Our charter flight out of Puerto Montt into Patagonia, leaves around noon from the La Paloma airstrip in Puerto Montt (officially called Aerodromo Marcel Marchant). Driving time from either Puerto Montt´s main airport of El Tepual or Puerto Varas is about 35 minutes. Please make sure to be at La Paloma an hour prior to arrival time; check with us or your agent the exact time about a week before arrival.

We recommend to stay the night before in the near-by town of Puerto Varas. Hotels are easily booked through, by example, Booking.com or Expedia.com. The hotel can arrange for your transfer from and to the airports. Recommended hotels are Hotel Bellavista or Hotel Cumbres.

After your stay with us, on your day of departure from the lodge, we will drive you to the airstrip  for your charter flight back to Puerto Montt. You will fly straight into the main airport of Tepual (PMC) or back to the local airport of La Paloma. Please make sure that your flight to Santiago does not leave before 3:30PM, to allow some time for weather delays.

Contact numbers:
Taxi service Puerto Montt – Gonzalo Pincheira: +56-9-73364469

What to bring to Chile

At the airports of Santiago and Puerto Montt, Chilean Pesos can be withdrawn from ATMs (Red banc). Most accepted cards are Cirrus, Visa and MasterCard. US Dollars and Euros are accepted at certain places only and generally at poor rates. In the lodge, however, US Dollars, Pound Sterling and Euros, as well as US bankers cheques are readily accepted, though credit cards are not.

As your final transfer to the lodge will by small charter plane with limited capacity, we strongly request you to limit your baggage weight to a maximum of 45 lbs (20 kilo) and not to use hard shell suitcases, but soft travel bags only.

We offer free weekly laundry service, allowing you to limit the number of clothes you bring. Back-up fishing gear in case of breakage or loss of equipment (rods, waders, shoes, etc.) is available, so no need to bring spares. In the lodge we have a small shop with items like flies, lines, reels, rods, leaders, etc., for sale. All the rooms are equipped with hairdryers, towels, bathrobes, flip flops, shampoo, body gel, cotton pats, tissues, electric plug converters, etc.

General items:

  • 4 sets of clothes change (3 sets packed) – don’t forget lodges free laundry service
  • 1 pair of daily shoes
  • Breathable rain coat and rain pants (for use on white water where we don’t allow
    waders, or during hiking/horse riding)
  • Fleece sweater
  • Bathing suit (for use in sauna and hot tub)
  • Polarized sunglasses, hat or cap/jockey, high factor sunscreen SPF40+ and lip balm
  • Head light / flashlight (for stay in overnight camp)
  • Digital camera with battery charger, spare battery and memory card
  • Personal hygienic items (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, lotions, etc.) and
    medicines
  • Travel alarm clock or watch with alarm
  • Cash US$ or bankers cheques, Pound Sterling or Euros for purchases at the lodge and tips (suggested is 15% of your total travel sum)

Fishing items:

  • 4-piece fly rods in solid tubes. One #6 weight with reel and floating line and one fast
    #6 weight, #7 or #8 weight with reel and sink-tip (200/250 grain) and floating line
  • 9 ft. leaders (3 of each – 0X, 2X and 3X) and fluorocarbon tippet material (1X, 2X, 3X,
    4X, 5X)
  • Lightweight stocking foot waders with wading belt and boots, thermal underwear for
    use in waders, fast-drying wading pants, neoprene socks (to use in wading boots when
    wet-wading), rain pants (for use in white water and the camps)
  • Dry bag (for use on float trips) and waterproof camera case/bag
  • Fly floatant, clippers, haemostats, strike indicators and weight for nipping
  • Wading staff, sun gloves

Flies:

  • Dry flies: Gypsy King (size 4); Fat Albert, tan and black (size 6, 8, 10); Ninja Cicada
    (size 8, 10); Chubby Chernobyl (size 6); Pit Boss (size 8); Jake´s Gulp Beetle (size 14, 18); Parachute Chernobyl Ant, red and black (size 6, 8);  Parachute Ant (size 16, 18); Black foam beetle (size 16, 18); Parachute Adams (size 14, 16)
  • Streamers: Home Invader, tan white; Gold Sculpin Sparkle Minnow (size 4, 6); Chilean Rubber Bugger (size 4); Autumn Splendour (size 4); Beldar´s Rubberleg, black/red, olive/brown (size 4), Black Cone head Zuddler, (size 8,10); Kraft´s Kreelex (size 6)
  • Nymphs: Pheasant Tail bead head (size 14, 16); Pat´s rubberlegs (size 8, 10, 12) Prince Nymph (size 12, 14, 16); Copper John, green, black, red (size 14, 16, 18)

General travel- and background information:

  • For holders of an E.U., U.K. or U.S.A. passport, at this moment, no visa is needed for a stay of up to 3 months in Chile. A passport with a validity of at least 6 months from the final date of departure from Chile together with a return ticket is sufficient. First time U.S.A. visitors to Chile pay a reciprocity tax when entering the country.
  • Chile´s language is Spanish. Outside the capital of Santiago English is hardly spoken. The lodge management, however, speaks Dutch, German, Spanish and English.
  • In season, time differences are: Central Europe -4, UK -3, USA EC +2, USA WC +5 hours.
  • Chileans are extremely friendly and helpful people. Outside the big cities crime is almost non-existent. However, like anywhere, using common sense will avoid a lot of problems.
  • A stay in Chile means different people with different customs, a different culture and food. This is one of the attractions of Chile, but at the same time an aspect to be considered in your expectations
  • During your stay in The Patagonian BaseCamp Lodge all meals will be provided at high standards. Should you have special wishes or preferences (e.g. allergies or vegetarian diet) and report these before arrival, we will do our utmost to accommodate them.