paleontology.

The birdlife of the area is very interesting too, as we may find intriguing species such as the Least Seedsnipe, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Chocolate-vented Tyrant and the colorful Black-throated Finch.

We will take a short ferry ride across the narrowest portion of the Magellan Straits, where we expect to see the delightful and local Commerson’s Dolphin. Tierra del Fuego, the ‘Land of Fire,’ is another landmark coined by the skilled navigator Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. We will continue our journey towards the small village of Porvenir.

Our last day of wildlife explorations in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. We will drive along the shores of the huge embayment of Useless Bay (Bahía Inútil) to visit the remarkable King Penguin colony located at the Marazzi River. We will have ample opportunities to observe and photograph the penguins from a reasonable distance.

During the early afternoon we will return to Porvenir, where we will take a 2-hour ferry crossing towards Punta Arenas. The mythic Magellan Straits are very rich in terms of history of exploration. Magellan, Drake, Cavendish, Bougainville, Fitz Roy and Darwin, among several other sailors and explorers, surveyed this region.

You will see an interesting array of seabirds, including Black-browed Albatrosses, Southern Giant Petrels, Southern Fulmars, King Cormorants, Dolphin Gulls and South American Terns. It is very likely to see interesting marine mammals such as pods of Peale’s Dolphin and inquisitive South American Sea Lions.

Private transfer to Punta Arenas airport for your connecting flights.

End of services. We hope this ultimate wildlife adventure has provided unforgettable encounters with the remarkable diversity of animals and ecosystems of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego — from penguins and glaciers to the mythic Straits of Magellan. A true journey of discovery to the end of the world.