Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Patagonia Highlights
Gaze upon the blue-hued
Glaciar Perito Moreno
(
Click here
) as icebergs fall in
thunderous booms
Get immersed in the millennial forests and clear lakes of lush
Parque Nacional
Los Alerces
(
Click here
)
Hike under the toothy
Cerro Fitz Roy
(
Click here
)
near El Chaltén, Argentina's
trekking capital
See southern right whales cavort in the waters of
Reserva Faunística Península
Valdés
(
Click here
)
Ride the wide-open range and feast on slow-roasted lamb at an
estancia
(
Click
Blaze your own trail on the legendary
Ruta 40
(
Click here
)
Detour to Chile to imbibe the raw beauty of
Parque Nacional Torres del Paine
(
Click here
)
Getting There & Around
Patagonia is synonymous with unmaintained
ripio (
gravel) roads, missing transport links
and interminable bus rides. Flights, though expensive, connect the highlights. Before
skimping on your transport budget, bear in mind that the region comprises a third of the
world's eighth-largest country.
If you're bussing it along the eastern seaboard, note that schedules are based on the de-
mands of Buenos Aires, with arrivals and departures frequently occurring in the dead of
night. Low-season transport options are greatly reduced. In high season demand is high -
buy tickets as far in advance as possible.
COASTAL PATAGONIA
Patagonia's cavorting right whales, penguin colonies and traditional Welsh settlements
are all accessed by Argentina's coastal RN3. While this paved road takes in some fascin-
ating maritime history, it also travels long yawning stretches of landscape that blur the
horizon like a never-ending blank slate. It's also a favored travel route for oversized
trucks on long-haul trips.
Wildlife enthusiasts shouldn't miss the world-renowned Península Valdés, the contin-
ent's largest Magellanic penguin colonies at Área Natural Protegida Punta Tombo, and
