2024 Chile Lake District & Patagonia Trip
This program is an invitation to explore a land of geographical and biological wonders: a visit to Chile is a boon for hikers, naturalists, nature photographers, and birders as well as devotees of the history of exploration and discovery, Darwin, and evolution. Located along the western coast of South America, this long and narrow country spans almost half the continent from its northernmost to southernmost points, promising an abundance of natural and cultural diversity along the way.
Charles Darwin spent over a year exploring Chile on his famous voyage aboard HBS Beagle. Between May 1834 and June 1835 the 25-year-old Darwin traveled the length of that wondrous country, from the Straits of Magellan and the “splendid desolation” the Patagonian wilderness to the volcanically active Lake District, and up to the high Andes. It was in Chile, closely observing the flora, fauna, indigenous Patagonian peoples, and geology, that Darwin had some of his most profound insights!