Navimag ferry & local boats, Puerto Eden, Patagonia, Chile, 1 Apr 2012
Pio X1 Glacier #2, Patagonia, Chile, 1 Apr 2012
Pio X1 Glacier #8, Patagonia, Chile, 1 Apr 2012
Our transport from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales was the local ferry, which transports vehicles & supplies as well as passengers. At capacity the ferry takes 280 passengers but as it was the end of the season there were only 40 of us on board and we were offered extra cabins to allow us to spread out. As the trip takes 3 days we were appreciative of the extra space. The ferry wound its way through narrow channels in between high mountains, with lots of little islands. A shipwreck was a reminder as to how difficult navigating must be. We stopped at one small village, Puerto Eden, and disembarked for a 45-minute walk. We could see how difficult life must be in this area where there is little other than fishing to bring any income to the town. A highlight was the excursion up into a bay to see the Pio X1 Glacier. This is huge with a 4 km face flowing down into the sea. It is supposedly the largest glacier in South America. The weather was kind and our cameras worked overtime.