Chilean Patagonia - Experience True Adventure

Chilean Patagonia

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Chilean Patagonia - A True Adventure

Patagonia Horses

Chilean Patagonia is linked to the baqueano lifestyle. The horse is a cornerstone of Patagonia. Both cowgirls and boys master the ability to ride and take care of these animals that are treated like family.

Share mate with a baqueano

In Chilean Patagonia, following the rules is tradition if you are invited to share in the mate tea ritual. A baqueano will lead the way and pass you the mate, and you should drink the entire tea infusion before passing it back. He will then refill the gourd and continue passing it around.

Slow lifestyle

In Chilean Patagonia, the cultural saying goes, “he who hurries wastes time,” which symbolizes life in this region. People enjoy a more relaxed pace, meeting new people, and having good conversations.

Authentic Handcrafts

Local artisans make a beautiful variety of crafts using the region’s natural resources. Clay pottery, ceramics, basketry, carpentry, colorful textiles and looms with sheeps wool, and items made from leather are common in Patagonian households.

Calafate Berry

This fruit is native to Patagonia and almost unknown outside our region. It has a sweet, tart taste and is often mixed into pisco sours, jams, sauces and desserts.

Seafood al pilpil

A traditional way of preparing seafood is by marinating it in garlic, olive oil and hot chile peppers. Totally mouth-watering!

Pan con Pebre (fresh bread with salsa)

Wood burning stoves in Patagonia are always baking fresh bread, which is often served with a special salsa made with tomato, onion, cilantro, and chile peppers.

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Traditions in Chile’s Patagonia

Gaining a deeper understanding of Patagonia’s history will allow you to more fully appreciate your stay in this special land. The baqueano (cowboy) lifestyle is still very intricately woven into many aspects of today’s Patagonia. Baqueanos are expert horsemen dedicated to rearing livestock, often characterized for their strong but hospitable personalities. They wear leather boots, neck scarves, berets (hats), vests, and warm ponchos with unique designs. You will almost always see them drinking traditional mate with their special cup and straw. This herb infusion is a sacred ritual and center of many conversations.

Authentic Patagonian food and drinks

Barbecues are very instilled in Chile’s culture, both for the geographic conditions favorable to livestock and also for the opportunity these events play in spending quality time with family and friends. A classic Patagonian barbecue entails a lamb slow-roasted on a rotating stick over an open fire. It’s a special event and highly social, in which family, friends, and neighbors gather to share stories around the fire and bond over traditional food. On the seafood side, the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean mean lobster, king crab, oyster and clam like you’ve never tried before. They are served in hot casseroles in clay bowls, raw, or oven baked with Chilean wine and parmesan cheese. The national aperitive is pisco sour, made from pisco mixed with lime juice, sweet syrup, egg white and a splash of bitters. In Patagonia, the native Calafate fruit is often added for a unique twist.