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 Best Time of Year Patagonia lies in the Southern Hemisphere: seasons are therefore inverted and the driest months are December to March. January and February, the height of summer, are the most stable and popular. A three week trip should be regarded as the absolute minimum, whilst those more fortunate will find three months more appropriate. Getting There This article describes treks in the Parque Nacional Torre del Paine and the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, situated in Southern Patagonia. Parque Nacional Torre del Paine is reached by travelling from Santiago to Punta Arenas by air and continuing by bus to Puerto Natales. Alternatively, Puerto Natales can be reached from Argentina by bus from either Rio Gallegos or El Chalten from November to March. Parque Nacional Los Glaciares is reached by travelling from Buenos Aires to Rio Gallegos by air and continuing by either by air to El Calafate or by a 4 hour bus-ride. Alternatively, El Calafate can be reached from by bus from Puerto Natales, Chile from November to March. Accommodation Hotels, Casas de Familia (B&B’s) and campsites exist in all major towns. Youth Hostels can be found in El Calafate and El Chalten, but not in Puerto Natales. |
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| Introduction Chile Argentina Mnet's advice General Information slideshow (plug-in!) |
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| Food Eating out is gratifying; Argentinian meat is world famous and so too is Chilean red wine. Those on a tighter budget will find supermarkets well stocked but expensive, as all food needs to be transported south. Money The Argentine peso is valued at 1 US$. Argentina is surprisingly expensive, even by western standards, but Chile is thankfully less so. Paying by credit card is widely accepted, but not everywhere. Banks exist in all major towns as do cash machines in Puerto Natales and El Calafate. Nevertheless, a supply of traveller’s cheques is recommended. Maps Monte Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre Trekking Map 1:50000 - Zagier & Urruty, 1998 (available locally) Torres del Paine, N° 13 Trekking Map - "JLM Mapas". Bibliography Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay – Lonely Planet, April 1996 Trekking in the Patagonian Andes – Lonely Planet, February 1998 Trekking En Chalten & Lago del Desierto – Zagier & Urruty, (Spanish and English) |
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| A glorious sunset over Peninsula Valdes |
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| Some final considerations - No trip to Southern Patagonia is complete without at least a day spent at the “truly wonderful” Perito Moreno glacier. Organised buses are frequent, but unfortunately do not offer the freedom one desires to explore and contemplate. - Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, is in many respects a big disappointment and so too is the highly restricted Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. - The Reserva Faunística Penísula Valdés, on the Atlantic Ocean and in the NE of Patagonia, is one of the great wildlife reserves in South America. It is worth making the effort. |
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