ITINERARY – 12 nights
Fly from Buenos Aires to El Calafate [1] > El Chalten (4-5hrs drive) [2] > El Calafate [1] > Torres del Paine (6-7hrs drive – cross into Chile) [3] > El Calafate [1] > Estancia Cristina [2] > El Calafate/Perito Moreno [2] > fly back to BA
IDEAL ITINERARY, if I were to do it again - 13 nights
Santiago flight to Punta Arenas, drive to Puerto Natales [2 at Singular] > drive to Torres del Paine [3] > El Calafate/Perito Moreno [2] > Estancia Cristina [3] > El Chalten [3] > El Calafate to Buenos Aires
EL CALAFATE, ARGENTINA
EL CALAFATE is a resort town that will serve as a base to get to other areas in Patagonia.
STAY Design Suites is located at the edge of Lago Argentino and a great place to relax after a long day of traveling. While not walking-distance from the small downtown area, the hotel has a shuttle to transport guests to town.
EL CHALTEN, ARGENTINA
EL CHALTEN is a dusty mountain town and the jumping-off point for climbers and trekkers heading up Cerro Fitz Roy (11,138 feet), which towers over town.
STAY Hotel Los Cerros is a rustic but very comfortable lodge well located right in town.
HIKES we only had 1½ days in El Chalten and here were our favorite hikes:
Day 1: CERRO TORRE VIEWPOINT is a trail along the Fitz Roy river valley to reach the viewpoint of Cerro Torre. If the weather is good this short hike offers unforgettable views. Difficulty: Low Duration: 3 hours
Day 2: RIO BLANCO is a spectacular hike with its starting point just a short drive to Hosteria El Pilar next to Rio Blanco, 11 miles north of El Chalten. The trail follows Rio Blanco, pass Piedras Blancas glacier and up to Rio Blanco base camp. After that the final challenge is a steep and rocky slope to Laguna de los Tres. The reward for the hard climb is well worth it: stunning views of the Fitz Roy massif (close up view of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy, along with 3 impressive lakes). The return to El Chalten is on a trail that overlooks the wide, dry valley. Difficulty: Medium-Hard; Duration: 8 hours
TORRES DEL PAINE, CHILE
TORRES DEL PAINE is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and one of the grandest parks in South America with the colossal Paine massif, impressive glaciers, pristine lakes, and the unique Magellanic trees. My favorite “local” residents were the guanacos (a wild camelid) and lesser rheas (an ostrich-like bird).
STAY Hotel Las Torres [this is where we stayed; not a fancy but comfortable lodge inside the park and only hotel with horses that you can ride in the park] Other more luxurious options with incredible design are: Explora, Tierra Patagonia, Awasi or Singular (in Puerto Natales, about 1hr outside the park).
HIKE there are many incredible hikes around this park, but our favorite was the one to the base of the famous Torres del Paine - vertical spires with sheer granite walls over 2500 feet high and a turquoise blue glacier lake at the base. We rode horses to Las Torres base camp and from there hiked the rest. The trail steepens but the views are spectacular and that helps. The return down is on the same track. Difficulty: Medium-Hard; Duration: 8 hours
ESTANCIA CRISTINA, ARGENTINA
ESTANCIA CRISTINA located in the Northern side of Brazo Norte of Lago Argentino and inside Los Glaciares National Park. It is only accessible by 2.5hr boat ride on Lago Argentino weaving between icebergs that have separated and floated away from the Upsala Glacier. The boat that takes you there is an exclusive boat for Estancia Cristina’s guests or day-visitors. It’s probably one of the most isolated places I have ever been to and absolutely spectacular. There are plenty of excursions offered by the hotel from hikes, to horseback riding and fishing. All weather dependent like in most of Patagonia – you never know what it’s going to be like. The food and accommodations are great. Probably one of my favorite places in the world!
PERITO MORENO, ARGENTINA
PERITO MORENO about an hour drive from El Calafate is the Perito Moreno Glacier. There is a short walk along the viewing platforms, where you get fantastic vantage points of the glacier. Keep your eyes and ears out for icebergs breaking off the glacial wall into Lago Argentino. There’s also the option to take a boat to the glacier and do an ice-guided-walk. Pretty touristy, but still fun. To get there we booked a cab for the day. This is a common way to visit Perito Moreno.
