10 Great Things to Do in Patagonia

1. 10 Great Things to Do in Patagonia www.vagabond-adventure.com

2. About Patagonia Patagonia still feels like a frontier, even as its few cities are slowly encroaching upon the wilderness. Sheep roam the steppes nourishing the wool industry that has long been the backbone of the economy, guanaco lope freely, condors arc and sweep across the broad sky in search of dinner, and if you’re lucky enough you may come across a pride of wary Puma. There is history too. Ancient native peoples — the Tehuelche, Yaghan, Ona, Haush and Alacaluf — thrived in these wild places for millennia before the expeditions of Juan Diaz del Solis, Magellan, Robert Fitzroy and others wiped them out. Descendants of these native people, their names and heritage nearly forgotten, now blend into a population of ethnic German, Croatian, English, Criollo, and Mestizo peoples. www.vagabond-adventure.com

3. 1. Torres del Paine National Park The crown jewel of Patagonia. Named for its three famous blue towers the Torres claw their way out of the earth and swallow the sky. The mountains are 60 million year old, igneous rocks that emerged when the magma chamber below bulged upward cooling into a gargantuan hump. The advance and retreat of glaciers over the eons created the immense beasts we see today. They are the sine qua non of Patagonian exploration. Along with the glaciers, valleys, lakes and rivers that surround them, the towers are so big and powerful they generate their own weather.  Together they offer all the adventure you need. Hiking, climbing, horseback riding, kayaking, and more! Other highlights include Gray Glacier, Cuernos del Paine, and Lake Pehoé. You could easily spend weeks exploring the park. Wildlife lovers will enjoy the guanaco herds grazing on the plains and soaring condors floating on the mountain’s thermal winds. www.vagabond-adventure.com

4. 2. Cruise Tierra del Fuego and Stand at the Tip of Cape Horn The archipelago across the Strait of Magellan is the southernmost tip of South America. Shared by both Chile and Argentina, the island chain has been inhabited for over 8,000 years. But here, today, the land is nearly empty. This is truly the definition of nowhere, but it’s not easy to get there. Australis operates a five day expedition from Punta Arenas through the islands, pausing to visit some of the most stunning and remote places on Earth. This is where a young Charles Darwin cut his teeth on evolutionary science and the region is filled with stories of adventure and death, from interactions with the native Yahgan and Fuegian people and hair-raising nautical adventures experienced by the likes of Sir Francis Drake, Ferdinand Magellan and Ernest Shackleton. Australis Zodiacs take hikers from the ship to wild sites that very few people have seen, including a hike to Cape Horn (weather permitting), the southernmost bit of South America. Standing by its single red lighthouse you can imagine Magellan’s fleet sailing past, led by Trinidad. The weather is cold, rarely higher than 45°F in the summer. www.vagabond-adventure.com

5. 3. Ferry on the Navimag Navimag operates a round trip ferry system through the Chilean fjords between Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales. This is transport for both locals and serious travelers. The riders hail from all around the world on weeks and month-long excursions to discover some of the most remote locations in the world. These ferries curate a collection of books and movies which, along with shipboard activities, can teach you about Chilean history and culture. Multilingual guides are onboard during the high season from October to April. There’s a charming little, glass-enclosed lounge for reading, daydreaming, conversation and beverages. A great place to pass the time, but not too much. You want to be outside as much as possible. I enjoyed the cruise on Navimag’s newest vessel, Esperanza, with room for 244 passengers in spacious, but spartan accommodations. The cabins are shared among four or more riders, but two can buy out the whole cabin at a reasonable price. Common activity space is limited. You’ll find a not terribly usable gym, yoga room, and the lounge. Food is served cafeteria style three times a day. It’s good and there’s plenty of it, but it’s the conversations you have at the big tables while eating that are the real bonuses. www.vagabond-adventure.com

6. 4. Take a Hike Above Laguna Sofia Laguna Sofia is about 30 minutes from Puerto Natales and you can reach it via a brand new highway. It may be one of the most underrated destinations in Patagonia. On this day-trek, you’ll climb several hundred vertical feet through grass and trees into scree to a promontory high above the lagoon. Beyond that lay rocky cliffs and snow-capped mountains in every direction. You might even be lucky enough to see a condor perched nearby. The winds, as usual, are out in force, powerful enough to knock you over. A side bonus: unlike other hikes in the Torres area, you can usually expect this one to be deserted. www.vagabond-adventure.com

