Explore Patagonia
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Glaciers, spectacular mountain peaks, rivers and endless roads make it one of the most desolate landscapes in the world: Patagonia. The intense silence here is overwhelming and the total emptiness impressive. Traveling through Patagonia is like going through a rugged and pristine landscape. You will hear the ice cracking, moving and with a little luck you will see pieces of ice breaking off before your eyes.
The Torres del Paines National Park is one of the world's most popular migration areas for impressive wildlife. The landscape consists of sharp rocky mountains and desolate ice fields. And these are just a few reasons for travelers why Patagonia should (really) not be missed. A tour through Patagonia brings you to the end of the world.
Patagonia is usually visited by people who go to the area to enjoy hiking in the great outdoors. There are many spectacular hiking trails mapped out in the area, going over various mountains. Think of the Fitzroy, but also the Torres del Paine national park. Don't have much experience with long hikes in the mountains? Then you can also just do shorter hikes that are mapped out in the area which are a little less challenging.
The Anders mountains provide an always beautiful backdrop: great snowy mountain peaks and breathtaking nature. Patagonia is also home to many animal species such as whales, penguins, sea lions and many species of birds.
Where is Patagonia located?
First of all: Patagonia is not a country. Just as Lapland is not a country and only involves an area that stretches across several countries, the same is true of Patagonia. You find Patagonia in South America, in the far south of this continent. It is a huge area that lies in Chile as well as in Argentina. It actually runs from the Rio Colorado in Argentina to the Magellan Strait (a strait in South America). Some people think that Antarctica is also part of Patagonia, but even though it is close by it is not part of it. The most famous Argentinian cities in Patagonia are Ushuaia, El Calafate, Bariloche and Puerto Madryn. Ushuaia is amazing. Brightly coloured wooden houses, wedged between a quiet bay and the snow-covered foothills of the Andes this is a must visit city.
Because of the
mountains, especially the Argentine part on the Atlantic coast catches a
lot of cold wind, which ensures the cold climate. The clouds supplied
by the west winds are blocked by the high mountains, so that means there
is a lot of precipitation on one side and the country to the east of
the Andes is therefore receiving very little rainfall. That’s why the
Argentine area is a steppe area where only sheep survive.
Where to stay
If you are looking for a great place to stay and you are not on a backpackers budget we recommend visiting Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa. This hotel is designed not just to blend effortlessly into the environment but also to protect it, adhering to the latest standards of sustainable architecture.
The building of the hotel itself is made from the rock around Ushuaia and the interior of the whole house is hand picked. There are initiatives to decrease use of plastics and “single-use” cutlery in order to diminish quantities of waste created in the resort. The room's are extremely comfortable and modern with a beautiful atmosphere and you will absolutely love the heated infinity pool while watching the sunset. On booking.com they get an average rating of 9.3.
Best time to visit
We recommend to visit Patagonia from November to early March ( this is summertime in the southern hemisphere). This means you will be there in the high season, but the weather is just perfect during these months. Click here for more climate information in Ushuaia.