Patagonia, a natural paradise

This vast region covers around one million km2 and two countries. It pretty much extends to half of both the Argentinian and Chilean lands and is full with natural wonders.

So...what's the catch? some of the appeals include: glaciers, impressive peaks, pristine lakes, trekking possibilities at all levels, Magellanic penguins and whale watching.

Take the chance to visit the southernmost point of the continent, this is the closest you will get to the Antarctica. Is that convincing enough to visit this part of the world?

As the vast majority of travellers, we had a tight schedule. With only 5 full days to explore it, there was only so much we could fit in. So I did my homework and after hours reading on the internet and asking other travel fellows for advice, I came up with the following itinerary.

Day 1 - El Calafate

We arrived in El Calafate in the morning from Bs As. We'd booked the flights through Expedia and were flying with LAN Airlines (now LATAM airlines) on the way in and Aerolineas Argentinas on the way back. I had flown with LAN before in Peru and found both airlines to be quite good, if I had to compare probably would say Aerolineas Argentinas is the best of the two but again, for those flying in Europe with the likes of Ryanair or Easyjet, these would be British Airways or Iberia type of airlines.

There are 3 airports in Patagonia on the Argentinian side (El Calafate, Rio Gallegos and Ushuaia) and another 3 on the Chilean side (Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas and Cabo de Hornos)

We wanted to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier and the closest town is El Calafate, so that was our first stop.

The town itself isn't very big but it has plenty of accommodation, restaurants and some places worth of a visit.

The easiest way to get from the airport to El Calafate town is through a shuttle bus served by the company vespatagonia.com. They have a stand inside the terminal and you can purchase your tickets on the day. As the airport is not very big with only a few flights per day, the shuttle between the town and the airport runs on time for all incoming and outgoing flights. Have your flight details with you if you want to buy a return ticket, so they can let you know what time the bus will pick you up from the town's centre.

We booked our accommodation in El Calafate through Airbnb at Nau Bed & Breakfast. This b&b is run by Charlotte and Hernan, a Chilean / Argentinian couple that fell in love with this part of the world and decided to launch this great hostel. They are outgoing people and very helpful!

As we arrived in the morning, after checking into our Airbnb and grab some lunch we decided to head to Laguna Nimez to see the sunset, here some pictures of the surroundings of El Calafate:

El Calafate and Patagonia in general are comparably pricey to the rest of the country. This is in fact one of the wealthiest areas in the Argentina but is also quite isolated, which means most of the products have to be transported here from other parts of the country and that therefore increases the costs. Food though is wonderful and the wine is one of the best I've ever tried (wine is actually not expensive at all), so trust me when I say you won't regret to cash it out in the restaurants. Here are some of our food suggestions in town that were kindly recommended to us by our b&b hosts:

- Pura Vida : located on Av. Del Libertador Gral. San Martín 1876 - the popular pies are delicious and we had a really tasty Malbec wine called Trumpeter

- Buenas Cruces: located on Cmte. Tomás Espora 237

- El Cucharon: located on 9 de Julio 145 - good asador with great steak and trout!

Alternatively, there are plenty of pizza and pasta restaurants on the main avenue if you don't fancy a proper sit down meal.

Day 2 - Mini Trek on Perito Moreno Glacier

Perito Moreno Glacier is probably one of the most famous glaciers in the world and is also the third largest reserve of fresh water in the planet. There are plenty of other stunning glaciers in the area such as Upsala and Viedma both just as good or better than Perito Moreno, but the visit to Perito is convenient and a must if you are staying in El Calafate. This region receives the name of Los Glaciares National Park and covers an area of over 7,200 km2.

We wanted to do more than just see the glacier and take some photographs, we wanted to experience it. So we decided to book into a mini trek with crampons. After some research on the companies offering this option, we booked in advance through Hielo y Aventura.

The company is specialised in glacier trekking and also offers a longer and more physical demanding option for those that are more experienced.

This is a full day activity but the trekking on the glacier itself is 1.5h and is about 150€ per person with transfers.

You have to bring the lunch with you and the price does not include the entrance to the NP which you pay separately. Once you have entered the NP your guide will pick up the money and purchase the tickets for you; alternatively if you are driving in, there is an entrance gate to the park where you purchase the tickets yourself. All easy and hassle free. The general admission at the time of writing was AR$ 500 but as many attractions in the country, the fare is cheaper if you are a national, around AR$ 260.

Also, the glacier is only 75Km from El Calafate so it is a very doable day trip.

We were picked up from our b&b early morning when it was still dark and we drove into the NP through beautiful landscapes as the sun rose! Idyllic!

As the road bends and we approached Lago Argentino, the majestic glacier started glowing at the background and we could't wait to see more. All buses and cars are prompted to park in front of the pier where there is a big carpark. Most of the boats that soar the lake leave from this point.

The first part of our tour consisted of a 20 min boat ride across "Brazo Rico" and it gets you close to the impressive glacier front wall. If you are lucky, you might witness some detachments (as we did). Unfortunately, we missed the famous ice bridge in Perito Moreno, that had collapsed just 10 days before our arrival and big chunks of ice could be seen floating around the lake.

After the ride, the boat stopped at the left edge of the glacier. In groups of 20 people, we walked towards the ice whilst our guide explained about the flora, fauna and glaciology of the region and the regeneration cycle of the ice. The team is very knowledgeable and found that part really interesting.

The next part was the most exciting of all. We got the crampons on and after a brief explanation on how to use them we embarked on this exciting trek. I had never used crampons before and of course, I had never touched or walked on a glacier before and it felt pretty weird at the start but I quickly pick it up and felt amazing!

