Patagonia - Argentina - page 946

The park is open year-round, subject to your ability to get there. Transportation con-
nections are less frequent in low season and winter weather adds extra challenges to hik-
ing. The shoulder seasons of November and March are some of the best times for
trekking. In both months the park is less crowded, with typically windy conditions usu-
ally abating in March. Internet resources include www.torresdelpaine.com and
www.erraticrock.com , with a good backpacker equipment list. Erratic Rock ( Click
here ) also holds an excellent information session daily at 3pm; go for solid advice on
everything from trail conditions to camping. Travelers can also rent equipment on-site.
The best trekking maps, by JLM and Luis Bertea Rojas, are widely available in Puerto
Natales. For detailed trekking suggestions and maps, consult Lonely Planet's Trekking in
the Patagonian Andes .
Getting There & Away
Going to El Calafate from Parque Nacional Torres del Paine on the same day requires
joining a tour or careful advance planning, since there is no direct service. Your best bet
is to return to Puerto Natales.
Getting Around
Shuttles (CH$2500) drop off and pick up passengers at Laguna Amarga, at the Hielos
Patagónicos catamaran launch at Pudeto and at Administración.
The catamaran leaves Pudeto for Mountain Lodge Paine Grande (one way/round-trip
per person CH$12,000/19,000) at 9:30am, noon and 6pm December to mid-March, at
noon and 6pm in late March and November, and at noon only in September, October and
April. Another launch travels Lago Grey between Hotel Lago Grey and the beach near
Refugio Grey (CH$40,000, 1½ to two hours) a couple of times daily; contact the hotel
for the current schedule.
THE FALKLAND ISLANDS/ISLAS MALVINAS
500 / POP HUMANS 2930, SHEEP 600,000
Besides their status as an unusually polemical piece of property, what do the Falklands
offer the intrepid traveler? Bays, inlets, estuaries and beaches create a tortuous, attractive
coastline flanked by abundant wildlife. Located 500km to the east of Argentina in the
South Atlantic Ocean, these sea islands attract striated and crested caracaras, cormorants,
oystercatchers, snowy sheathbills and a plethora of penguins share top billing with ele-
phant seals, sea lions, fur seals, five dolphin species and killer whales.