7. 5. Explore San Carlos de Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche is a charming tourist town with a striking resemblance to the Swiss Alps, tucked along the immense and pristine alpine lake NahuelHuali. If you’re entering Patagonia from the north, Bariloche is a spectacular way to do it. Enjoy it for its scenery, hiking, winter skiing and upscale amenities. Besides the Alpine feel, the town itself underwent a tourism renaissance in the 1930s that added Swiss architectural touches to the town’s architecture. Even its chocolate is famous.    The region has a strange history too. Bariloche was a refuge for Nazis escaping Europe following World War II. Argentine president Juan Péron was a known Nazi sympathizer who courted European dictators. One legend has it that Hitler faked his death and fled with Eva Braun to Bariloche. www.vagabond-adventure.com

8. 6. Tour Ushuaia Ushuaia’s breathtaking landscapes rival any on Earth, with snow-capped peaks, pristine glaciers and sparkling fjords surrounding the city. And it’s the launch point for adventures throughout Tierra del Fuego and beyond. Tierra del Fuego National Park, Martillo Island, and the Beagle Channel are reachable by ship. For those who love winter sports, this is your place. Skiing and ice hockey are immensely popular. The ski resort at Cerro Castor has the longest season in South America, thanks to that sub polar climate. The End of the World Train takes visitors from Ushuaia on a two hour scenic tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park. The steam railway once transferred Ushuaia’s prisoners into forests where they harvested the lumber that built both the city and the prison in which they lived, the original reason the town was created! www.vagabond-adventure.com

9. 7. Visit Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument The huge Mylodon sloths, enormous beasts up to 12 feet tall that roamed the Patagonian landscape thousands of years ago, were the inspiration for Bruce Chatwin’s famous book, In Patagonia. Mylodons’ and their hairy coats were first discovered and cataloged by Darwin during his time with HMS Beagle. Although mylodon extinction is attributed to multiple factors, their disappearance also coincided with the arrival of certain two-legged pack hunter 11,000 years ago. Cueva del Milodón is located near Puerto Natales. It is not a single cave, but a complex of three, each with a different character. The largest and most popular, Cueva Grande, is impressive for its size and its notoriety for Mylodon preservation. Equally compelling, for different reasons, are the other caves. Cueva del Medio sheltered humans over 11,000 years ago under a less forgiving climate, while the third cave, CuevaChica, is deeper and darker than the other two. Spelunkers will enjoy exploring Chica’s nooks and crannies. www.vagabond-adventure.com

10. 8. Hunt Down Butch Cassidy’s Ranch Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid is a classic American western tale (and Oscar-winning movie). Outlaws Butch Cassidy, Harry Longabaugh and Etta Place, strike it rich ripping off banks and trains in the Western United States until a special posse is sent to hunt them down. They collect their loot, escape to the remote South American plains and buy an 800 acre ranch, determined to go straight. For several years they do, but then they are found out. They sell the ranch and eventually (after Etta departs) the bank robbing begins again. Their fate isn’t as clear as the movies might tell you, but their Patagonian estate in Cholila, just a few hours from Bariloche still stands and is a fine place to explore. So is the bar just a half mile from the bandits’ old house, filled with fascinating paraphernalia and excellent beer and empanadas. In Cholila consider staying nearby at La Pilarica Lodge. www.vagabond-adventure.com

11. 9. Hike Los Glacieres Parque Nationale Most of epic Patagonia can be experienced from the Chilean side of the Andes. But this Argentinian gem is an exception. Los Glacieres is an immense ice field, one of the largest in the world, feeding hundreds of glaciers throughout the region. The geography has created two distinct areas for adventurers. To the north are the Viedma lake and glacier, along with Mount Fitzroy and Cerro Torre, popular for hikers and climbers. Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the most popular attractions in Argentina can be found to the south, its channel draining into LagoArgentino. Perito Moreno stubbornly resists the warming trend that weakens its glacial siblings; gains and losses are in equilibrium for the time being. Visitors can join tours, ride horseback, camp, fish, and more. Access to the park is primarily served through El Calafate in the south, and El Chalten in the north. www.vagabond-adventure.com

12. 10. Bust a Bronco in Cerro Castillo Most of epic Patagonia can be experienced from the Chilean side of the Andes. But this Argentinian gem is an exception. Los Glacieres is an immense ice field, one of the largest in the world, feeding hundreds of glaciers throughout the region. The geography has created two distinct areas for adventurers. To the north are the Viedma lake and glacier, along with Mount Fitzroy and Cerro Torre, popular for hikers and climbers. Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the most popular attractions in Argentina can be found to the south, its channel draining into LagoArgentino. Perito Moreno stubbornly resists the warming trend that weakens its glacial siblings; gains and losses are in equilibrium for the time being. Visitors can join tours, ride horseback, camp, fish, and more. www.vagabond-adventure.com

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