Our private tour fell during the "storm of the century", making the boating portion impossible. However, Terry more than made up for the conditions by taking us to some other nearby sites and giving us an incredible day of sights and stories. We appreciated his patience, friendliness and enthusiasm. We were able to walk out close enough to Cachugua Island to see penguins. He also treated us to a wonderful empanada lunch. The whole day was a joy.

Terry took us on a leisurely drive to Zapallar which is a small, lovely town with a beautiful beach walk. We got to enjoy this beautiful area and then we boarded our small boat for a trip to Cachagua Island to see the Humbold Penguins. We had a chance to see the penguin nesting areas, the baby penguins and mamas guarding their nest from the vultures overhead. Terry was very knowledgable about the Chilean history throughout the trip We learned a lot and had a lovely time. After touring we stopped at a famous spot for empanadas. Yum. It was a perfect day trip.

This tour to see the penguins was amazing! Terry is an excellent guide and his local knowledge was really valuable. The whole experience was unforgettable. I highly recommend it!

I cannot say enough great things about this adventure. Penguins, horseback riding, a tour of a ranch, and lunch with vino - absolute perfection. Terry and the Terraventura team took care of every detail. The trip is more like 8-10 hours, and it is full of adventure and activity. For the boat ride to Penguin island, it is not a large craft, so plan accordingly. It is so cool seeing the Humboldt penguins and their habitat. I highly recommend taking this tour.

Excellent private tour. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and gave us a fantastic tour around Chile!

We had a great trip. Our guide, Terry, was knowledgeable and he pointed out various sights along the way. Seeing the penguins was an amazing experience for both adults and the teen.

Amazing experience. Waldo was on time for pick up and super friendly. The car was clearly marketed with the business name and pictures so we knew exactly what truck to get in. The farm animals were super friendly and cute. The meal that wAs prepared for us was also super delicious. Highly recommend for couples and small groups. It’s super intimate and private experience. It was my boyfriends first time and he wants to go again.

This turned out to be a fascinating excursion. Our guide, Hernan, is a learned historian and had a tremendous amount of knowledge to share during each of our stops and everywhere in between. The marine trip out to Monumento Natural Isla Cachagua was on a ~20 foot open boat, so you are right on the waters of the Pacific Ocean. We saw seals, a jellyfish, a dolphin and the penguins for which this island is known. The hillside landscape is dramatic (reminiscent of southern California) and the sea air was great. We stopped at the resort town of Concon for an empanada by the shore. Such a relaxing atmosphere! The drives through Vina del Mar and Valparaiso were especially interesting. We learned a lot about the history of these areas (such as the English, French and Brazilian influences in Valparaiso) and got to see a lot of highlights (such as a genuine Moai statue in front of a building in Vina del Mar, as well as a giant hillside clock that was given by the Swiss World Cup team in 1962, when Chile hosted the tournament). This tour was a wonderful way to see some of the Chilean Pacific coast, and I would definitely recommend it.

Was a great time! The hospitality was above and beyond! From the pick up process, The horse back riding to the meal at the end. Enjoyed every minute of it. The riding is great going through sand dunes to the beach and the meal after is delicious! Great experience and worthy every penny.

Me and my wife had a great time. Terry was a good tour guide and accommodated our requests. We loved the beaches and walking around Valparaiso.

We did the penguin tour starting from Valparaiso and we cannot recommend it enough! What’s better than spending a day with a professional and knowledgeable guide (Terry), seeing PENGUINS, and eating empanadas!? Everything was very well organized including communication about how to prepare, details and meeting times. We enjoyed pleasant conversation with our guide throughout the day. The boat ride was all together about 1 hour. Waters are generally rough to reach penguin island, but the captain handles the boat very professionally and safely. You don’t get to disembark from the boat as the island and penguins are protected. Read a bit about Humboldt penguins before you go because these guys are not the typical penguins you see in the movies and media. Nonetheless, they are pretty cool waddling characters. You’ll also see many other sea birds, so enjoy. Our BONUS on this trip was a family of playful dolphins! After the boat ride, we enjoyed some great empanadas at Mono Empanadas and then a pleasant drive back to our hotel. Whole trip was about 7 hours.

It was a marvelous experience the whole trip. Starting with climbing to the mountain Cerro Mauco just was the first step. Being equipped with sticks and gloves made hikeing even more comfortable. It was a wonderful view from the top of Mauco hill. One can see the whole coastline as well as the highest peaks of the Chilean mountains. Later, during lunchtime, we relaxed at the beach eating some or more fresh baked empanadas. After a ride with the SUV on the coastline we went to the horse ranch at Ritoque. The atmosphere was really relaxed. The tour guide and all participants and even more the horses. Everybody was given horses for this 3 hours excursion which fitted best to the rider, independent if one was a beginner or en experienced rider. We made a stopp in between, where the horses and the riders relaxed in the shade. We were offered fresh fruits and something to drink. To sum it up. The trip was well organized. The tour guide took care for everything, Food, beverages, safety and created a nice atmosphere. This day will stick in my memories.

We highly recommend this private tour to see nearby coastal towns and visit a protected penguin colony. Our guide Terry was knowledgeable, friendly, prompt and efficient. He even supplied binoculars during the private boat ride and took us to a lunch of great empanadas. I wish we were in Chile longer to try his horseback, kayaking and mountain biking tours!

North of Balmaceda the carretera is paved (mostly) and is very scenic. South of Villa Cerro Castillo, it would be more accurate to describe it as a collection of potholes where, unless you are driving a full-on adventure vehicle with huge tyres, you will struggle to average 20kph.We had a Seat Alteca 4x4 and we were equally delighted and relieved the road didn’t break it. We spent half of our time on the wrong side of the road, dodging holes the car would not have been able to get out of. If Google maps quotes 2 hours, factor in at least 3 hours with driving effort equivalent of at least 4 hours. Our reality was 25-30% in excess of our travel agent’s estimates. A 4.5 hour estimate was a 6 hour reality and at the end of that 6 hours, we were absolutely exhausted. A 4 hour estimate was in reality 5:20. The last 1:20 was on unpaved roads and considerably more tiring than the 4 hours on paved roads. Maybe it was being constantly exhausted from driving but it did not put Northern Patagonia in a good light. It was empty and in our experience of 14 days there, there Is a probably a good reason for that.

The tour was a great experience. Seeing penguins in the wild was probably one of the most spectacular things I have seen. Out tour guide, Terry, was great. He was very knowledgeable about the region. I would highly recommend the experience.