It really depends on your interests. The hotel offered several nature activities + a trip into town. People were enthusiastic about the condor hike, but did mention it was windy and wet/chilly that day in October. A cave visit was supposedly a lot of hiking for not much reward. You will warm up in BA. Enjoy!
llasik - Why was condor tour not enjoyable? What made the horseback riding so wonderful? I feel like we will be choosing beween these two and originally thought condo watching would be the choice, but you have me rethinking this. What month did you go there and what was the weather like for you?
I'll let Ilasik answer, but I believe from older posts, the walk can be a bit tough, you may not see condors, and if it is cold and especially if the wind is blowing it can be downright miserable. Just type "condor" in the search window at the upper right of this window to see the older posts.
runner 1000 - are you referring to the free day at Singular Patagonia? If so, the must do depends on your fitness level and interests. If you are fit, the condor hike has the potential (but no guarantee) for a great pay out. It was loved by the people on our tour who did it. They actually hiked to above the condor nests and saw lots of condos flying quite closely (good pictures and videos on simple iPhones). Everyone said it was a tough hike - continuously upward. Horseback riding was enjoyed by many for the scenery. Cave walk is easy. A few people arranged other things - fly fishing and second trip back to Torres del Paine. Still others enjoyed massages at The Singular. But EVERYTHING in Patagonia depends on the weather, which can change quickly from a beautiful day to cloudy, windy, rainy. Just expect it and be prepared. We were there in January, but I think it is the luck of the weather, more than anything, that will determine weather certain activities were worth it.
I went on the Patagonia trip in January and I thought the condor hike was one of the highlights of our trip. Yes, it is steep but if you have hiking poles it is very doable. We saw a lot of condors on our hike. During the hike we counted 11 condors in the air at the same time. I highly recommend it.
Chiming in to add that at least in Feb23, the Singular provided hiking poles to the condor hike participants, so you will have them. The hike was steep, and one person in our group fell a bit behind, but the rear guide took her a less steep (by windier) route, and she made it to the top a little later than the rest. There were a few minor slips on the descent by a few members of our group - nothing painful, just sliding on loose pebbles.
Lots of outfit changes on the way, peeling off layers on the way up as the sweat started, then carefully relayering as we got towards the top, and it was windier, with some drizzle. On the way down, there was a lot of removing the layers and then even more than before as the sun came out strongly.
The condor hike definitely is the most physical work you'd do on the trip. Some of the group who did the hike did the cave hike in the afternoon, but we decided to relax, walk around the hotel and enjoy the spa.
If you don't think the condor hike would be enjoyable for you, there is the cave walk, and a newer Colonies walk that gets you out in the beautiful landscape without the hiking poles and exertion. One of our group's couples found a local fly fishing guide and did that instead of any of the hotel activities. You have that entire day on tour to yourself to use as you please - there are no group meals or activities that day - meals are at your leisure in the hotel restaurant. If I had to do it again, I'd consider hiring a local guide to go into the park again and do more hikes. Obviously, there is a cost to going on your own excursion like fly fishing, but if none of the hotel offerings are appealing to you, it may be worth it to have the Patagonian experience you want
Comments
It really depends on your interests. The hotel offered several nature activities + a trip into town. People were enthusiastic about the condor hike, but did mention it was windy and wet/chilly that day in October. A cave visit was supposedly a lot of hiking for not much reward. You will warm up in BA. Enjoy!
Condor tour was not enjoyable by my husband and his fellow 8 hikers. I loved loved horseback riding ! So scenic
llasik - Why was condor tour not enjoyable? What made the horseback riding so wonderful? I feel like we will be choosing beween these two and originally thought condo watching would be the choice, but you have me rethinking this. What month did you go there and what was the weather like for you?
I'll let Ilasik answer, but I believe from older posts, the walk can be a bit tough, you may not see condors, and if it is cold and especially if the wind is blowing it can be downright miserable. Just type "condor" in the search window at the upper right of this window to see the older posts.
runner 1000 - are you referring to the free day at Singular Patagonia? If so, the must do depends on your fitness level and interests. If you are fit, the condor hike has the potential (but no guarantee) for a great pay out. It was loved by the people on our tour who did it. They actually hiked to above the condor nests and saw lots of condos flying quite closely (good pictures and videos on simple iPhones). Everyone said it was a tough hike - continuously upward. Horseback riding was enjoyed by many for the scenery. Cave walk is easy. A few people arranged other things - fly fishing and second trip back to Torres del Paine. Still others enjoyed massages at The Singular. But EVERYTHING in Patagonia depends on the weather, which can change quickly from a beautiful day to cloudy, windy, rainy. Just expect it and be prepared. We were there in January, but I think it is the luck of the weather, more than anything, that will determine weather certain activities were worth it.
I went on the Patagonia trip in January and I thought the condor hike was one of the highlights of our trip. Yes, it is steep but if you have hiking poles it is very doable. We saw a lot of condors on our hike. During the hike we counted 11 condors in the air at the same time. I highly recommend it.
Chiming in to add that at least in Feb23, the Singular provided hiking poles to the condor hike participants, so you will have them. The hike was steep, and one person in our group fell a bit behind, but the rear guide took her a less steep (by windier) route, and she made it to the top a little later than the rest. There were a few minor slips on the descent by a few members of our group - nothing painful, just sliding on loose pebbles.
Lots of outfit changes on the way, peeling off layers on the way up as the sweat started, then carefully relayering as we got towards the top, and it was windier, with some drizzle. On the way down, there was a lot of removing the layers and then even more than before as the sun came out strongly.
The condor hike definitely is the most physical work you'd do on the trip. Some of the group who did the hike did the cave hike in the afternoon, but we decided to relax, walk around the hotel and enjoy the spa.
If you don't think the condor hike would be enjoyable for you, there is the cave walk, and a newer Colonies walk that gets you out in the beautiful landscape without the hiking poles and exertion. One of our group's couples found a local fly fishing guide and did that instead of any of the hotel activities. You have that entire day on tour to yourself to use as you please - there are no group meals or activities that day - meals are at your leisure in the hotel restaurant. If I had to do it again, I'd consider hiring a local guide to go into the park again and do more hikes. Obviously, there is a cost to going on your own excursion like fly fishing, but if none of the hotel offerings are appealing to you, it may be worth it to have the Patagonian experience you want