OPAGA will take place in Puerto Natales located in the Chilean Patagonia, famous around the world for its amazing landscapes, vast forest, natural reserves, national parks, glaciers, and native wildlife. 

The weather is usually very changeable and out on a trail you need to be able to take clothes off and put them back on. It’s best to bring some warm layers, even more important for the top layers to be wind- and waterproof in case of rain (keep in mind that summer is when Patagonia’s infamous winds pick up). Another important item you should pack for Patagonia it is a good and sturdy pair of hiking shoes. The trails are well maintained, but the rain and wind can make them slippery and unstable. For more info, please read the following blog: https://wanderlustdesigners.com/what-to-pack-for-patagonia/

All major credit cards are accepted almost everywhere. Smaller shops, kiosks, markets and more informal restaurants in remote areas may only accept cash, so make sure you have some with you as a back up.

FLIGHTS

To get to Puerto Natales there are two main airlines, Latam Airlines and Sky Airlines, with direct flights from Santiago, early in the morning (5:30 and 8 am, roughly), not so optimal to make a connection with most arriving flights from the northern hemisphere. Thus, the following are likely to be the main options to arrive, considering that the conference will start on Monday Dec 04:

a.- Arrive in Santiago on Saturday Dec 2nd, sleep over, and take one of the direct flights on Sunday Dec 03 morning (LATAM flight LA251 at 5:31 or Sky Airlines flight H2-421 at 08:00)

b.- Arrive in Santiago on Sunday Dec 3rd early morning and connect to the 10:00 am LATAM flight (LA83) to Punta Arenas. From Punta Arenas you need to take land transportation to Puerto Natales (aprox 3 hrs)

c.- Arrive in Santiago on Sunday Dec 3rd, sleep over in the city, and take on Monday Dec 04 the 5:50 am flight to Puerto Natales (LATAM flight LA 251). We will start the conference around 10:30 in order to allow people to arrive on this flight and check in at their hotels.

If you fly to-from Punta Arenas, the distance to Puerto Natales is 154 miles (247 km), and the best way to travel between the two cities is by car, either self-driving or, by bus or private transfer. We highly recommend to take buses; it is pretty straightforward—they usually make one stop at the airport if you’re traveling from the city. Most tourist buses have WiFi onboard and air conditioning and are equipped with phone chargers. It takes about three hours; it’s best to book in advance, and the two companies, Bus-Sur and Buses Fernandez, leave from either the Punta Arenas Airport or from downtown.

Please do not leave your travel arrangements for the last minute. Flights are filling up quickly because the high season is particularly strong this year.

OPAGA will provide complementary shuttle service from the hotels to the conference venue (Remota Hotel) in the morning and back to the hotels or downtown, in the afternoon, in case you want to have dinner. Schedule for the buses and restaurant recommendations will be announce soon.

INVITATION LETTER

If you need a formal invitation letter to get a visa, please send a request to the Local Organizing Committee via email (opaga@astrofisica.cl) with the following information:

– Full name
– Affiliation (University)
– Address
– Nationality
– Passport number
– Dates of travel to Chile
– Title(s) of paper(s) submitted and/or conference booking number

Please note that OPAGA does not accept any responsibility for any financial loss relating to inability of an individual to obtain the requisite travel documents. More information on applying for visa can be found at Chile Abroad.