It’s definitely one of my favorite place on earth, what you have to see at least once in your life and definitely a place where I want to come back again because I have not seen everything in my schedule yet. If you decide to spend time on a trip to Patagonia, and heading to one of the most isolated places in the world, here what you absolutely must do on a trip to Patagonia …
10 Things you absolutely must do on a trip to Patagonia
1) Visit the Perito Moreno: The most iconic glacier in the world
A wooden walkway that takes you right in front of this mountain of ice, 30km of glacier in motion, in fact at this point if you’re lucky you can witness the breaking of huge blocks of ice that fall into Lake Argentino. If you are adventurous I recommend you to go ice trekking, that is walking on the glacier with crampons, a unique experience.
2) Drink a whiskey with a piece of iceberg
Once you arrive at the Perito Moreno it is a must a boat ride on the Argentino Lake, an arctic landscape, all this blue and gray that embrace you, an absolute silence, only the boat that cuts the water. And while we are there you cannot drink a whiskey with ice, but not a normal ice, a piece of iceberg taken from the lake!
3) A trek to the Fin del Mundo
Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, only you read the air ticket or the bus you are about to get there beats your heart, you suddenly feel Chatwin, you feel adventurous and capable of everything. And among the beautiful things you can do on a trip to Patagonia, taking full advantage of the long summer days, there is something that is truly unique in the world: trekking in the Parque Nacional de la Tierra del Fuego . The route is easy, almost totally flat, the landscape changes constantly, meadows, woods, ponds, sea, wild horses, I suggest you go there alone, take advantage of this moment to meditate and bring a good sandwich for lunch with your thoughts filling your eyes
4) Go on the footsteps of dinosaurs
The Bosque Piedrificado de la Leona is a desert place near the El Calafate, a lunar landscape that has preserved some remains of fossilized dinosaur trees and bones. The excursion is very exciting: I was particularly lucky because I was accompanied by a team of 8 paleontologists who visited the site for the first time and explained things that I believe otherwise I would never have known in my life. Beware that if the wind stops blowing and the day is beautiful the canyon becomes an oven, bring a cream with high protection! You will like also Jammu And Kashmir – Celestial Beauty Surpassing The Human Imagination
5) Three days walking on the W
Perhaps the most famous trekking in Patagonia, the W (doble grapes) is a spectacular trek around the Torri del Paine, among lakes, lagoons and endless mountains, one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, crossing mostly valleys. A challenging but not difficult trekking, suitable for those who love the mountains and has an average level of training, you walk all day and you sleep in shelters, you do not need to do it with a guide.
6) Go up the glacier by rubber boat
In Chilean Patagonia you can do something that few people choose to do, inside the Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins: after seeing the glaciers breaking in the sea, there is the possibility to go up the Serrano River by boat. Observe the salmon that go upstream, cross a waterfall and then get to the Balmaceda estancia in the Parque de las Torres del Paine, where you can have lunch and then with a personal guide go through the most beautiful stages of the park including a 2h trek on the beach of the lake Gray, up to the mirador. A busy day, but certainly breathtaking.
7) Trekking in El Chalten
In the Andes Cordillera in Patagonia there are some of the most mythical mountains in the history of mountaineering. If you are a fan of High Mountain you cannot miss the climb to Fiz Roy or Cerro Torre, obviously if you are not so well trained it is always fun to test yourself in one of the many scenic routes, there are different duration and intensity.
8) Eating the Patagonian Cordero
In Argentina we know the meat is very good, but if you go to Patagonia you cannot miss a dinner made with cordero asado, or lamb grilled. In this part of the world we cook differently from how we do it. You tie it whole on an iron cross and put it to cook beside the fire, imagine all these crosses with lambs placed like an Indian tent with fire in the center. In addition to being an animal much larger than ours, this way it cooks very slowly and is really super tasty.
9) Drink the water of a Patagonian lake while you swim
This was one of my happiest moments. While I was in San Martin de los Andes in February, the temperature was really high and I spent my days going swimming in the lakes. The water is really transparent and fresh, the beaches are small coasts of pebbles near huge woods. But the thing that I loved the most is that being that really pure water you can drink while you swim! Superb!
10) Sit on a bench with penguins
One of the funniest things you can do in trip to Patagonia in Ushuaia is to visit a penguin colony such as the one at Estancia Halberton, an old colonial house where 10,000 penguins now nest in the neighborhood. It is a truly wonderful experience, these little animals are both funny and tender and above all they are everywhere, even on the benches.
