Wish You Were Here: A Concord reader reports back from Patagonia

A solo trip to the Torres del Paine national park in Chile was the very opposite of lonely.

Our adventuresome readers have embarked on some incredible vacations over the last year, browsing Parisian patisseries, cycling Oregon bike trails and even heading off on a Boris Karloff-inspired road trip. Now they’re sharing their travel tales and offering practical tips to inspire you.

WISH YOU WERE HERE

CHILE: Concord resident Sylvia Rodriguez is just back from her spectacular solo adventures at Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia.

TRAVEL TIPS: “Here is what you need to know,” she says. “The pros of being a single traveler: You can arrange a tour and meet with other travelers, so you’re never really alone.” The downside is that if you don’t have a roommate to split the hotel tab, your room costs may be higher.

“The (tour) shuttle will pick you up from your hotel in Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales. I stayed in Punta Arenas, which was nice but a 6-hour drive. Puerto Natales is much closer — 1 hour 10 minutes. The tour will stop at points of interests, where you can see waterfalls, mountains, glaciers and beaches. It is very cold, so warm attire is a must. Even in their summer — December — it is very windy and rainy, which is typical for Patagonia.”

Join the fun! Send a photo of yourself on your latest adventures — local, domestic or international — to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com. Tell us where you are, who everyone is and where they’re from, and share a travel tip or two to help fellow readers go there, too.