Patagonia

Getting There

Fly into Punta Arenas (PUQ) in Chilean Patagonia or El Calafate (FTE) in Argentine Patagonia, depending on which side of the border you're prioritising. Bus connections between the two are available. Most visitors base themselves in Puerto Natales (Chile) for Torres del Paine or El Calafate (Argentina) for the Perito Moreno glacier.

Torres del Paine

The Torres del Paine National Park is the defining Patagonian experience. Three granite towers rise vertically over 2,000 metres from the pampas — the most dramatic mountain scenery in the Southern Hemisphere and possibly on earth. The classic walk is the O Circuit (8–10 days, full circumnavigation) or the more popular W Trek (5 days, covering the key viewpoints: the Torres, the Valle del Francés, and the Grey Glacier). Book accommodation (refugios and campsites) months ahead; the park is at capacity during peak season.

Day hiking in the park is possible and rewarding without doing a multi-day trek. The viewpoint above the Torres requires 8–10 hours return from the main trailhead. The Mirador Condor trail is shorter and the wildlife — guanacos, Andean condors, pumas (rarely seen but present) — is present regardless of the weather.

Perito Moreno Glacier

Situated within Los Glaciares National Park (Argentina), the Perito Moreno is one of the few glaciers in the world that is not retreating — it advances at a rate of approximately 2 metres per day and periodically calves enormous chunks of ice into Lago Argentino with a sound like a cannon shot. Walkways along the cliff opposite the glacier face allow you to observe this at close range. The boat excursion along the glacier face (departing from Puerto Bandera) is the most intimate way to see it.

The Wildlife

Patagonia's wildlife is extraordinary and largely unafraid of humans — Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo (September–March), southern right whales at Península Valdés (June–December), orca, guanacos everywhere, Andean condors above the mountains. Plan dedicated time for wildlife if the peninsula is on your route.

When to Go

October to April is the visiting season; the park is at its busiest December to February. October–November and March–April have better weather odds, thinner crowds, and the characteristic Patagonian wind (always present, sometimes extreme) is marginally less punishing.