(CNN) — For travelers looking to embark on an adventure, reconnect with nature or feel like the only people for miles around, Patagonia is one of the last untouched places on Earth.
This remote region spans hundreds of thousands of square miles of southern Argentina and Chile, stretching among ancient forests, vast glaciers, deep fjords and the jagged mountains of the Andes.
Patagonia is home to a variety of wildlife, including pumas, penguins and parrots. There’s kayaking, trekking, cycling, climbing, rafting and snorkelling – even with baby sea lions.
“This is a place for people who love adventure. You can feel the wind and you can feel the sea,” said Kevin Zawali, one of the directors of the new CNN original series Patagonia: Life at the Edge of the World. “In Patagonia, you feel alone in this vast world of wild nature.”
Here are some of the places you must visit at the end of the world:
Torres del Paine National Park is a paradise for nature lovers, hikers and climbers.
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Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Torres del Paine National Park is the jewel in the crown of Chile’s park system. There are miles of glaciers, turquoise-blue lakes, granite peaks rising more than 9,400 feet, stunning waterfalls and rare wildlife.
“There are very few places in the world that are so pristine, so intact,” said Camilo Rada, a scientist and mountaineer from Chile.
This park is one of the most sparsely populated regions in the world, where wildlife must be hardy to survive the punishing and unpredictable extremes. There are condors, wild horses, nandui, guanacos and pumas.
“This is one of the best places in the world to see these cougars. Everywhere else they are afraid of humans, but not here. They have no predators — no wolves or bears, so they’re pretty frozen, Rene Araneda, a former guide and director of “Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World,” told CNN. “Torres del Paine National Park is probably my favorite place in the world.”
The park and surrounding area are believed to be home to hundreds of cougars.
Magellanic penguins stand on the beach at sunset in El Pedral, Argentina.
Kevin Zawali
Peninsula Valdez and El Pedral, Argentina
More than 700 miles northeast of Torres del Paine on the Argentine coast, the Valdes Peninsula is another wildlife lover’s paradise. At the UNESCO World Heritage Site, visitors can see killer whales, southern right whales, elephant seals, sea lions, Magellanic penguins and countless birds. Zaouali recommends taking a boat ride to see southern right whales up close. These slow, peaceful giants got their name because they were once known as “the right ones” for hunting.
Killer whales, on the other hand, can be seen from the beaches of the Valdes Peninsula.
“This is the best place in the world to see killer whales,” Zawali said. “If you go, you’ll have real contact with wildlife.”
Punta Norte, at the northern tip of the peninsula, is one of the few places in the world where killer whales come ashore to prey on unsuspecting seals and baby sea lions. Only two pods of killer whales know this ingenious hunting trick.
They first swim sideways to hide their dorsal fins, then settle on the shore to eat their food, and finally maneuver back into the sea. This happens in March and April, and the risky feat is stunning to watch.
At Punta Norte, killer whales come ashore to hunt seals and baby sea lions. To do this, they swim sideways to hide their dorsal fins, then settle on the shore to attack their prey and finally maneuver back out to sea. The new original series Patagonia: Life at the Edge of the World airs Sundays at 9pm ET.
At El Pedral, about 30 miles south, there is a growing colony of penguins.
“If you’re there, you’re alone in a huge penguin colony. This is the best place to stay if you want to experience Patagonia on a different level,” Zawali told CNN, calling the place magical.
There are more than 12,000 Magellanic penguins, conservationist Poppy Garcia said on CNN’s “Patagonia” series.
“One of the favorite penguins in this colony is called Clarita,” Garcia said, “We know she’s about 16 years old. She managed to raise 14 chicks.”
September to April is the best time to see penguins when these migrating egrets come to breed.
A view of the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina.
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Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina
Located in the southwestern part of Santa Cruz province in the Argentine Andes, Los Glaciares National Park is defined by its many glaciers.
Zawali compared the ice wonder to “The Wall” in Game of Thrones.
“It’s a huge spectacle,” Zawali said. He recommends visiting in the spring and summer when it’s melting to see and hear the huge chunks of wall breaking off before your eyes.
At over 11,000 feet, Mount Fitz Roy is the highest peak in the park. For stunning views of the mountain, hikers hike the steep 13-kilometer Fitz Roy Trail.
Horseback riding, kayaking, biking and climbing also offer panoramic views of the awe-inspiring park.
