Patagonia
Patagonia is one of the most epic and beautiful places to visit in the world. It is in the southern part of South America and is part of both Chile and Argentina. Both countries have stunning beauty and I would strongly encourage everyone to visit both sides. You will need at least one week for each side but the more time you have the better. I went with two separate groups so I did one trip in Argentina from Buenos Aires and one trip in Chile from Santiago. If you have continuous time you can also travel between the Chile and Argentina while down in Patagonia as well.
Argentina
Argentinean Patagonia is stunningly incredible. It is packed with stunning mountains, lakes, glaciers and more. The most iconic places to visit include Perito Moreno, Bariloche, El Chalten, Tierra del Fuego, and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. The Argentinean side is geographically larger than the Chilean side. This side is so large that many travelers fly between the destinations.
Chile
Chilean Patagonia is stunningly rugged and beautiful. It is packed with stunning mountains, lakes, glaciers and more. The most iconic places to visit include Torres del Paine and Carretera Austral. The Chilean side is geographically smaller than the Argentinean side. This is perfect place for circuit treks and for getting off the beaten track.
when to go to patagonia
The best time to visit Patagonia is between December and mid April which is South American summertime. January is the busiest time so skip this month if trying to avoid crowds. I traveled to Patagonia in late November and early December.
Argentina Patagonia Highlights
BARILOCHE
You can fly from Buenos Aires airport to Bariloche (BRC). In South America, most of the cars you rent are standard and being American we are much more used to automatic cars. If you are in the same boat, just expect to pay a little more. Once you have your car, headed north to San Martin de los Andes. The drive up is approximately 3 hours without stopping. You will want all day to explore along the way. You will be blown away with the scenery. This national route 40 between the towns of Villa La Angostura and San Martin de los Andes is known as the Road of Seven Lakes. You can break up the journey by spending a night in San Martin de los Andes if you have the time. From San Martin de los Andes, head back down to San Carlos Bariloche on the same route you came up on. It is just as incredible, and you’ll find yourself stopping at a few other vantage points. Then you can head around the short circuit of Bariloche. Leaving town on Av. Bustillo you head around this lake region on route 77. Highlights included Llao Llao, Patagonia Brewery, Mirador Lago Moreno, Cerro Campanario. Bariloche is known for its chocolate so you must check that out.
EL Calafate and el CHALTÉN
Next you’ll fly down to El Calafate. If you have more time you can make the drive which is about 18 hours and 15 minutes but if short on time flying will save you that time. El Calafate is the gateway to the Argentinean side of Patagonia. You can catch a bus from El Calafate to El Chaltén. Once in town everything is easy to walk and hike and a car is not necessary.
El Chaltén is known for its epic hiking. There are two main hikes that you should consider while here. Mount Fitz Roy and the Cerro Torre Hike. The Cerro Torre hike is about 18 km long and takes about 6-8 hours to complete. If you are looking for more of a short hike with just a view of Fitz Roy you can head up to the Lago Capri and the Mirador. If however you want to do the whole thing, the Fitz Roy hike is about 24 km and should take around 8 hours. If you are truly adventurous you can camp between Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy. There is a path that connects Cerro Torre to Fitz Roy.
PERITO MORENO GLACIER
Perito Moreno Glacier- you simply cannot come to this area and not see this most impressive glacier. We decided to do it on our own terms which included catching a bus from El Calafate and then booking the boat and paying for the entrance there. There are a number of paths around the area to explore from multiple different viewpoints. Getting the boat tour was epic because you got a whole different perspective and got much closer to experience occasional calving of the ice breaking from this impressive glacier. Another option to explore is to do a ice glacier trekking. Of note they recommend if trekking to be in good physical condition. They only take people ages 8-65, no one with BMI >30, pregnant people, and certain medical conditions that may limit ability to complete the activity. Please check with your tour operator to ensure you will be able to participate.
Chilean Patagonia highlights
Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine
Many journeys to the Chilean Patagonia start with a flight to Punta Arenas. Here you can do a boat to see penguins or a longer boat tour to see the king penguins.While in town you should go to the Mirador Cerro de la Cruz, Cementario Municipal, Punta Arenas sign, Costanera del Estrecho and the Plaza de Armas. In Puerto Natales, you must stop to admire the Monumento de la Mano. Also, in town you can check out the Municipal History Museum and Plaza de Armas Arturo Prat. After Puerto Natales, you will drive another 60 km to get up toward Torres del Paine. Today you can drive the Y-166 loop which brings you past the Cascada Rio Paine.
Torres del Paine
The most common day hike in Torres del Paine is Mirador del Torres. You can park at the Centro de Bienvenida. The hike is approximately 20 km and is supposed to take between 6-8 hours depending on your speed. This is one of the most popular day treks so great to go early. Also, if you get there for sunrise you can get a great orange hue on the mountains. It is basically all uphill on the way and downhill on the way back.
You can take the Lago Pehoé Ferry across to Paine Grande campsite. The cost is about $35 per person per way. Once getting to the other side you can do the Valle Francés Hike which is 23 km about 7-8 hours trek. You can consider tacking on the hike up to Mirador Británico which adds an additional 7 km.
Glacier Grey is another highlight of the park. You can take a boat tour via Glacier Grey Hotel. The boat tour leaves from the hotel and brings you on the lake and to the front of the glacier. The boat tour is a 2 hour and 45-minute boat trip and includes one pisco sour or soft drink. You must check in at the Lago Grey Hotel and must walk 30 minutes on pebble beach to get to the boat ramp. This is the same boat to take one way and start your trek or you can do round trip. There are 4 navigation times: 9AM, 12 PM, 3 PM and 6 PM. The round-trip cost is $80.000 for adults and $40.000 for children.
There is literally so much to do in this park. If you are adventurous you can hike the whole W trek or you can break it up into pieces. There are also so many hikes off the W trek that you can do as well.
