A week for the highlights of Patagonia

Travel Tips

• Arranging things yourself is relatively easy and, from what I’ve seen, can be done quite late.  The only piece that you should really book ahead for is Torres del Paine for entry permits and my suggestion is to have a tour company do that for you (recommendation below).  If on a tight timeline, it is also worth asking your hotel to book you bus tickets as they can be full for some days in summer (although we never had a problem).  The visit to the Perito Moreno Glacier can be arranged when you arrive in El Calafate as there are many tour companies
• For Torres del Paine:
  • I’d highly recommend the Garden Domes for the accommodation and organising the days in the park.  Expensive ($1500) but very much worth it
  • You must toast your day of hiking up the the base of the Towers by having a drink in the stunning lounge of Hotel Lago Grey.  The view across the glacier, lake and mountains behind is magnificent
  • The Hosteria Pehoe is nothing special as a hotel, but stunning views around from the centre of the park more than make up for it
  • The hike to the base of the Towers is busy so be prepared for crowds and for an 8 hour / 18km / 35,000 steps round trip
  • If pressed for time, I’d actually prioritise the glacier and the general view of the park ahead of the base of the Towers hike.  Yes they are stunning, but its a there-and-back hike and it really is busy
  • Ask your driver / guide to keep an eye out for the guanacos.  There are heaps of them around and the locals are so used to them that they may not appreciate just how much you may appreciate them!
  • For more details, see 3 very civilised days in Torres del Paine National Park
• For Perito Moreno:
  • Be prepared for mass tourism but don’t worry, you can get away from quite a lot of the crowds quite easily on the boardwalks and the glacier itself is so huge you’ll always have a good view
  • A typical tour costs $70 – tour $30, entry fee $10, boat trip $30.  Do the boat trip – if you don’t you’ll likely find yourself hanging around waiting for it to return or having a bit longer than you really need looking at the glacier
  • There are a series of easily to follow boardwalks that give you different views of the glacier.  Obviously it depends on your tour as to how much time you have but I’d say give them all a go.  The distances are overestimated and, if you do your timing right, if you get tight for time all it will do is eat into your lunch time
  • We didn’t walk on the glacier, just because I’ve done this sort of thing before.  But, if you haven’t, I’d really recommend it because its a cool experience with the crampons etc
  • El Calafate is actually a cool little town with a lovely central tree-lined street.  Sure its like the lycra outdoor capital, but still fun to wander along the Av del Liberator General San Martin to check out the restaurants
  • If its a nice day, you’re in town and fancy a beer, I’d really recommend the rooftop area of Librobar in the gnome village right in the centre of town
  • We stayed outside of town to save a little bit of cash and it was no problem.  Hosteria Roblesur was nice and would recommend
  • For more tips, see here – Perito Moreno glacier from El Calafate
• Pay attention to sunscreen – the sun is fierce in this part of the world
• Parrilla and mate tea – make sure you try to a local parrilla (grill) and get a local or guide to let you try some mate (tea).  But do make sure you ask them to tell you the right etiquette first!
• Books
  • I couldn’t recommend more highly This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson, one of my favourite books.  This charts, in historical fiction-style, the true story of Captain Fitzoy’s journey to chart the Tierra del Fuego, meeting the native Fuegians and bringing the young Charles Darwin with him
  • In Patagonia.  Bruce Chatwin’s account of his journey through Patagonia to see the windswept landscapes, descendants of Welsh immigrants, forgotten legends and a feeling of adventure in seeing “the uttermost part of the earth”