2026 Feb 16,17: Caleta Gonzalo

48 hours in paradise, the Parque Nacional Pumalin Douglas Tompkins.

Tompkins & his wife Kris bought over 2 million acres of land in Chile & Argentina, and donated them as national parks, set up to restore & preserve the wilderness. There are a few eco-lodges to let tourists see what can be done and provide consevation-minded jobs for the locals.

We stayed the first night in the ‘Hovbbit Huts’, 5’ high doors; and the 2nd night in domes.

Arrival the 15th:

Midnight:

The huts & surroundings, early the next AM, 16th:

Hiked to the top of Volcan Chaiten, part of the park:

Dinner in the lodge:

Next day, 17th, around the domes:

Ferry scheduled for 12:30, but yesterday’s was canceled due to bad weather, so there was some general uncertainty, and we were scheduled to leave at 1:30. Left Inez & JJ to keep tabs, went on a local hike:

Returned just after 11 to a surprising turn of events: they’d added a ferry to handle yesterday’s overflow, it had just left at 11…with Inez, JJ & the car. Although the original ferry was scheduled for 12:30, they thought it best to advance the car downfield as quickly as possible. Btw don’t think i’ve mentioned, we’re doing the drive south-to-north because we couldn’t get a ferry reservation north-south. So all things considered it was the right choice. This ferry is only 1/2 hour or so, connects with a longer one with a 10km drive in between. So our task: get the next ferry, figure out a way to cross the 10k drive & catch the next long ferry, & meet back up where we can. I prepped the followin’ from the lodge where there is network (& therefore tranlation) access, & we boarded the 12:30:

Rest of story short: approached a very nice & interesting German couple & they took us; Inez & JJ were on the long ferry. Apparently the extra was just the short one. So here we are on the long ferry:

Off the ferry, nice drive to Cochamó where we had dinner:

And to the Cabaña Bellavista. Rustic but a bella vista: