Unlike the rest of Chile, in this area the majestic Andes mountain range directly borders the Pacific Ocean almost as though in discourse. The clash of three tectonic plates - Nazca, the South American and the Antarctic – and intense past glacial activity give rise to a destination made up of deep and magic valleys and sensual fjords, inlets, bays and peninsulas, all of which peek out of infinite channels that shape the geography.
Here, the Coastal cordillera vanishes immediately south of Chiloé Island, with only its peaks visible corresponding to the large group of the marvelous islands of the Chonos and Guaitecas archipelagoes. It finally resurges on the Taitao peninsula where it disappears forever.
Part of the coastline is sheer and is clad with evergreen and endemic forests, called cold jungle in the popular jargon. Except in the wide-open spaces of the Chonos and Guaitecas archipelagoes, this is a maze of fantasy islands and islets, on which important and low geological formations prevail.
The southern Andes mountain range is sheared by two saddles that give rise to a long and narrow intermediate valley. This is interrupted longitudinally by the watershed of numerous pristine and virgin rivers, which start in the transandean sector of the southern Andes and, after a long journey along the fractures of such massif, flow into the sea. Some spring forth from fertile springs, lagoons, mid-height lakes, and ecosystems where a unique and exquisite biodiversity prevails. Others come from rainfall or millenary snows, glaciers and snowcapped peaks, including from north to south Colgante, Reicher, Gualas, San Rafael and San Quintín.
The largest island in the entire sector is Magdalena Island, which is surrounded by the Ventisquero and Puyuhuapi inlets and the Jacaf and Moraleda channels, and the Chonos and Guaitecas archipelagoes, whose coastline is the ideal habitat for an ecstatic diversity of cetaceans and dolphins. Wonderful species like the Blue Whale, the Pygmy Killer Whale and Peale's Dolphin are to be found among these.
The active and inactive volcanoes – Yates, Apagado, Hornopirén, Huequi, Michinmahuida, Corcovado, Melimoyu, Mentolat and Maca – are visible throughout our trip. The bewildering Cerro San Valentín, located at the southern tip of the area of our operation, is the highest summit in the region and is over 4,058 meters/13,310 feet above sea level. These volcanoes are steaming boilers that are the source of abundant hot springs, mainly in the coastal area.