A large greenhouse on the NOLS Patagonia campo provides students and staff with fresh produce. Photo: Bruce Smithhammer

When you arrive in the small town of Coyhaique the rugged, untouched beauty of Chilean Patagonia will overwhelm you.

In operation since 1992, NOLS Patagonia is 11 kilometers from Coyhaique, nestled between rolling hills and snow covered peaks on a 500-acre working farm. Here NOLS staff and students work to raise all-natural, organic cows and sheep. An extensive garden produces bushels of vegetables and fresh produce that are eaten by staff and students.

NOLS Patagonia course areas range from 44° latitude to 55° latitude and are the farthest south of any NOLS location. From the Northern Icefield and Andes Mountains, to the world-renowned fishing rivers and Pacific fjords, Patagonia offers limitless opportunity to experience wilderness extremes. If you want the ultimate in remote, expeditionary travel, the tightly knit community of NOLS Patagonia is where you should begin your adventure in wilderness education.

Local Facts Taragui, a tea used by Chilean gauchos, and Montecol, a Chilean peanut-butter type bar, are rationed for every course NOLS Patagonia semesters are the only NOLS semesters that stay in the field for the full 75 days without going into town between sections NOLS Patagonia staff are chosen for their Spanish fluency There are approximately 20 Chilean instructors working out of NOLS Patagonia Semester courses will bag 75 days worth of food all at once- that adds up to about 2 tons of food!