Around Patagonia │ Part 9 - Laguna San Rafael
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▶︎ ABOUT THIS TRIP
At the end of the austral summer of 2025, we headed south for the first time, taking a three-week detour to explore the famous Laguna San Rafael and the lesser-visited Golfo Elefantes. Departing from the salmon-farming town of Puerto Chacabuco, we motored to the Islas Cinco Hermanas at the entrance of Seno Aysén, where we took in views of Monte Macá volcano and tried (unsuccessfully) to fish.
From there we sailed into Estero Elefantes, where strong currents and inaccurate tide tables forced us to slow down and make more stops than planned, giving us extra opportunities to explore the area. The transit of Paso Quesahuén, the narrow channel linking Golfo Elefantes with Estero Elefantes, was one of the most challenging moments of the trip. Powerful currents and swirling eddies spun Tupaia through two full 360-degree turns under sail! After safely clearing the pass, we continued through a series of anchorages before reaching Laguna San Rafael. Three days of heavy rain delayed our entry, but once the weather cleared we had four days of calm conditions to hike and sail around the lagoon, viewing the spectacular San Rafael Glacier calve from multiple angles.
After leaving the lagoon, we stopped at Caleta Gualas and tried to run the tender up the river that leads to a glacier farther inland. After several strikes on submerged rocks damaged the propeller, we left the dinghy behind and continued on foot to the glacial lake, returning to the boat before sunrise. Our final detour was to Bahía Exploradores, a wide, glacier-fed bay surrounded by steep mountains.
This film is presented without narration or dialogue, and uses only music and ambient sound. For editing and pacing, the footage is not arranged in chronological order. Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish to provide context, explain the visuals, and share practical information. Special thanks to Fernando Moraga for the Spanish translation. Discover his work at instagram.com/fernandomoragaphotography and fivehundredfilms.com.
▶︎ INFO & STATS
212 nautical miles
22 days (18 March 2025 to 8 April 2025)
10 anchorages 60L of diesel (incl. 30L for heating)
Sailboat: Dufour 35 “TUPAIA”
Beaufort scale: 45% 0-3 - 39% 4-5 - 16% 6-8 - 0% 9-11
Weather: 57% sun - 18% cloud - 25% rain
▶︎ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:53 - Puerto Chacabuco
03:44 - Islas Cinco Hermanas & Monte Maca
04:18 - Bahía Exploradores
05:15 - Río Gualas
08:06 - Paso Quesahuén & Bahía Sisquelán
10:38 - Río Tempanos
11:26 - Laguna San Rafael - Hike
14:19 - Río Tempanos by night
15:50 - Laguna San Rafael - Floating Ice
16:45 - Laguna San Rafael - Calving glacier
19:51 - Stats