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Patagonia is a sparsely populated region of over one million square kilometers occupying Southern Argentina and Chile. From Buenos Aires, it's either a three hour flight or thirty-four hour drive to El Calafate, one of the only transportation hubs in Patagonia. We opted for the flight (courtesy of Delta miles), plus a three hour bus ride to the neighboring town of El Chalten, where our Patagonian adventure begins.
We went for a short walk that afternoon, just outside of the town. This picture perfectly captures how beautiful the scenary was, although it looks deceptively calm. Patagonia is notorious for its wind, and that day was no exception.
The real hiking, which is why we came to Patagonia, started the next morning. On this day hike in the Fitz Roy range, we got a perfectly clear view of Cerro Torre. Unfortunately, the wind prevented us from lingering in this beautiful spot.
On the way back into town, we got the perfect photo opportunity to capture the essence of El Chalten. It's remote and peaceful, but has every you would want in a small town - welcoming lodges, handy grocery and souveneir shops, and delicious family-run restaurants (including a brewery!). El Chalten is just as beautiful as any Scandanavian village we visited earlier on the trip, only everything here costs a fraction as much. And daylight never seems to end here in December.
Somewhere along the way, we found this woodpecker posing for the camera. Wildlife, for the most part, is is a rare sight this extreme climate.
Next stop in Patagonia: El Calafate.
Known for the Perito Moreno Glacier nearby, El Calafate is a much more developed tourist town, lacking in charm in comparison to El Chalten. Nevertheless, the glacier did not disappoint. As is it one of the few advancing glaciers in the world, we spent hours watching and listening for chunks of ice falling off of the glacier.
Up close, you can see all sorts of interesting formations and cravasses in the ice.
To give a sense of scale, and just how close we got to the glacier, here I am on one of the viewing pathways. There was no need for the boat tour that was offered. On foot, we were able to linger and really appreciate the grandeur of El Perito Moreno.
Even though I'm not usually a fan of overly touristy destinations, El Perito Moreno was one of the highlights of our trip. It's beautifully set up, with numerous walking paths that allow visitors to enjoy this natural wonder. We've seen glaciers in Alaska, Iceland, Norway, Nepal, New Zealand...but this is by far the most impressive.
Tomorrow, we head to Chile for Torres del Paine National Park and the W Trek - also the last stop on our trip!
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