Balneario El Condor, Argentina
After wintering in the north, burrowing parrot pairs return to the same nest each spring. Some of their nests extend three feet back into the rocks. There are 37,000 active nests, conservationist Mauricio Faila said in the Patagonia series.
These green, yellow and blue birds are very social and vocal, which is why Faila enjoys studying them.
Other local attractions along the coast of Rio Negro Province include the sandy beaches and the Faro Rio Negro Lighthouse.
There is kitesurfing, windsurfing and a sand yacht, which is a wheeled vehicle with a sail that is propelled across the sand by the wind.
The colorful houses on the water, known as palafitos, in the town of Castro on the island of Chiloé, Chile.
Kike Calvo/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Chiloe Island, Chile
Chiloé Island in Chile offers some of the best whale watching in the region. The beautiful surrounding fjords are a magnet for wildlife, including sea lions, dolphins and the largest animal that ever lived: blue whales.
Summer is the best time to see endangered blue whales; that’s when they gather along the Pacific coast to feast on krill. The nearly 200-ton whales will eat four tons of krill a day.
“Seeing a blue whale never gets boring. It’s always exciting,” oceanographer Susannah Buchan told CNN. “It’s always amazing, emotional and a complete privilege.”
There are 700 migrating whales that come to this region every year from January to April.
Buchan recommends a whale watching visit in February. But she cautions that this is a vast and dynamic feeding ground, so sightings are not guaranteed. Sometimes she won’t see whales for weeks.
Two blue whales swim in the Gulf of Corcovado in Chile.
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A trip to Chiloé Island is not complete without immersing yourself in the culture. There is a large local community rooted in deep traditions. Fishing and tourism are top industries for local residents.
The island is famous for its picturesque palafitos, wooden houses on stilts over the water. There are even hotels and restaurants that tourists can visit.
The area is also known for its delicious seafood. One of the traditional Chilean dishes is the curanto, a feast of meat and seafood that is cooked in a pit in the ground and covered with a large leaf. It’s one big communal pot of clams, mussels, sausage, potatoes, chicken and pork.
Buchan advises transferring Chilean salmon, which is not native to the region. There is no natural salmon in the southern hemisphere, so local salmon are farmed. Overcrowding in the pens has led to disease among the salmon, she said, and mass escapes, damaging native fish communities and devastating the marine ecosystem.
Back on the mainland, east of the island, is Pumalín Park, Chile’s largest private nature reserve. The park once belonged to North Face founder Douglas Tompkins, but was donated to the country of Chile. This park is free to visit. This lush and temperate rainforest with crystal clear rivers is a stunning area for outdoor enthusiasts.
“You’re running away from civilization,” Araneda said of the Carretera Austral adventure travel.
Joël Arpaillange/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Carretera Austral, Chile
If you’re looking for a road trip through particularly untrodden parts of Patagonia, the Carretera Austral route takes drivers over 700 scenic miles from Puerto Montt in the Lake District south to Villa O’Higgins in the Aysen region.
The road, sometimes unpaved and requiring a ferry, passes through small remote villages and extremely diverse landscapes on what many consider the best road trip in Patagonia.
One of director Araneda’s favorite places in Patagonia on “Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World” is at the southern end of the route – the Aisen region. This wooded area, which includes several iconic parks, including Pumalín Park and Laguna San Rafael National Park, is considered a biodiversity hotspot and new species are still being discovered here.
“It’s one of the most unexplored places in the world,” Araneda said. “It looks like a jungle, like Costa Rica, but in a cold environment with ocean and mountains.”
Puma tracker at Estancia Cerro Guido in Chile.
Ben Goertzen
Estancias throughout Patagonia
For a unique experience, a ranch called an estancia offers traditional Patagonian accommodation.
Visitors can embrace the solitude of life as a gaucho, a native horseman who embodies the frontier spirit.
For horseback riding and fly fishing, the 100,000-acre Estancia Ranquilco in northwest Patagonia offers lodge overnights and backcountry horseback treks. Another option is Tipiliuke, located in Argentina’s Chimehuín River Valley in northwestern Patagonia. There’s fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, yoga, golf, mountain biking, rafting, bird watching, and even skiing at the nearby Chapelco Ski Area. Estancia’s chef is famous for his empanadas.
Estancias offer the perfect opportunity to try authentic cuisine. One of…
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