- Chile
- Torres del Paine
About Program
Come explore the rugged landscape, unique culture, and unpredictable weather of the Aysén and Magallanes regions of Chilean Patagonia. Whether you’re backpacking, rock climbing, sea kayaking, or mountaineering, you’ll begin your adventure at the NOLS Patagonia campo, or farm. Patagonia’s terrain varies widely—from steppes and temperate rainforests to alpine ecosystems and ocean fjords—and most courses travel through more than one of these distinct landscapes. From sea to summit, you’ll learn how local ranchers and settlers, known as pobladores, have adapted to live in each environment. Starting in 1990, our staff has built strong relationships with local communities through our history of exploration in remote places, working side by side with the pobladores. NOLS Patagonia is home to our longest and most immersive expedition: the Patagonia Year. Spend five months mastering new outdoor skills, gaining real-life leadership experience, and living and working alongside your host family.
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Program Highlights
- You'll practice your Spanish language skills
- Earn transferrable US College Credit
- Semesters in the Fall and Spring
- You'll earn Leave No Trace Master Educator and Wilderness Medicine certifications
- The experience, life skills, global perspective, and outdoor skills will serve you for the rest of your life
Popular Programs
Leave the ordinary behind on the Semester in Patagonia. Climb mountains and paddle fjords. Taste the cold wind of the Andes on your face. Breathe in the smell of mate while passing by a poblador’s ranch. You’ll go mountaineering and sea kayaking in the Andes and coastal regions of Chile and earn an industry-respected Wilderness First Aid certification.
Join world-class instructors and like-minded peers on the most profound 135 days of your life. Grow in Patagonia on an extended expedition packed with leadership mastery, outdoor skills, impressive wilderness certifications, local service, and cultural immersion. The Patagonia Year gives you the unparalleled opportunity to progress through a NOLS year of wilderness experiences and leadership curriculum.
Challenge yourself to connect with the sea and the mountains and to meet your leadership goals on this expedition. You’ll explore the fjords and rugged mountains of coastal Patagonia on foot and by kayak. You will form deep friendships and explore Chile’s wild and pristine landscape. By the end of this expedition, you’ll be ready to paddle and backpack on your own for many adventures to come.
Explore the mountains and meet the people of Chile’s Aysén region. On this course, you’ll start by getting to know this region on foot, backpacking in the mountains as you learn skills like map reading, minimum-impact camping, and navigating off trail. Start your days savoring a breakfast you cook for your group on a camp stove. Learn about the area’s ecology as you hike through temperate rainforest and steep granite ridges. Settle into your tent at night ready to explore the next valley.
Leave the ordinary behind on the Semester in Patagonia. Climb the mountains and paddle the fjords. Taste the cold wind of the Andes on your face. Breathe in the smell of mate while passing by a poblador’s ranch. Your course will include either rock climbing and backpacking or mountaineering in the Andes. All expeditions go sea kayaking in Chile's coastal regions and include an industry-respected Wilderness First Aid certification.
