Las Torres Unveils the Human Side of Patagonia
February 18, 2021 - 3 minutes readIt’s not all about incredible Chilean nature. Las Torres Reserve offers several half- and full-day tours that feature Patagonia’s human history and culture including a “Patagón” time trip excursion that examines remnants of the region’s ancient indigenous cultures and a “Baqueano Cultural Experience” that dives into local cowboy ways.
Patagón Full Day Tour
Distance: 11km/7miles
Time: 6 hrs total
Difficulty: Low-Mid
Start the day near Amarga Lagoon and the literal origins of life. This lake is one of the few left on earth that contain cyanobacteria, which played a fundamental role in transforming carbon dioxide into oxygen and permitting life to evolve.
You’ll head south through an area that local guides have dubbed the “puma restaurant.” While the likelihood of seeing this iconic feline during daytime are slim, the evidence of their presence is apparent on the trail. But by keeping the noise down and your eyes open, you have a good chance of spotting foxes, condors and rheas, the Patagonian version of the emu.
As the journey continues, you can visualize the evolution of Patagonia’s habitation, from the dinosaurs and prehistoric mega mammals to the first humans who chose to settle and make this area of Torres del Paine their home. The original groups of hunters and gatherers inhabited this region 7,000 years ago and about halfway along the trail, we’ll see a large, overhanging rock formation displaying their renderings in pictographs.
The excursion continues to Lake Sarmiento, where you’ll get a glimpse of that same life-giving bacteria, this time in the form of a lumpy structure called Thrombolites. These coral-like formations can grow as large as two meters/six feet in size.
Baqueano Cultural Experience Half Day Tour
Time: 3 hrs total
Difficulty: Low
Spend a morning with the Los Torres baqueanos and get a glimpse of their traditional Patagonian lifestyle. During your time with these Patagonian cowboys and girls — descendants of horsemen who came to work ranches in this remote region more than a century ago — you’ll learn about their special clothing, saddles and other horse tack. They can show you how to properly saddle a horse, nail a horseshoe and, of course, how to ride!
In Patagonia, they still adhere to the old Spanish saying, “Happy Belly, Happy Heart.” The baqueanos gladly share their maté and proudly tell you about their culture. Maté, an herbal tea made from yerba maté leaves, is heavily woven into Patagonia’s lifestyle and sharing this hot beverage is a beloved tradition with high significance.
Before leaving, sample savory sopaipillas with pebre, a classic Chilean combination of pumpkin bread and fresh salsa. By the end of this cowboy journey, you’ll have a much better understanding of what it was like to live and work in this remote corner of South American before the arrival of tourism.
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