All I can say from now on is better described on the slideshow below, an image says more than a 1000 words.

After the ice trek, we got back to the same point where the boat dropped us off. The tour company owns a nice shelter here with some picnic tables at the front and we had our lunch facing the glacier. After an hour or so, we got back to the pier where the bus was waiting for us.

The tour terminates at the balconies and the main viewpoint where we spent one hour. The view from the balconies is stunning and the contrast with the deep blue of Lago Argentino makes for wonderful photographs. There are different trails you can take with all walkways connected and takes between 1/2 h to 45 min from top to bottom.

Day 3 - Day trip to Chile! Torres del Paine National

I am dedicating a separate post to this day trip to Chile. Click here to read more about it!!

Day 4 - El Chaltén

I was particularly excited about this visit. El Chaltén is a very small town and the capital of trekking in the region. Trekking is a sport that I enjoy greatly and I had been doing my search on the possible day treks that would suit best our fitness level.

The bus journey from El Calafate is wonderfully scenic featuring beautiful characteristic Patagonian landscape.

Before entering the town of El Chalten, the bus stops at the Visitor centre were all visitors are given information about the various trails and treks available, safety briefings and regulations and behaviour at the park.

We found this introduction very useful and took the maps with us to get ourselves familiar with the area.

As we had the afternoon free, we headed to the hotel to drop the bags before having a look around.

We booked our accommodation at Patagonicus Bed and Breakfast, a cosy family run hotel located in the very centre of the town and which also happens to have a tasty pizza restaurant downstairs. Our room had beautiful views of Cerro Fitz Roy and was really comfortable!

The town is tiny and feels really isolated though there are supermarkets, pharmacies and a bank covering pretty much anything you may need. Its isolation is no disadvantage and adds up to its charm, surrounded by amazing views of the mountains breaths nature in every corner.

Due to the shortage of accommodation in the area, hotels are pricey although still offering a range suited to all pockets.

As we were getting up early morning on the day after to trek up to the base of Mt Fitz Roy, we decided to have dinner at the pizza place downstairs and look no further. Fortunately, it didn't disappoint and pizzas were yummy!

Its was time to go bed and get ready for the hard hike awaiting!

Day 5 - Trek to Laguna de los Tres (Mt Fitz Roy)

After I first saw pictures of the glorious turquoise waters of Laguna de Los Tres, I had already made my choice of trail. We would walk the 22Km round trip to the base of Mt. Fitz Roy.

Get some more info about this trail on my post Best Hikes in The World.

We got up around 7:30am to grab an early breakfast (included at the b&b) and hit the road by 9am. The round trip to Laguna de Los Tres takes around 8h but this duration can change depending on your pace and your fitness level. You must take some food with you as well as a bottle water. There are plenty of streams along the way and the water is as fresh as it can get so will have many opportunities to refill.

We bought a couple of ham and cheese baguettes at a bakery near the hotel and hit the road on time.

The entrance to the trail is located North of the town at the end of Avenida San Martin, where this paved road ends. There is a car park just at the end of the road and the trail is well sign posted.

It was a bright and crisp day, perfect for a hike in the mountains. We encountered many other hikers making their way up, some brave hikers were carrying big backpacks, probably to settle in one of the camps located inside the National Park.

During the first hour, the trail was somewhat steep.

As we reached Del Salto stream valley, the trail became more comfortable offering great views of the town of El Chalten and the surrounding valley.

After another 1.5h, the landscape started to shift into Antarctic Beeches.

We made it into Poincenot base camp in about 4h. Poincenot is a big free campsite where the grand majority of explorers settle. Just minutes away from the campsite, there is the beautiful Laguna Capri from where the steep rocky Mt Fitz Roy can be seen for the first time.

This is generally a return point for many day hikers as the hardest part of this trail was yet to come with a hard ascent into Laguna de los Tres still 1h to 2h away.

We kept walking and after crossing Río Blanco, we arrived to the second campsite, Río Blanco base camp. This last one is mainly a starting point for climbers as it is located right at the base of the ascension path.

The major part of the hike could be considered easy until you reach this point. The path that leads to the lagoon ascents with approximately a 500m slope on a very steep trail. There were moments when we thought we had reached the highest point only to realise we were only half way through! but it is utterly rewarding and features incredible views.

When we finally reached the top and saw the moraine ridge with extraordinary views of the turquoise waters of Laguna de los Tres Glacier, we knew it had been worth the effort!!

This is as close as you can get to the granite wall of Mt. Fitz Roy and the other peaks around and is a great spot for a deserved food break!

After resting for a while we walked down the moraine and got a little closer to the glaciers!

All photos below:

We made our way back to El Chalten in about 3h after that. I admit I was absolutely exhausted and could not feel my feet anymore but I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Day 6 - Back to Buenos Aires

After the exhausting trek to Laguna de los Tres, we had a chill out day before heading back to Buenos Aires in the evening. We took an early bus from El Chalten to El Calafate (3h drive) where we had lunch at a restaurant on the main road.

We departed back to Buenos Aires around 18:00.

This is by no means covering all that is worth seeing in Patagonia, but if you only have a few days this itinerary will give you a feel of the main attractions whilst still enjoying at a good pace.

Here is what we missed but totally recommend you do:

1. Visit Tierra de Fuego and Ushuaia - the end of the world

2. Experience some whale watching at Punta Pirámides

3. Contemplate the Magellanic penguins as they make their way through Punta Tomo during breeding season