Traveling to the Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia
A mixture of antiquity and modernity, of cultural life and bohemian life, on the grounds of a breath-taking nature, Argentina and Chile are a perfect destination for those who do not fear the new. Fantastic regional wines and the juicy chorizo steaks, inebriate our senses of smell and taste. Moreover, completing the festival of sensations, our vision is filled with the beautiful landscapes of Patagonia, our skin feels the cool breeze of the Ocean and our hearing is conducted by the visceral music of tango.
Day 1 – Buenos Aires
When traveling to Patagonia, the traveler normally starts the trip from Buenos Aires, the metropolis that mixes classic constructions and intense cultural life, with the modernity of neighborhoods as Palermo or the colorful simplicity of the neighborhood Boca. And we didn’t do any different!
Then, after Buenos Aires, we followed this itinerary:
Nov 7th, 2009
Arriving at Buenos Aires, we went directly to the Livian Guest House, in the neighborhood of Palermo. We caught a taxi and went to the Recoleta, famous for the bars, restaurants, and for its graveyard. We had for lunch a chorizo steak and we walked around in the neighborhood. At night, we went to a night club named “Roxy”, in the quarter of Palermo. The night gets more enlivened around 2h00 a.m. The music was very good: rock, pop, dance etc.
Day 2 – Buenos Aires
San Telmo Fair
Nov 8th, 2009
In the morning, we went to the antiquity fair of San Telmo, set in a square surrounded by bars and restaurants. We got a table in one of these bars and had a beer. Street artists were performing tango dances.
Caminito
We walked all the way to the neighborhood “Boca”, where the football ground “La Bombonera” is located.
Actually, we headed to the “Caminito”. Long ago, this street was full of humble dwellings. Around 1950, an artist who lived on this neighborhood, with the help of some friends, decided to revitalize the place, by painting the small dwellings with lively colors. The result of that was a splendid scenery of vibrant colors.
Nowadays, the Caminito is considered an open air museum. At the end of Caminito, there are several bars and restaurants.
We went all the way to Puerto Madero, where many fancy restaurants can be found. We had lunch in the restaurant named “Estilo Campo”, where they serve a divine steak, accompanied by some spectacular “malbec” wines.
Plaza de Maio and Casa Rosada
After the lunch, we went to the historical place “Plaza de Mayo”, a square in which there is a monument paying homage to the dead soldiers during the revolution and also where the “Casa Rosada”, Argentine’s seat of government, is located.
In the evening, we went to see a tango show, at the “Complejo Tango”.
Day 3 – Traveling to Patagonia
Nov 9th, 2009
We just went for a walk in Palermo quarter and entered some outlets shops at Córdoba Ave. Later on, we took a flight to the city of Trelew, in Patagonia.
Day 4 – THE ARGENTINIAN PATAGONIA
Puerto Madryn
Nov 10th, 2009
We woke up quite early and rent a car at Hertz and afterwards drove to the city of Puerto Madryn, in Patagonia, whose geography is very remarkable. It is a bay, surrounded by clear sand cliffs. Beforehand, we stopped at the “tourist information”.
Punta Loma
We went, firstly, to Punta Loma beach, which is packed with sea lions and seals. They pile themselves up over the sand and spend all day sunbathing.
Peninsula Valdez
We then hit the road to Peninsula Valdez, one of the most espectacular spots you may see when traveling to Patagonia. The first stop was the viewing point that, besides providing a wonderful view of the coast and the small village of Puerto Piramides, also allows us to catch some glimpses of whales, at the distance.
Puerto Piramides
We went down to the village of Puerto Piramides and took a small boat to approach the whales.
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| Puerto Piramides Village |
Sailing with the franco-austral whales was a fabulous experience! They were approximately 16 meters long and weighed some tons. Most of them were accompanied by baby-whales. One of them got so close to us that its tail knocked the bottom of the boat. We got back to land completely dazzled by the magnificent experience of being so close to the whales.
After finding a place to sleep and leave our stuff, we went for a walk on the main street of the village of Puerto Piramides. This tiny village is very peaceful and somewhat magical. We grabbed a table in a restaurant to get something to eat, but the kitchen was not opened yet, since it was kind of early. Meanwhile, we ordered some delicious wines and bought some peanuts in the grocery store just beside it. We ended up making friends and drinking with the other tourists who were in the same restaurant (Germans, Dutch etc.). 
