Experience Patagonia.
At the far reaches of the South American continent lies a special place. A place where the summer sun never seems to set, where glacial walls span from horizon to horizon, where flamingos soak and penguins waddle. That place is Patagonia.
Now, the actual area of Patagonia is large. I mean it’s practically as large as my student loan debt…so you can consider this a solid set of destinations to get a wide variety of experiences and soak up what southern Argentina has to offer.
Act 1: Penguins
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at the tippiest tip of southern Argentina, and is a national treasure in its own right. It is home to the most southern city in the world, Ushuaia, and the first destination I would recommend. Ushuaia is actually a resort town so you won’t have to worry about a lack of comforts or leisure activities. Just remember that depending on the time you visit, there could be a lot of daylight or just a little bit.
Semipro tip: If you’ve got ‘visit all seven continents’ on your bucket list, Ushuaia offers a bunch of different cruises and excursions over to Antarctica. Unfortunately, I did not have the extra $2500 to splurge.
We landed on a blustery spring day, and one glance at the towering mountain ranges snuggling up to Ushuaia made me realize instantly that this trip was worth it. Ushuaia is a relatively smaller city, and is easily walkable. In fact, we never left the main section of the city, choosing instead to visit the shops and explore the expansive interconnected series of parks. After we bought an Ushuaia branded matè and filled up on some top-notch seafood, it was time to take the tour that made me put this destination in my blog…the penguin tour! There are a few tours that will take you to see penguins, but (as of this writing) only one that will take you onto the island itself. Piratour is a local company that offers the chance to boat over to Isla Yecapasela and walk among a colony of Gentoo penguins. There are literally hundreds of two foot tall little tuxedos waddling around and giving you the side eye.
It. Is. Exceptional.
The tour lasts nearly half the day, not only leading you through the penguin island hike but also a guided tour of the whale museum back on the mainland. There is nothing like being able to visit these penguins in their own habitat!
Semipro tip: just remember to leave no trace!
Act 2: Flamingos
Just north of Ushuaia, the town of El Calafate is much more rural, and more of what I expected of Patagonia. The town offers dirt roads, inviting hostels, and a strict adherence to the midday siesta. El Calafate is known for the Perito Moreno Glacier, a wall of ice covering 100 square miles and rising 78 meters above the water. To get there you will either need your own vehicle or take the bus like us. When we arrived, a flat impermeable cloud covering grew out of the glacier and seemed to only get more dense as the day went by. This didn’t deter from the view, in fact it made it more intriguing. The glacier was slowly hidden and revealed throughout the day, it gave it an allure.
There can be a feeling of indifference to the shear magnitude of the glacier because of the distance you view it. The scale is hard to ascertain unless you glimpse a link of hikers ambling across its surface. A good way to get a sense of the scope of the glacier is to hop on a boat. For around $50 you can get up close and personal with the terminus (or face) of the glacier. I will say that this turned out to be a bit more nerve racking than I had originally thought. While we were heading back a small piece of the glacier calved and the sound it made was entirely alien. It was less than a ¼ of the overall face and it was still terrifying! I plan on always giving glaciers a wider birth from now on.
Semipro tip: In case you were wondering if a town known for the Perito Moreno Glacier had its own sub zero glacier themed ice bar, wonder no more! The Glaciarium Ice bar (found inside the museum) is just as cold as it sounds and isn’t the worst thing you could spend your time doing. (I’d give it 4 out of 5 glaciers)
I don’t know where I thought flamingos lived. Maybe In some cerulean blue, effervescent body of water, surrounded by lush vegetation swarming with butterflies. Ooooor a Floridians front yard could go either way. All I know is that when I saw a group of flamingos casually basking in the wetlands just outside of El Calafate, It was a genuine surprise. Turns out there is a little gem called Laguna Nimez Reserve right outside of town. This may slip through the cracks when you plan your trip, but if you have the time it is an exceptional space to visit.
Act 3: Guanacos
The last stop is across the border into Chile. This doesn’t require you to fly to another city though, saving you a travel day. (This is one of the ways I pack a Bunch of excursions into my relatively short trips, just FYI.) Torres Del Paine National Park is about a four-hour drive from El Calafate so you might want to bring something to keep your attention. The landscape is somewhat limited, that is, until you reach the park.
The park is a fusion of stormy glacial melt lakes, towering mountains, cascading waterfalls, and a healthy mix of adorable Guanaco’s. If you’ve never seen a guanaco it is a relative of the llama and is similar yet distinct enough to not allow me to mentally file them away as something known.
This is a perfect metaphor for Torres del Paine. I have seen everything in this park before but there is just something off that makes it so darn unique. The water is a hue of blue that seems surreal, the mountains surge upward entirely too steep, and the Landscape is a medley of colors and shapes that aren’t quite logical. In the end we only spent a half-day at Torres del Paine but it had a lasting impact on us. Of our travels through Patagonia, my only regret is not exploring Torres del Paine more. The park covers 448,000 acres of land and we barely scratched the surface.
My travels will never be exhaustive as I do my best to fit them into my PTO, and this trip is no exception. To me, it’s a bit brash to think that you could ever uncover everything that this enormous place has to offer. My goal is simply to give you a plan to mold to your own ambition.
Whether you have a free weekend or a free month, travel is the right way to fill it.
If you have any questions about the trip or just want to let me know how wonderful I am, give me a shout at jake@personaltravelobsessions.com
- Jake
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