Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Day
2
: Península Valdés
Tours always get an early start; most would
have you leaving your hotel in M adryn at
around 8am. Your first stop will likely be
the easygoing beach to wn of
Puerto
Pirámides,
from wher e all the whale-
watching tours head out to catch the
annual congr egation of S outhern Right
Whales. These are remarkably social mam-
mals, and they 'll no doubt get incr edibly
close to y our boat. Later , your guide will
head on to the far eastern coast of the
peninsula to visit the sea lion and elephant
seal colonies. They usually stop at a cafete-
ria-style restaurant. Keep your eye out for
other wildlife, such as ostrich-r esembling
choiques
and the strange
mara,
which looks
like a mix of a rabbit with a dog. After-
ward, they'll drop you off at the outstand-
ing
F aro P unta D elgada
(p . 361)
lighthouse inn, wher e you can hike along
the beach. After a nice dinner in the hotel,
climb to the top of the lighthouse for a
starry view.
Day
3
: Penguins & El Calafate
Eat br eakfast at the inn, then ask to be
predators amid the high peaks of Cerr o
Frías. I n the afternoon, enjo y a leisur ely
tea in the ranch 's living r oom, with bin-
oculars nearby. Dinner will also be ser ved
in the
estancia.
Day
5
: Perito Moreno Glacier
You can't come to El Calafate without seeing
the world-famous P erito Moreno Glacier, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. After break-
fast, y ou'll be driv en w est to the glacier 's
lookout point. Plan ahead and sign up for a
“Minitrekking”
(p . 381) tour , wher e y ou
strap on crampons and go for a short hike on
the glacier itself. It also includes a short boat
trip beneath the southern wall of the glacier .
Return to the
estancia
with time to r elax,
read, and get back to those binoculars. F or
dinner, don't miss the local specialty , barbe-
cued Patagonian lamb.
Day
6
: Torres del Paine in 1 Day
It looks close, and as the crow flies, Chile's
Torres del P aine N ational P ark
(p. 390) is right ther e on the horiz on. Of
course, this is P atagonia, and r oads ar e
long and dirty. It takes a few hours, in fact,
to r each Torres del P aine, but it 's w ell
worth the driv e, especially if y ou're look-
ing to see guanacos, the Patagonian cousin
of the llama. You'll also see the black r ock
peaks—known as
torres
and
cuernos
(tow-
ers and horns)—of this very popular park,
and get to do some short hikes. Return for
a late dinner at the
estancia.
Day
7
: El Calafate & Home
After breakfast, pack your bags and snap a
few mor e photographs of the incr edible
emptiness on every horizon. Then stop in
the town of El Calafate to stroll the shops
along the main tourist drag, A venida Del
Libertador, befor e heading to the airpor t
for your flight to Buenos Aires.
4
taken to the remote
Estancia San Lorenzo
(p. 360) for a priv ate vie wing of their
200,000-strong M agellan penguin colony .
From there, head all the way back to Trelew
for y our flight to E l Calafate, and grab
lunch en r oute. You'll arrive in E l Calafate
in time to be transferred to your
estancia
for
dinner. The excellent new rural hotel,
Eolo
Patagonia's Spirit
(p. 372), will take
care of it all.
Day
4
: Condor-Viewing
Eat breakfast and then head out with your
bird-watching guide in sear ch of the
majestic condor, with its 3m (10-ft.) wing
span. You'll look for shor ebirds on the
coast of Lago Argentino and the mighty