Day 5 – Peninsula Valdez
Nov 11th, 2009
We covered the whole Valdez Peninsula, stopping at Punta Delgada, where we could see some sea-lions; at Punta Cantor; and Caleta Valdez, where there is an interesting isthmus extending along the coast, surrounded by bluish waters. Further ahead (about 3 km), there is a spot where we can see Magellan penguins. In this sense, when traveling to Patagonia, you will certainly see many animals, specially penguins, sea lions and sheep.
We also passed by two salt mines called “salina chica” and “salina grande”.
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| Salina Grande |
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| Punta Cantor |
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| Caleta Valdez |
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| Magellan penguin |
Gaiman
Once we got back to the continent, we decided to spend the night in a village named Gaiman. Most of its inhabitants descend from immigrants originally from Wales. Therefore, it’s understandable why there are so many tea-houses in the village. Lady Di has once been here and had tea in one of these tea-houses. We stayed at the Gwesty Tywi Guest House.
Day 6 – Punta Tombo
Nov 12th, 2009
In the morning, we drove all the way to Punta Tombo, where lies a settlement of approximately 500.000 Magellan penguins, spread throughout a vast area. They build their nests under the shade of the bushes. We could see many eggs laid on the nests.
Once we got back to Gaiman village, precisely at 16h30 we had tea at a typical tea-house.
The friendly owner of the Gwesty Tywi Guest House let use his barbecue place, so we bought some meat at the butcher’s and made a typical Argentinean “assado”.
Day 7 – Ushuaia – traveling to Patagonia in its furthest Southern point
Nov 13th, 2009
We got up really early and drove back to Trelew. From there, we took a flight to Ushuaia. Just as we stepped off the airport, the cold wind cut right through us (minus 2 degrees in late spring). The city is dazzling: by one side, it is bathed by the Beagle channel (which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean) and by the other side it is topped with the snowy mountains called “Martial Mountains”, which are part of the Andes chain of mountains.
This place had been once inhabited by the Yamanás indians, who used to light fires to warm themselves, even inside their canoes. And that gave the land its current name: “Tierra del Fuego”, or land of the fire.
We stayed at a guest house named “Los Calafates”.
The city’s main street (calle San Martin) is full of sportswear shops, such as North Face, Salomon, Columbia etc., and all the goods are tax-free (trekkers call the place the “goretex paradise”).
The Beagle Channel
We took a boat ride over the waters of the Beagle channel, which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and separates Argentina from Chile. The sights were amazing.
It was possible to see the Andes, with its snowy peaks. In addition, we passed by a few islets, home for marine birds, lions, penguins, amongst others, and we also got close to the lighthouse “Les Éclereurs”, the post card of the city.
We were, literally, at the end of the world!
In the evening, we had a snack at the Tante Sara coffee shop, which was pretty good.
Day 8 – Ushuaia
Nov 14th, 2009
We drove to the base of the mountain called “Cerro Martial”, in which there is a glacier with the same name, as well as a skiing slope. Then, we hiked all the way up to the top of the mountain, on snow. The view below was spectacular.
After getting back to the village, we went to Cantina Fueguina de Freddy and ordered the regional delicatessen called “centolla”, that it is a giant crab.
In the afternoon, we went shopping and once more had a snack at the Tante Sara coffee shop.
Day 9 – Ushuaia
Tierra del Fuego Natural Reserve
Nov 15th, 2009
On that day, we went on a tour to the “Tierra del Fuego” Natural Reserve. The first stop was a train that in the past was used to carry prisoners from the Ushuaia’s penitentiary and that received criminals from the whole country. Nowadays, it is a touristic point.
Afterwards, we headed for the Ensenada Bay, which is part of the Beagle Channel, surrounded by snowy peaked mountains.
There is a post office at the end of the park, where you can get your passport stamped with the inscription “Fin del Mundo”, which means “end of the world” in Spanish.
After that, we went to the Roca Lake, which is encircled by snowy mountains.
In addition, we also saw the barriers built by beavers and we finally finished the tour in the Lapataia bay, where Route # 3 ends (this rout leads from Ushuaia all the way to Alaska and is about 17 thousand kilometers long, passing by Buenos Aires). During the way back, the tour guide explained to us some of the habits of the indigenous people that used to inhabit the region (Yamanás, Selkman, Onas peoples etc.).
Back to Ushuaia Village, we had lunch in a place called La Rueda, a self-service restaurant that serves lamb, and which is very good!
Day 10 – CHILE
Punta Arenas
Nov 16th, 2009
We woke up at 4h00 a.m., in order to catch the 5 o’clock bus that headed to Punta Arenas, in Chile. The trip was quite tiring: it lasted 12 hours, some roads being made of gravel. Leaving Ushuaia, we crossed the range of mountains while a strong snowstorm was falling.
