In the region of Aysen, the snowy hills of various mountain ranges intermingle with the lush landscape of ancient forests.

In the second portion of this two part series, Chile Travel will break down the components of the famous W Trek.

Frutillar is a lakeside resort with a remarkable German influence, set on the shores of Lake Llanquihue.

Some years ago, when asked to pick 10 threatened species that if given the power he would choose to save, David Attenborough raised some eyebrows when he picked a tiny, inconspicuous frog from the forests of southern Chile.

While Patagonian conditions can be extreme, hiking the W-Trek in Chile's Parque Nacional Torres del Paine is one of the best ways for beginner trekkers to get a feel for the majestic outdoors.

When you think of food from Chilean Patagonia, empanadas and barbecued lamb (known as asado) come to mind.

Puerto Natales is a small city of 20,000 inhabitants that was founded in 1911 by Scottish and German immigrants who arrived to raise sheep to export mutton and wool back to Europe.

Punta Arenas is the largest urban outpost before entering the area most frequently visited by travelers and explorers: Torres del Paine National Park.

Setting off at sunrise, we take a boat across Lake Pehoe. The red morning light pours over the Paine Massif, casting the rocky mountains in light so bright it looks like a volcano has erupted.

Keen kayakers from a young age, Finn Burrows and Hugh Graham had for years heard tales of Chile's legendary whitewater and vast networks of roaring rivers from the Maule Region through the southern tip of the country.