Cruising down the Patagonian Channels in the NAVIMAG

So ... in Bariloche we were trying to find out what would be the best way to cover the next long stretch of land going south from Bariloche down to Patagonia, Argentina or Chile?

The Argentinian road down Ruta 40 is supposed to be one of the most boring 3 day road trips in existence, so we were going to try our luck down the Chilian side, called the Carretera Austral. However, upon arriving at the port in Puerto Montt to book a ticket on our little ferry for the first part of the trip, we were inundated with backpacker, after backpacker, after backpacker circling around the dock. We were only to discover that we'd arrived on the one day of the week when the big NAVIMAG boat was heading south!! After much debate, and persuading the ticket lady that we were students to get a 10% off the price, we found ourselves booking a berth (just two hours before departure) and jumping on board the massive boat ready to cruise down the patagonian channels and fjords to Puerto Natales.

Bega Cheese in Chile
Before I continue, I also have to mention that a highlight of my time in Puerto Montt, before the boat trip, was discovering that the supermarket sold BEGA CHEESE!! So I was in heaven as we purchased a block of cheese for the boat trip and I was able to indulge in the best cheese on earth once again!!

So .. what exactly in the NAVIMAG?
The Navimag originated as just a big cargo boat, which it still is, but they have also converted the boat and added some passenger cabins so that the tourists also can enjoy the spectacular route of this massive cargo boat! Here is the website if you want to check it out. http://www.navimag.cl

There are about three levels for passengers, including a massive open deck where you can enjoy the magnificent views during the day sitting on a seat or lying down in the sun. There is also a bar up the top and a huge dining room as well as all the cabins, that come in a variety of sizes and quality!

We were incredibly lucky as we decided to opt for the lowest level of 4 person cabins, rather than the dormitory. But the other two people in our room didn’t get on until the third night when we stopped at a little indigenous village called Puerto Eden, so we enjoyed the luxury of a private cabin and bathroom for the most part of the journey, without the cost!

The path of the Navimag ... Glaciers and Indigenous Villages
The boat cruises for four days and three night ever so smoothly that it's hardly noticeable that you're on a boat and in fact, we didn’t even realise when we’d sailed away from the dock in Puerto Montt! The view is just sensational as you can nearly always see the Andes Mountain Range on the left hand side as the boat cruises through the Patagonian channels and fjords. The first day we had sensational sunny weather and so we spent most of the day out on deck taking in the views. For the remaining days, the weather was a little overcast, but this only made the journey seem more mystical as I stood at the front of the boat doing my Titanic pose (just joking!!).

On the second night the boat ventures out into the sea and this was the only point where I could tell I was actually on a boat! However it was only for one night and I loved being rocked to sleep by the sea, so infact I really enjoyed this little diversion from the calmness of the channels!

On the third day we were lucky enough to visit the biggest glacier in the southern ice fields, called Pious XI. The Navimag sailed past lots of little icebergs and right up to the glacier, where we could see the rugged and harsh definition of the ice and hear the thunderous crash when big chunks of the glacier would break off and smash down into the sea. It was truly incredible experience to be the only ones at this amazing creation of mother earth!

On the final day, we sailed through the thinnest part of the navigation and also past a sunken ship that is crazily just sitting in the middle of one of the channels, apparently there are a few other boats below it on the reef, so it hasn't been able to fully sink!

What did we do on the boat?
Well, apart from taking in the great views and just relaxing, there were lots of ´activities´that were organized for the boat trip including presentations on the local area, the glaciers, movies relevant to the area etc, so you had the choice of lots of things to do each day. You could also go into the navigation room with the captian and hang out, ask questions about the boat and watch as they made all the adjustments to the steering etc as we cruised through the channels. You can see me taking the controls in one of the pics! Other than that, we played cards and chess, enjoyed wine, and watched the scenery go by! It was certainly a tough few days!! Also on the boat we were reunited with Cedric and Robyn who we’d first met in Pucon, so it was great catching up with them over the course of the trip.

The last night was one of the most hilarious as they hosted a bingo and music night. Seeing a few of the oldies on the trip getting down on the dance floor to reggaeton is something that will keep me smiling for a long time!

Finally we arrived in Puerto Natales which was our destination and we disembarked in the cute little port town with mountains all around and tried to adjust to not being soundly rocked to sleep at night by the sound of the engine. From Puerto Natales we will head off on our 5 day trek around Torres Del Payne national park, which I'll update you on in the next blog!

Hasta la proxima, Tamara :)

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