On our last day in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine we were blessed with a cloudless ‘bluebird’ day with clear sight of The Horns and The Towers. As we set off from our lodge, we came to a stop along the roadside as two puma cubs were sitting together on the opposite hillside. We watched them through binoculars for a few minutes before they jumped up and ran over the hill as their mother was calling them.
We then hiked up about 60 minutes to the top of the Condor Mirador, which has amazing panoramic views of the mountains, the lakes and valleys below. We were guided by our expert Chilean guide, Patrick Smith Hudson, who hails from Valparaiso (not England).
We were visiting Torres del Paine National Park at the very end of the season, but it has been an amazing stop. The views are breathtaking, and getting out for long hikes in the bracing fresh air with no one else around is so special. Visit if you can.
That afternoon we left the Tierra Patagonia lodge, and transferred to The Singular hotel in Puerto Natales. Along the way, we were held up by a herd of cattle that was being moved down the valley by their attendant gauchos on horseback, and dogs, along the main highway. Horseback is not quite right, as one of them was riding a mule!
Puma photo credits: Kirsty Anson