Everything people ask before coming to Villa O'Higgins

Puerto Bahamondes → Candelario Mancilla crossing, departures at 07:30:

Candelario Mancilla → Puerto Bahamondes crossing, departures at 17:00, on the same days.

The O'Higgins Glacier excursion has no fixed day: we schedule it according to the state of the lake and how many people there are. We publish the available dates on the website and on our social media at least 5 days in advance.

Today we sail with two boats: Campito I, for 16 passengers, and Campito II, for 26 passengers.

And there is news coming… but that is all we will say, the rest is a surprise.

Yes. We accept cash, bank transfer, payment links, debit cards and credit cards.

We still recommend bringing some cash: the connection here sometimes fails and we cannot always run the card on the spot.

As soon as you are sure of your dates, the sooner the better. We take bookings up to 24 hours ahead, but you risk not finding space: crossing seats fill up and glacier dates are few.

Booking early is not only about securing your place: it lets us warn you sooner if the weather forces us to move the date, so you can rearrange your trip without rushing.

All year round for glacier excursions and private or special trips — even in winter.

The crossing to Candelario Mancilla runs while the border is open: from November 1 to April 30.

For each passenger we need: full name, RUT or passport number, nationality, age, and a WhatsApp number or email for contact.

This is not our own bureaucracy: it is what the Maritime Authority requires in order to authorize the trip. Without this information the boat cannot leave.

It applies to both the O'Higgins Glacier excursion and the crossing to Candelario Mancilla.

Yes. Children always travel under the responsibility of an adult, and everyone on board wears a life jacket — you do not need to know how to swim.

Older adults sail without a problem, as long as they can get on and off the boat on their own, since access at the port is by ladders.

Yes, both boats have a restroom on board.

Yes, we have high-speed Starlink WiFi… although it would be a shame to get distracted by your phone and miss the scenery Lake O'Higgins offers.

That said, there is no cell coverage along the whole route, so let people at home know before we set off.

Yes, both boats have heating.

We serve you in Spanish and manage basic English during the trip. We understand each other well for the practical things — directions, schedules, safety.

*We speak english a little bit!* 😄

Yes, you can bring your own food. We recommend something prepared and cold — sandwiches, for example — or a thermos with water, because the boat has no kitchen to prepare or heat food.

What is not allowed is bringing or drinking alcoholic beverages. This is for your safety and everyone else's.

Unless they are therapy companions, we avoid pets (it is for their own well-being).

Yes. We have a free minibus that leaves from our office in Villa O'Higgins, timed to connect with boarding. It leaves one hour before departure.

📍 Departure point on Google Maps

No. The bicycle travels included as luggage, at no additional cost.

This crossing is part of the classic route for cyclists linking the Carretera Austral with El Chaltén, so we are more than used to it: we know how to load fully packed bikes and place them well so they arrive just as they left.

Important: tell us you are bringing a bicycle when you book. Spaces for bikes are limited.

At least 45 minutes before departure. Before each departure, the maritime authority inspects the boat, and if you arrive at the last minute you risk being left behind.

🚲 If you travel by bicycle: show up with the bicycle without the panniers. The panniers travel stored inside the boat and the bicycle goes outside — that way your luggage does not get wet or damaged.

It is a short stretch, but outdoors and in a mountain area, so: a windproof and waterproof jacket, layered clothing, a hat, gloves, closed shoes, water and something to eat.

And most importantly: your safe-conduct processed beforehand and your documents at hand, not at the bottom of your backpack. You will need them as soon as you step off the boat.

During the trip we offer snacks and coffee.

Much more than a stopover. Candelario Mancilla is rediscovering yourself in another time: a remote, rugged corner on the shore of Lake O'Higgins, surrounded by forest and mountains, with a family of long pioneer history.

Everything is simple, rustic, unadorned. Real and sincere. You can camp, sleep in the guesthouse or in the cozy sustainable SURí micro-refuges, have something hot to eat, have breakfast and share time with the people who live in this far edge of Patagonia.

If you can, do not miss it. Stay a night.

CLP $160,000 per person. It includes the full seven-hour boat trip, a guide, snacks and tea or coffee.

You can book it in two ways: as an open tour, which needs a minimum of 12 passengers to be confirmed, or as an exclusive charter for your group. Write to us!

This is what we recommend:

• Hat and scarf or neck warmer
• Gloves
• Fleece jacket or a good first layer of warmth
• Windproof and waterproof jacket
• Sunglasses with UV protection
• Sunscreen
• Comfortable closed shoes
• Water
• Binoculars
• Camera with a charged battery

A tip from those of us who sail this all the time: in front of the glacier the wind comes down off the ice and the wind chill can drop several degrees all at once, even if the day is sunny and you have sailed in short sleeves all morning. Nobody has ever regretted bringing one layer too many.

Because we prefer to offer it rarely and deliver, rather than sell it all the time and cancel it half the time.

The strength of the winds on Lake O'Higgins has increased in recent years, and on many days sailing to the glacier area is simply not safe. We schedule departures when the weather window allows it, and we confirm with you three days in advance.

It is a decision we make deliberately: it is the trip people ask us for most and, although we love doing it, it is the one that is hardest for us to deliver. We would rather it be an experience that happens than a promise that falls through.

From Villa O'Higgins, no. There is no road, no trail, no viewpoint that reaches the front of the O'Higgins Glacier. The only way to see it is by sailing Lake O'Higgins.

There is an alternative, though, if you are already in Candelario Mancilla: a 3- or 4-day round-trip trek to Ventisquero Chico. It is a beautiful route, on foot or on horseback, but you need a guide or a very good map.

It is not possible to land in front of the glacier. We approach to about 500 meters from the wall, always at a prudent distance so you can enjoy it safely.

It is the fourth largest glacier in all of Patagonia, and it descends to Lake O'Higgins, one of the deepest in South America at 836 meters.

It is also a retreating glacier: it has lost almost 4 kilometers since 2017. We tell you because it is part of what you see when you get there, and because we believe anyone who comes to see it deserves to know.

They are boat trips we put together to order. They have no fixed schedule or rate, because each one is defined by what you are looking for, how many of you there are and what the weather allows. Today we do three:

• Expeditions — we design and coordinate boat logistics throughout the Lake O'Higgins basin.
• Hidden paradises: Lake Christie — a little-visited area of the lake system, linked to our Lake Christie and Mayer Pass route, a piece of the Pioneers' Route.
• Private glacier tours and events — the O'Higgins Glacier excursion in an exclusive format for your group.

There is no booking button for these: they are talked through. We quote them case by case, according to the itinerary, how many of you there are and how long it lasts. Tell us what you have in mind and we will build it together.