BEST OF PATAGONIA – 13 Days

Today, Southern Patagonia welcomes you with open arms. El Calafate is a starting point for adventure travelers who desire to unearth the most spellbinding natural wonders of Patagonia, like the Perito Moreno Glacier.

The Perito Moreno glacier is one of the only glaciers in the world that’s still advancing. Though it’s not the only glacier in the area, it’s the one that made the city of El Calafate famous worldwide. For many years now, El Calafate has been considered capital of the glaciers. Located at the shore of Lago Argentino (the southernmost, largest Patagonian lake) it’s also home of the Spegazzini glacier, which forms the natural border between Argentina and Chile, and the Upsala glacier, named Glaciar del Gigante (Giant’s glacier) It’s discovery was the biggest glacier to sit at the mouth of Lake Argentino.  

Is El Calafate all about the glaciers? Well, yes and no…glaciers are main attractions that you can visit via hiking or a boat ride but you have a lot more to discover about Argentine rural culture. From Calafate, you can also visit a typical Patagonian finca (ranch) and learn all about the gaucho (cowboy) culture and enjoy a great asado (barbecue). You’ll soon realize that Calafate offers more than just being the gateway to the Perito Moreno glacier.  

Upon arrival, you will be taken to the hotel,where you will have the rest of the day to relax or explore the surroundings.

Say Hueque Tips

Take a look at our Calafate Travel Guide to find more practical information about the city. Our advice: if you feel like exploring a bit on your own, you can visit The Glaciarium Museum and learn about the history of glaciers and its first explorers. To get to the museum there is a transfer you can take at the Tourist Office.

El Calafate is much more than magnificent glaciers…Today is your perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the rural culture of Patagonia.

Inside Glaciers National Park, at the end of NR 15, after a 1h 30 drive over a rubble road, sits one of the oldest and traditional Patagonian ranches of the area. It’s the only ranch that maintains sheep and Hereford cattle breeding as its main occupation.

You can take a day trip to visit its 12 000 hectares, learn about its history and  witness a shearing demonstration. At the end of the day, a grilled lambed  awaits, sizzling in its Patagonian traditional cross stake.

Say Hueque tips

Looking for things to do in El Calafate, we found a wide variety of activities and day trips to share with you. We wrote it all in our blog, “Travel Tales of Argentina”.

Prepare yourself  for an exciting day into the wild. El Chaltén offers a wide range of  hiking paths with varied difficulty. You can choose where and when to go, paths are self-guided and very well marked and maintained.

From the main door of your hotel, you can go for a short 3 kilometres (1.8 mile) walk to Cerro Torre viewpoint—it will take you around 1 hour. Enjoy Rio de las Vueltas and lenga forest with its amazing views, be prepared to see all kind of birds—This is great woodpecker spotting opportunity!

For truly hiking lovers, continue all the way to Base Torre or go for the 8 hour-long hike to the most impressive view of the Mount Fitz Roy and emerald waters of Laguna de los Tres. Though this hike  becomes difficult in the last bit, it’s totally worthy. This is one of the best day hikes in the world! Here’s a little secret for you: you can also reach Laguna Sucia from there, it’s only a 5 minute walk.

Say Hueque Tip

Seize the day, wake up early and watch the sunrise at the Laguna de los Tres  (see Fitz Roy peaks turning red)—A true once in a lifetime opportunity. You can depart from El Chaltén town during the night or stay one night at Poincenot campsite, just 1 hour away the Laguna de los Tres.

Early in the morning, we’ll pick you up to start your trip to Chile and your full day visit to Torres del Paine National Park. It’s going to be a long day, but oh boy, is it worth every minute.

First, we’ll drive through the Patagonian steppe in an overland which takes about 2.30 hours (you might be able to see rheas, guanacos, Patagonian hare, and even condors!). We will travel until we reach the border to Chile at Cancha Carrera, where we’ll go through customs.

We’ll keep on traveling amist isolated and windy landscapes, occasionally greeted by guanacos and native green-orange tinted bushes: here you’ll truly feel the significant isolation which characterizes Patagonia.

The park won’t amaze you at first sight. Like a shide lover, it will unveil its enthralling natural beauties little by little. Through winding roads, we’ll make different stops to have a close up view of Cascada Paine (Paine Waterfall), Paine Range at Lake Sarmiento and of Paine Horns at Lake Nordenskjold. Depending on the weather, we’ll perform an hour long walk to reach the lake and get closer to the striking horns. At midday, and after having stopped by the Lago Pehoé Viewpoint to gaze at the vastness of the  French Valley, we’ll have our box lunch at this mountainous backdrop. At the end of this fabled excursion, we’ll take you to your hotel in Puerto Natales where you’ll overnight. 

Say Hueque Tips

This is an incredible National Park! We made this awesome Torres del Paine Travel Guide for you to not loose any details of this adventure. Things to take into account: It is not allowed to take any fresh food, plants, seeds, from Argentina to Chile. They are very strict, and fines can be high. If you are not sure if something is allowed or not, please declare it (they will provide you with a form) and they will inform you if you can carry it or not.

Today you’ll make your way to the bus station of Puerto Natales to depart to Punta Arenas. Being there 30 minutes before the departure is the best way to avoid any last minutes inconvenience. This is a 3-4 hour long trip through the steppe, crisscrossed by mountains and fjords waters. At your arrival to the bus station at Punta Arenas you’ll make your way to your hotel—you can walk or take a taxi for around 5-7 dollars.

Punta Arenas is the Chilean southernmost city, sited at the Magellanic Strait, and the leading port for Antarctic cruises and scientific research. Before the construction of the Panama Canal, Punta Arenas was the most important maritime crossroad between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, thus, the city grew as a commercial center surrounded by European-type buildings— Today it’s colourful houses standing  from a backdrop of snow-capped mountains are a vision for sore eyes.

What to do in Punta Arenas? You can enjoy the evening by taking a 3 hour long city tour to visit the Mirador Hill and get the most gorgeous views of Magellan Strait, and to visit the Maggiorino Borgatello Museum to see the craft master pieces made by the Onas, Yaganes and other natives of the area.

Today we’ll pick you up to make a 8-10 hour long visit to Tierra del Fuego National Park, just 12 km (7.4 miles) away from the city and lying on the shore of the famous Channel sailed by Charles Darwin.

Once at Ensenada Bay, you will have time to enjoy the view over the Beagle Channel before starting your hike along the coast. Six kilometers (3.7 miles) of wild trail await, where you’ll discover native flora and wild fauna. Discover the remains left by the Yamanas, the native inhabitants of the área. After this 3 hour hike, you will reach Lake Roca, where lunch will be served.

After a full homemade picnic you will start the second part of this adventure. Grab your oar and plunge into this 1 h 30 canoeing trip along Lapataia river (only available for children over 5 years old). Make it all the way till Lapataia Bay,  where the Panamerican Highway and  National Route 3 end at an awe-inspiring landscape. After discovering the unique vastness of this forbidding setting, we’ll take you back to your hotel so you can rest and enjoy another Patagonian evening.

Today we’ll take you to the airport where this travel adventure will come to this end. Don’t be discouraged! You can return whenever you want (we’ll welcome you with open arms) or…you can continue your trip towards the North area of Argentina, to the beautiful Salta region or the wine area in Mendoza. We still have a lot to offer!—check out our travelers’ favorite itineraries throughout Argentina and Chile.