Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego might be one of the most beautiful spots
you can travel to and explore. Patagonia is located at the southern tip of South America in Argentina and Chile. Find out about the best places to visit
and where to stay in Patagonia.
Patagonia
Patagonia is the southern region of South
America that includes the countries of Chile
and Argentina
with the Strait of Magellan separating Patagonia
from Tierra del Fuego.
Patagonia is a beautiful region of
mountains at the southern end of the Andes
Mountains with glaciers, mountains,
forest, wildlife, ocean coastlines, lakes and lagoons. The separate areas of Argentina
Patagonia are The Lake Region, Tierra del Fuego,
Atlantic Region and Southern Patagonia.
Argentina Patagonia – The Lake Region
When you travel to Patagonia; Bariloche,
Argentina could be the
first place you land as it is the main city in the Lake
Region of Argentina Patagonia with
an atmosphere of a European Alpine resort. You can hike, sight-see the lakes
and mountain areas, go whitewater rafting, biking and skiing. For the more
adventurous, you can do mountain climbing and repelling.
Near Bariloche is Argentina’s
oldest national park, Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi. You can also travel to the Llao
Llao Peninsula
and stay at the beautiful Llao Llao Hotel and Resort.
Summer or winter you can take a trip across the land and
lakes between Bariloche, Argentina
and Puerto Montt, Chile.
During the summer this is a one day trip and two days during the winter. You
can also stay along the way and catch up with the next trip back.
 |
| Llao Llao Hotel in Bariloche, Argentina / Diego Rivera at en.wikipediaCC BY-SA 2.5 |
Atlantic Patagonia and Peninsula Valdes
If you travel to the Atlantic Patagonia region, Puerto
Madryn, Argentina
is the main city and where you will most likely base your activities from. This
is where you can go whale watching, visit huge penguin colonies, go bird and
sea lion watching not to mention the seals. Atlantic Patagonia was named a UNESCO
World Heritage Site because of its beautiful pristine land and animals.
Southern Patagonia and El Calafate
El Calafate is the main city where you will most likely land
when you travel to Southern Patagonia. This is the land
of glaciers and bordered on the south by Tierra del Fuego.
Southern Patagonia is home to the Los
Glaciers National Park,
the small village of El
Chalten and the Perito Glacier.
El Chalten is called the Trekking Capital of Argentina with
mountain climbing of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy mountains. This region also
has the beautiful Perito, Onelli and Upsala glaciers surrounded by forests and
lakes.
Excursions to the Los Glaciers National Park leave every day from El Calafate. You can explore the area on your own or have a tour guide, which could be a better option to fully appreciate the region.
The
climate of El Calafate is dry and cold in the winter and moderate in the
summer. The average summer temperature is 68° F (20° C). When you travel to Patagonia and Tierra
del Fuego, remember the summer season there is during the winter
of the northern hemisphere (October – May).
El
Calafate offers several hotels to stay in or you can also stay in nearby
Estancias or hostels to get a flavor of local life in southern Patagonia.
 |
| Mt. Fitz Roy / Adroar CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Argentina Tierra del Fuego
This travel spot has been called the most beautiful region
in the world. The main city is Ushuaia and is known as the world’s
southern-most city, which you can reach by plane from Buenos
Aires, Argentina
or El Calafate. Ushuaia has plenty to do and see in the city itself. Outside of
Ushuaia, you can travel by land and water to explore and sight-see the
beautiful mountains, forests and wildlife including condors, rheas, pumas,
penguins, sea lions and an occasional whale.
The Tierra del Fuego
National Park straddles the border
of Chile and Argentina.
The border is marked by the Beagle Channel where you can take full or half day
cruises during the summer months of mid-October through mid-April. You can also
explore by ship the Strait of Magellan or the Antarctic
waters. Because of its extreme southern location, remember to take along warm
clothes and you might have to dress in layers. There are many hiking and
mountain climbing trips based out of Ushuaia.
There are numerous luxury, 4-star and 3-star motels in
Ushuaia including the Tierra de Leyendas, El Viejo Lobo de Mar and several
others. If you prefer to spend a night inside the Tierra
del Fuego National Park,
there are free and organized campsites near Lake
Roca. Summer is the best time of
year to travel to Tierra del Fuego for most activities
and winter travel is best for skiing.
Chile Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego
If
you travel to the Chile
side of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego,
there is the Torres del Paine National Park and is called one of the most
unspoiled regions in the world. Both Torres del Paine National Park and Los
Glaciers National Park
are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In this area are the Torres del Paine and the
Cuernos del Paine mountain ranges with the beautiful Salto Chico and Salto
Grande waterfalls. In the park you can also see the del Frances, Dickson and
Grey Pingo glaciers with nearby Verde and Azul lagoons.
When
you travel to Chile Patagonia, the main city is Puerto Arenas located on the
shores of the Strait of Magellan. Not far from Puerto
Arenas you can go mountain climbing, mountain hiking and mountain biking, sailing,
kayaking, fishing and explore with organized guided tours by land, water and by
air.
The
hotel with the highest rating is the Explora Patagonia - Hotel Salto Chico
located in the Torres del Paine National Park. Other hotels to consider are Hostería
Las Torres and Hotel Río Serrano. Your travel agent should have updates on
various hotels.
 |
| Torres del Paine National Park / Alastair Rae CC BY-SA 2.0 |
Travel to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego
Travel
to both Chile
and Argentina
require you have a valid passport. In Argentina
you do not have to have a visa, you will get a 90 day renewable tourist stamp. In
Chile you will
need a tourist visa. Check with a local travel agent for specific requirements.
No comments:
Post a Comment