Patagonia is synonymous with adventure. The southern tip of Chile and Argentina is one of the most untouched and wildest territories in South America. Therefore, if you are thinking of visiting this place, we invite you to get to know a guide where we will clear up the main doubts that any adventurer may have when organising a trip to the end of the world.
Follow the indications with this list of must-sees, which includes all the points of interest and activities that you should include in your itinerary.
If you are traveling from Europe or are in one of the neighboring countries, you should check a couple of weeks before arriving at your destination. Whether you are in Argentina or Chile, the required documentation is updated with some frequency, although without radical changes.
At the date of publication of this article, these are the required documents by country:
Argentina
Chile
For the most up-to-date information, we recommend you visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Chile and the Ministry of the Interior for Argentina.
The best time to visit Patagonia is in summer (December-January-February).
In summer you can observe the Patagonian flora and fauna more vividly than in other seasons (with maximum temperatures of 25º). An ideal time to do different activities related to hiking, mountaineering and climbing.
Unlike places where tourism is more massive, especially in the cities, most places in Patagonia do not have timetables: you are in nature and you can explore freely, although it is always advisable to do your activities in daylight.
Another recommendation is to walk in a group and ask the locals where you want to go, as the further south you go, the more likely you are to be walking on private Patagonian property without knowing it. All you have to do is ask for permission to walk and in some cases they may even offer their horses to transport you.
We cannot forget that Patagonia is a territory of parks and natural reserves. These places do have timetables, but there is also the possibility of camping there. Among the most recommended are:
If you love visiting conservation parks we recommend the 17 National Parks Route. It is more than 2.800 km long from Puerto Montt to Cabo de Hornos. With this route you can get the Passport - Route of the Patagonian Parks and you will have access to all of them.
One of the most incredible places in the world requires an incredible journey, it is not as simple as taking a flight from Madrid or Paris and arriving directly to Patagonia. To do this you must take a flight from your place of origin to Santiago de Chile or Buenos Aires in Argentina, where you have international airports (Chile: Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport - Argentina: Ministro Pistarini "Ezeiza" International Airport).
After arriving at one of the international airports, you can take a domestic flight to Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales Coyhaique and Balmaceda on the Chilean side, via Sky Airlines or Latam; and on the Argentinean side, direct flights to Puerto Madryn, Bariloche and Calafate where you can travel by Latam, Aerolineas Argentinas or Andes airlines.
Another option when arriving at Santiago's international airport is to go by land to where the Carretera Austral begins, one of the most attractive routes on the entire South American continent. Keep in mind that there are at least 1,000 km to travel just to the starting point in Puerto Montt. That's where the adventure really begins.
If you have a tour booked, we recommend that you travel 2 days before your final destination. In the high season (December - March) there are unfortunately delays and cancellations of flights, either due to weather conditions or overbooking. You should therefore be prepared for any eventuality.
When planning your trip, it is important to know which places in Patagonia you want to visit, depending on your favourite activity or if you want to do a bit of everything. Here are some unmissable spots for climbing, trekking, sailing or just taking in the scenery.
If you want to know more about the most beautiful destinations in Patagonia, we invite you to download our eBook by clicking here.
North and South Icefields
Duration: 15 to 21 days
Season: October to March
Difficulty level: 4
It is worth noting that in one place you can do different activities and it is not limited only to the ones mentioned above. In the end, appreciating the scenery is something you do all the time from Patagonia, but it's all about taking advantage of the opportunities at each point to do such activities.
This is the basic information you need to plan your adventure, although we only delve into Chilean Patagonia. If you want to know more about any of these destinations we invite you to check our expeditions and consult more practical information or testimonials in our blog.