About us

Turismo Aonikenk is a travel agency and tour operator in Patagonia.

We are based in the Chilean city of Punta Arenas that is located in the extreme South of Chile, on the shore of the Strait of Magellan that divides Tierra del Fuego from the South American continent.

Since 1989, we have been specializing in adventure and discovery travel, providing personalized, high quality service at a fair price to our clients.

The tours we offer are based on our own travel experience and are perfectly fine-tuned to each travelers interest group.

On our own discovery journeys through Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, we have traveled all over to know everything in person - from the best hotels to the smallest lodges, from the coziest hosterias to the remotest campsites. We have trekked on and off the beaten treks in the famous Torres del Paine, Los Glaciares and Tierra del Fuego National Parks as well as in the still less known areas around Cabo Froward and on Isla Navarino. We have seen deep blue glaciers, virgin forests, craggy mountains and vast pampas; sailed through the fjords, the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan; observed the flight of the majestic condor, guanacos being born and whales jump just outside the rubber dingy we were in; smelled the perfume of hidden wild flowers and heard the fierce, howling wind that is so typical for Patagonia.

You can be sure that we know what we are talking about when it comes to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego and we are motivated to put our experience, knowledge and enthusiasm into action for you.

Turismo Aonikenk, that is:

Marisol Cárcamo Arteaga Marisol grew up on a small outpost in the heart of Tierra del Fuego and early discovered that she was drawn to explore the little miracles in her surroundings. After an internship at the national tourism board, SERNATUR, she decided to start showing the beauty of her homeland to others and in 1989 founded Turismo Aonikenk. Her love for nature lead her to participate in the "Gondwana GIS Project", an environmental campaign to preserve the native forest of Tierra del Fuego. Besides her native Spanish, Marisol speaks English fluently.
	Sebastian Borgwardt Sebastian was brought up in the East German city of Leipzig. His fascination for outdoor activities has taken him on many different adventures throughout the world. As a matter of fact, when he came to Chile in 1999, he made his way down to Patagonia by bicycle and after falling in love with Patagonia and with Marisol (!) found his new home at the End of the World. His curiosity for nature and his ability to switch back and forth between his native German, English and Spanish made it easy to join Aonikenk. Sebastian personally leads many of our trekking tours as a guide.
Luis Hernández Sirón Born and brought up in the Chilean capital, Santiago, he soon made his way down traveling the whole length of Chile to the sheer Patagonian beauty and is now living with his family in Punta Arenas. After working several years as a chef in the refugios Los Cuernos, Chileno and Las Torres in Torres del Paine National Park and making himself "immortal" with his uniqueness (there are very few people who work in and around the Park that have met "El Gordito" and don't remember him), he joined our team in November 2005. Luis not only surprises us with delicious meals in our AoniCamp, but is also in charge of all camp logistics to get the tents and food to the park to begin with! ;-)
	Nelson Sanchez Nelson grew up in Punta Arenas and is a environmental risk management professional. He has worked on many environmental projects studying natural resources, glaciers, and the effects of modern society on the environment in Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica. He led the "Gondwana GIS Project" against foreign timber companies and this is when he met with Marisol and Bill. As much as he is a naturalist, he is an explorer with over 20 years of experience in mountaineering in Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica. Among his accomplishments are: summiting Mt. Vinson (4,897m), the highest mountain in Antarctica; the first Winter crossing of Cordillera Darwin (1996); and several expeditions to the Northern and Southern Patagonian ice fields. Nelson speaks Spanish and English and works for Turismo Aonikenk as a trekking guide.
Bill Penhollow Bill is a full-blooded traveler. After studying forestry, he left his native Oregon to discover the wonders of the world. Fair enough, he has been traveling for the last 20 years in 52 countries, living the most exciting adventures around the world and developing a world-wide network of friends, until he came to Patagonia. After volunteering for the "Gondwana GIS Project" on Tierra del Fuego in 2000, Bill knew that southern Patagonia was home. Bill can now count on over ten years of experience in guiding and living in Chile, he is fluent in Chilean Spanish and English and never seems to have a bad day. Trekking Patagonia with Bill is something you will never forget.