Puyuhuapi

The Zodiac dingy bumps and nudges through ice recently calved off the impressive wall of the San Rafael glacier in Region XI that stretches 1.8 km across the eastern end of the lagoon bearing its name. Rising 50 metres above us and a lot more than that below the water, the glacier is a magnificent end to a long weekend of relaxation.

Puyuhuapi Lodge is remote. Located on the edge of a bay in one of Chile’s many fjords surrounded by thick temperate forest that carpets the surrounding mountains for miles around, access is via launch. Here there is nothing but fresh air, cold water and thermal springs, and a little exercise; the perfect place to relax.

Knowledgeable and friendly guides arrange group activities every day such as walks and kayaking but nothing too strenuous. The guides lead two treks to Ventisquero Colgante, the hanging glacier in Parque Nacional Queulat the other side of the fjord that receives up to 4,000mm of rain a year.

A muddy trail climbs through the forest, periodically giving views over the milky blue glacial lake below and after about 1.5 hours, one emerges from the dark cover of the forest to look at the wedge shaped edge of the glacier slowly dripping through a gap in the shear mountain cliff, with waterfalls cascading at its side. There is always a sense of achievement from reaching the end of a trail and being rewarded with a view that merits the effort.

Two treks lead out from the hotel into the thick forest of ferns and native tree species that include coigues, tepas and mañíos in addition to larch and bamboo. Frequent rains in this part of the world mean the trees are encrusted with rich green mosses and lichens, and many fungi species grow in a rainbow of colours including bright purples and fiery reds. A rich, earthy smell hangs in the forest air, periodically perfumed by the presence of an herb plant. Grassy glades provide an opportunity to see some bird life and we were lucky enough to see an owl waiting for prey. “The guides are very knowledgeable about the history and nature of the place,” says Ian, an English computer programmer who works with the British Geological Survey. “The attitude of the staff is excellent. They are always smiling and pleasant,” says Richard, a retired pilot from Chalfont St Giles in England.

A handful of sit-on-top kayaks are available for paddling around the pristine bay. While there is a tide, there is little current which means there is no danger of getting stuck anyway. A couple of small islands are within easy paddling distance and can be circled within a couple of hours, passing over vast beds of mussels that cling to the islands and the shallow channel that passes between them. In the sunshine, it is glorious, although the weather cannot be guaranteed.

Puyuhuapi Lodge tries to bill itself as an activity centre but while kayaking and trekking are available, they are very much second fiddle to the spa. The kayaking and trekking and enjoyable but serve to burn a few calories and heighten the appetite for the excellent catering while forming a pretext for soothing ones muscles in the spa. In fact, many guests visit the lodge having hiked in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine and want nothing more than to soothe their muscles and take advantage of the excellent catering. “The company markets the lodge as an adventure place but it is definitely not that. They do a few walks and you can do things independently so you don’t have to be part of a group,” says, Matthew a travel agent from Banbury near Oxford in England who was on his honeymoon.

The site benefits from three types of water: sea water, fresh spring water from mountain waterfalls and hydrothermal water from a volcanic source at Melimoyu volcano, and all three find their way into the three outside pools of different temperatures. The hottest pool is a little grotto under dense foliage of shrubs and ferns at a toasty at 38C. The grey mud in the grotto wall contains minerals that make for an impromptu exfoliating face pack.

Another pool, at a more moderate 35C provides a sweeping view of the bay and the wood-frame Chilote style hotel that is covered with wooden shingles. The region is covered with the vivid pink and purple Magellan Fuchsia Fuchsia magellanica and as I scull around the warm water looking at the snowy peaks on the other side of the fjord a flesh of petrol green catches my eye: a hummingbird is zipping around the fuchsia, a surprise in the cold Patagonian climes.

While warm water is very soothing, staying too long in its lulling embrace is not recommended, and so I exit and take the stairway down to the sea to take a cold plunge. And cold it certainly is. A few quick strokes into the bay is enough to feel the cold bite into the flesh and I am soon turning around to get back into the warm pool.

The spa complex itself has something of the charm of The Prisoner, with guests in white toweling dressing gowns padding around in slippers. I was number 4E. “You get straight into your bathrobe and have the welcome in the spa with natural mineral water,” says Richard.

The spa is vast, with a large pool with a fountain that pumps out warm water like a fire hose with which you can massage your back and neck, and two Jacuzzis set overlooking the bay, are like boiling cauldrons of relaxation. They heat up so much that even a plunge into the icy pool does not draw the heat from your skin.

And for some additional pampering, a range of treatments and massages are available. “The treatments were very nice but not that deep. They were aimed more at beauty treatments than reflexology,” says Jeanne, a masseuse from Banbury, on her honeymoon.

The same thermal water is used to provide heating throughout the hotel so while it is nice and fresh outside, inside remains good and cosy, a feeling that is complemented by the quality and inventiveness of the food in the restaurant with dishes such as salmon baked in white wine that was succulent and delicious. “We are vegetarian and they tried very hard to make meals for us,” says Gill, Richard’s wife.

But the weekend did not end before one more high: a visit to the San Rafael Glacier. With an early morning start, we boarded the catamaran that would whisk us there at over 20 knots per hour, arriving just after lunch. San Rafael Glacier was discovered by Europeans in 1674 and is a magnificent sight. The beauty of a catamaran is its maneuverability that allows it to cut and turn between the icebergs with ease, pushing ice aside with its twin bows and cruising ever closer to the ice face.

With a couple of zodiacs, groups of ten people are whisked even closer to the ice face although never within range of harm, but being in such a small craft so close to the water provided a heightened sense of adventure compared to some of the other vessels that bring people to the glacier. Periodically a loud crash and splash is heard as ice calves off the glacier and a new iceberg is formed, followed by a whoosh as ice from the glaciers’ bottom under the water breaches the surface.

After spending a magical three hours at the glacier it was time to leave. As if on cue, the sun broke through the overcast sky as a drizzle started to fall and a rainbow arched up and over the San Rafael.
ENDS