After crossing the border between Argentina and Chile, we got back to the typically Patagonian desert: flat and filled with animas such as sheep, llamas and wild cats. We crossed the Magellan Strait, which is in Chile, and binds the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and finally got to Punta Arenas, in Chile, spending the night in a hostel called “Avenida”.
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| Magellan Strait |
Day 11 – THE CHILEAN PATAGONIA
Puerto Natales
Nov 17th, 2009
We walked from the hostel to bus station and took a bus from Punta Arenas, which is a convenient hub, to Puerto Natales. The trip lasted 4 hours. Puerto Natales, in Chile, is a very charming city, lying on the base of the Andes, and has a very cool atmosphere. Looking for a car rental, we therefore got to know the hilarious Mr. “Patricio Porras”, who rented us a 4 wheeler jeep. Afterwards, we then headed to the “Torres del Paine” Natural Reserve.
Torres del Paine Natural Reserve
I can hardly find the words you describe such a beauty. Lakes in a variety of shades of blue surrounded colossal mountains and peculiar rocky formations, which had been sculptured by the work of climatic adversities and time. This was definitely the most beautiful region we visited when traveling to Patagonia.
As soon as we got to the park, we got lost and deviated from the main track. But, fortunately, we ended up in a beautiful and non-explored chain of peaks called Las Cumbras.
Once we got back to the right track we immediately caught the sight of the Reserve’s main attractions: Torres del Paine and Los Cuernos.
The towers are long and narrow rocky formations, resembling in their form the Sugar Loaf, in Rio de Janeiro, but only that there are 4 of them. “Los Cuernos” are rocks beautifully sculptured by the wheather and with permanent snow in some points. Driving through the roads inside of the Reserve, we passed by many lakes, lagoons and rivers that embraced the base of the Towers and the Cuernos and had tonalities that went from blue turquoise to dark green. Some of them were the Blue lagoon, Sarmiento Lake, Nordenskjold Lake, Pehoé Lake and river Paine.
In Pehoé lake lies a hotel over a small island, attached to the land by a tiny bridge.
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| Los Cuernos |
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| Lake Pehoe |
We spent the night in a hotel just outside of one of the Reserve’s entrance. The hotel provided a spectacular view, facing the Cuernos. Thus, we had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, admiring the view, along with a good Chilean wine.
Day 12 – Hiking in Torres del Paine
Nov 18th, 2009
Torres del Paine Natural Reserve is a very popular destination among the trekkers. Therefore, we decided to go hiking and we strongly recommend this experience while traveling to Patagonia. It was a magnificent experience, although a little tiring. We drove to the beginning of the track, which starts at Hotel Torres. Leaving the jeep there, we began our walk.
We had walked for about 4 hours when we reached our target: the base of the Torres del Paine rocks.
The sight was breath-taking, since we were at the very base of the towers. To our surprise, there was a small blue turquoise lagoon surrounding the formations, due to the ice defrosting. We set on the floor for a while to admire the view and meanwhile had a small snack to recover our energies.
The whole walk took us around 7 hours. At last, we got back to Puerto Natales and returned the jeep.
Day 13 – Back to the Argentinian Patagonia
El Calafate
Nov 19th, 2009
We took a bus to the city of El Calafate, getting back to Argentina. This small village is lovely: located between the shore of Argentino Lake (the biggest lake in Argentina) and the base of the Andes chain of mountains, it is filled with restaurants, souvenir and chocolate shops.
On the bus station, we met a couple from Belgium and we agreed to share a cab to take us to the Perito Moreno Glaciers, inside Parque Los Glaciares, main attraction of the place and definitely one of the most stunning places you will see when traveling to Patagonia.
Perito Moreno Glacier
The taxi driver drove us for about 80 km. He first stopped on the so called “bend of sighing”, where we could catch a glimpse of what was about to be one of the most beautiful things that we had ever seen. Evidently, this bend was thus named because it is impossible not to sigh when we first see the glacier.
We approached the glacier, which is thoroughly amazing: it is a huge ice wall, sculptured by the action of the weather, over rivers that form the Argentino Lake. The ice has a bluish color, and is formed by interesting geometrical forms. We walked over some platforms, built around the glacier, that provide an all angles view. People say we are not only to see the glacier, but also to hear it, because it sings. Actually, since the ice is constantly settling, it produces many sounds. While we were there, several pieces of ice got loose and fell, causing a bang and a series of waves.
Once back to Calafate, we went for a walk in the village Center and had dinner. For dessert, we had ice-cream made from “calafate”, a typical small berry from the region, after which the village was named.
