Patagonia self drive holiday, 24 days

Planet

The itineraries we create are guided by three aims: looking after the places we visit, supporting local communities and helping our guests travel responsibly. To do this, we work with a local team on the ground who have been running trips since 2011 and share our values.

Domestic flights have been kept to a minimum, with most of the journey made by road along the Carretera Austral. The pace is slow, so you spend more time in each place and less time travelling between them. Guided excursions run in small groups, which uses less fuel per person, keeps noise down and avoids overcrowding.

The route passes through protected areas including Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park and the Chacabuco Valley in Patagonia National Park. Park entry fees help fund the running of the parks. On the trails, that means taking all rubbish out, sticking to marked paths and keeping a respectful distance from wildlife.

We've chosen small, boutique and family-run places to stay throughout, such as Cabañas del Lago.

People

People are at the heart of everything we do, and this itinerary balances Chile's best-known sights with smaller places that are often missed.

The properties are all small boutique, locally run or family-owned hotels, so the money you spend goes into the local economy. Stops in small towns such as Caleta Tortel, Futaleufú and Puerto Río Tranquilo bring income to communities that most visitors drive straight past.

Our local partners employ certified guides who are trained every year in safety, service, local knowledge and responsible travel. They lead activities such as kayaking, rafting and ice trekking, providing skilled local jobs and sharing their knowledge of the region.