About us
Our story
Destino Patagonia was founded in 2009 in the township of Tortel, where we began running boat trips to the Jorge Montt and Steffens glaciers, as well as nearby sites such as Isla de los Muertos. Since 2011 we have worked the route to Laguna San Rafael through Bahía Exploradores.
Our team
We operate two vessels, SISU and La Resistencia. The team includes 2 small-craft skippers and 2 crew guides, along with Emilia Astorga and Daniel Torres, the company's founders and the people behind its administration and logistics.
Why book with us?
Since 2009, we have been traveling to remote areas of the Aysén region, where we have learned to navigate its fjords, lakes and lagoons in different ways. Marveling at every step we take through the forest, the sand, the wetlands; and at its living, recent history, as fascinating as its nature. • Experience in the Aysén region • Contribution to the local environment • Adventures run by a team with more than 15 years of experience • We love what we do
What can you expect from a trip with us?
To be enchanted by a sublime landscape — not only the San Rafael glacier, but also the sea that surrounds it, the mountains and the forest. By traveling with us, you are also contributing directly to the development of Chile's Protected Wilderness Areas (ASP), and specifically to Laguna San Rafael National Park. From the beginning, we have looked for concrete ways to contribute to its development, one of them through entrance and concession fees, opening new routes and thinking about long-term sustainable tourism.
Meet the team
Emilia Astorga
Emilia is a social anthropologist from Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano and holds a master's degree in Systemic Analysis Applied to Society from Universidad de Chile. She has lived in the Aysén region for 20 years, and her work has spanned several fields: local development with the Servicio País program, tourism entrepreneurship with Destino Patagonia, and heritage and environmental research as an independent professional. A lover of nature, and in particular of the evergreen forest so characteristic of the Aysén coast. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Conservation at Oregon State University, in the United States, with the aim of continuing to improve the social processes associated with protected areas in Chile, and in Patagonia in particular. At Destino Patagonia, she has always been in charge of administration, coordinating bookings and the base team in Puerto Tranquilo.
Daniel Torres
Daniel is a naturalist guide, specializing in navigation and organizing complex logistics in remote and wild areas. He grew up in a small village in southern Patagonia, where he was in constant contact with nature, surrounded by forests, rivers and lakes. This made him very aware of the territory to which he belonged, its beauty, difficulty and frailty, and led him to study tourism and train as a guide in different areas. In 2007 he started to navigate on the coast of Patagonia and found his vocation in the fjords of the region. At Destino Patagonia, he is the head of logistics and the guide team, in charge of organizing every departure and expedition.