Day 14 – Bariloche and The Lakes Region
Nov 20th, 2009
In the morning we just went for a walk, and then, later on, we took a bus to Bariloche, in the Lakes Region of Argentina, ending, therefore, our traveling to Patagonia.
Day 15 – Bariloche
Nov 21st, 2009
After 28 hours on the roads, we finally got to Bariloche (we actually regretted not having caught a plane). We looked for a hotel and found the comfortable and convenient View Hotel, close to the city center. That night we had a cheese fondue at Le Marmite restaurant.
Day 16 – Bariloche
Nov 22nd, 2009
We could not manage to rent a car that day, since they were all taken. Therefore, we took a regular bus that ran throughout the whole city, in a route called “circuito chico” (small circuit). The bus bordered the Nahuel Huapi lake and passed by several luxury hotels and mansions. We got off the bus close to the Campanário mount and rented two bikes and rode around Moreno lake, Lopes bay, and passed by Llao Llao Hotel (one of the most famous hotels in Argentina).
For dinner, we went to El Boliche de Alberto restaurant and had a delicious “chorizo” steak.
Day 17 – The 7 Lakes Route
Nov 23rd, 2009
We finally could manage to find a car to rent. After taking it, we headed the lake region. Firstly, we passed by the lovely Angostura Village and began the 7 Lakes Route, passing by the following lakes: Espelho Grande, Espelho Pequeno, Correntoso, Escondido, Villarino, Falkner and Machônico, and also by the Vullignanco waterfall. At the end of this route, we found the bucolic village of San Martín de Los Andes, on the margins of Lácar Lake.
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| San Martin de Los Andes village |
We went further on, passing by Lolog Lake and through the village of San Junin de Los Andes, all the way to Tromen lake and to the modest Lanín volcano.
On the way back, we stopped at Huelchulafquen Lake. The landscape was really special at dusk: the lakes looked like mirrors and there was mist over them. We had pizza in Angostura Village and went back to Bariloche (that day we covered a total amount of 700 km).
Day 18 – Bariloche
Nov 24th, 2009
We went to Catedral Mount and Otto Mount, since it was a sunny morning, but it soon began to rain heavily. So, we decided to stay in central Bariloche, stuffing ourselves with chocolate and wine. We got back early to the hotel.
Day 19 – Bariloche
Nov 25th, 2009
In that morning, we drove to the base of Campanário Mount and from there we took a cable car up to its top. The landscape was just spectacular: we could see the entire lake region, as well as the Andes.
Afterwards, we drove to the base of Lopez Mount. Once we got there, we walked up almost to its top, but not all the way to the end, due to the melting snow, which made the ground very slippery. The view was also amazing.
On the way back to Bariloche we stopped at the cool Blest pub, on Bustillo road. They produce their own beer. We got back to the hotel and had pasta for dinner at “Boliche de Alberto Pasta”.
Day 20 – Nahuel Huapi Park
Nov 26th, 2009
It was a beautiful sunny day, so we went to the Nahuel Huapi Park. The road bordered the beautiful gold-green watered Mascardi lake.
Behind the lake, we could see the back part of Catedral Mount, with its triangular peaks.
Further, there was the “Monte Tronador”, an extinct volcano, with glaciers and waterfalls around it. We walked to its base, where the river “Manso” rises, beneath the ice, walking over the bed of the dried river.
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| Tronador Mount |
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| Manso River Source |
One kilometer away, there is a glacier called Ventisquero Negro (meaning “black snow”), which is in the process of melting, causing very interesting rock formations, within an almost dried pond.
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| Ventisquero Negro |
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| Alerces waterfall |
We continue up to Alerces waterfall, and then, back to Bariloche.
Day 21 – Vila Traful and Vila Angostura
Nov 27th, 2009
We drove to Traful Village, through another road (road 237). We passed by interesting natural formations on the road, called the “Amphitheatre” and then by the “Vale Encantado”, bordering a river of emerald green color. We got to a gravel road, passing by the Traful Lake.
We stopped at Angostura village and had trout for lunch. Afterwards, we went to the small village harbor, where the lake Nahuel Huapi presents its loveliest tonalities, ranging from turquoise blue and pale green.
Day 22 – Ending the traveling to Patagonia and Lakes Region
Nov 28th, 2009
We wandered about the old center of Bariloche and did some shopping.
In the afternoon we took the flight that got us back Buenos Aires and had dinner once more in Puerto Madero.
In the day after, we got back to Brazil.
You can also check the same post in Portuguese, by accessing Patagônia, Ushuaia e Região dos Lagos.
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