The Patagonia Region is located in South America and includes the southern portions of Chile and Argentina. It is made up of the Andes to the west and south, and plateaus and low plains to the east. On the Chilean side, it begins south of the city of Puerto Montt. In Argentina, it begins south of the Newquen and Colorado Rivers. The Region ends at Tierra del Fuego, the southern extreme of South America.  Click here to view map.

Coordinates: 

Google Earth - Get a bird’s eye view of Patagonia Region. If you have Google Earth installed, you can double-click on the linked Placemark file and it will fly you to Patagonia. If not, you will need to install Google Earth first (available at http://earth.google.com).

back to top

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0401/feature3/map.html

http://www.patagonias.net/Ciudades/MapElCalafate.htm

back to top

What’s in a Name?

Ferdinand Magellan first discovered Patagonia in 1520. There are varying accounts of what he saw: giant natives with very big feet or just very large footprints in the snow made by fur-clad feet. Nonetheless, it inspired the name Patagonia:  “land of the big paw.”

In 1832-33, Charles Darwin and Captain Robert FitzRoy explored and mapped Patagonia during a world voyage on board The Beagle—all of which have now become place names: In Tierra del Fuego there is the Darwin Range and the Beagle Channel, and in Los Glaciares National Park, the tallest mountain (11,073 feet) bears the name Mount FitzRoy.

In the late 60’s Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia clothing, named his company after the region and had this to say: “To most people, especially then, Patagonia was a name like Timbuktu or Shangri-La, far-off, interesting, not quite on the map. Patagonia brings to mind, …"romantic visions of glaciers tumbling into fjords, jagged windswept peaks, gauchos and condors.” It's been a good name for us, and it can be pronounced in every language.”

Cerro Chaltén the indigenous name for Mount FitzRoy, means “Smoking Mountain” because of the clouds that usually form around the peak. It was renamed FitzRoy by Argentine explorer Perito Francisco Moreno in 1877. Subsequently, one of the great glaciers of Los Glaciares National Park is named after Moreno.

back to top

From soaring granite spires, surreal towering glaciers, lush ancient forests, to lakes of brilliant emerald green, Patagonia’s scenery is so spectacular that even Yosemite can’t rival its beauty. Two standouts among this scenic wonderland are the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, and Argentina's Los Glaciares National Park. Both are ideal destinations in which to enjoy long hikes through one of the last places on earth that is still wild and unspoiled, a place where giant Condors still command the skies.

Chilean PATAGONIA

HIGHLIGHTS
Parque Nacional Torres Del Paine—Torres del Paine is incomparable in beauty. The Paine Circuit, considered one of the premier classic hikes of the world, is a 52- mile trek that circumnavigates the dramatic peaks of the Torres del Paine massif as it winds through ancient stands of forests and passes turquoise-blue lakes amongst giant slabs of ice and wild, untouched scenery. 

Distance:  52 miles

Time:  7 – 9 days

Difficulty:  Moderately difficult

Season:  Mid-December to Mid-March

Staging Area—Puerto Natales. Several bus companies run daily trips from Puerto Natalas into the Torres del Paine National Park.

Trail Descriptions and Campsite: For an excellent description of this trail and various campsites, visit http://www.sierrasoul.com/alog/patagonia03/tips03.html

Park Accommodations:  www.torresdelpaine.org/accommodation.html

Hazards:  Weather—Come prepared for extremes:  wind, rain, snow, and sun.  Water—treat all water from streams, especially near populated camps.

Guide Services: Mountain Travel Sobek

Additional trip reports:

Photo Essay and travel notes: Torres del Paine, W Route, French Valley and more.

Argentine PATAGONIA

HIGHLIGHTS
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares--At over 2,000 square miles, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares is one of the biggest and most scenically impressive national parks in South America. The Park protects over 2,000 square miles of the Patagonian Andes, including over 40 major glaciers. At the northern end of the Park lies a collection of stunningly beautiful peaks of near-perfect symmetry, including the world-famous FitzRoy Massif (11,072’) and the granite needle of Cerro Torre (10,280’). At the southern end lies an enormous glacier wonderland that feeds two huge lakes, Lago Viedma and Lago Argentino. Some of the world’s best hiking and climbing can be found here.

Although there is no traditional hiking route that circumnavigates the FitzRoy massif, it may be done by experienced mountaineers by venturing out on the ice cap. A more moderate hiking route is a 36-mile journey that travels through ancient beech forests and visits all the major viewpoints on the east side of the massif, including glacier-fed lakes, the Capri Lagoon,close-up views of sunrise on the FitzRoy massif, andCerro Torre—the most awesome rock spire in the world.

Route:  FitzRoy Grand Tour           

Distance:  36 miles

Time:  4 - 7 days

Difficulty:  Moderate

Season:  October through April

Staging Area—El Chalten, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.  Nearly all the trailheads start from the village of El Chaltén, http://www.elchalten.com/i.html  In addition there are several hotels, hostels, campgrounds, restaurants, and a National Park office

Trail Descriptions and Campsite: For an excellent description of this trail and various campsites, visit http://www.sierrasoul.com/alog/patagonia03/tips01.html.

Information and Park Accommodations in el Chalten: www.elchalten.com

Hazards: Weather—Come prepared for extremes:  wind, rain, snow, and sun.  Water—treat all water from streams, especially near populated camps.

Guide Services:  http://www.fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar/Frameset_eng.htm

Additional trip reports:

Travel log - Parque Nacional los Glaciares, Perito Moreno Glaciar, Torres del Paine, Seno Otway, and more.

Photo Essay and travel notes:  FitzRoy, El Chalten, Morena Glacier

back to top

• Take time to brush up on your Spanish or learn basic words.
• Pack a good quality rain cover for your backpack. It will also be useful for keeping dust off your pack on long bus rides.
• Invest in good quality rain gear (jacket and pants) that can withstand extremely high winds.

back to top

The weather varies tremendously in Patagonia. Perfect calm can be followed by 50-mile-an-hour winds. The most stable weather occurs in fall or spring. December through February tend to have the most reliable sun, but can also be the windiest months. It generally snows in June, July and August. Always check several weather sources when planning your trip and arrive prepared for extremes.

Tierra del Fuego Weather

Puerto Montt Weather

Buenos Aires Weather

Puerto Natales Weather

Perito Moreno Weather

back to top

Committed to product quality and environmental activism, Patagonia is a premium manufacturer of clothing for climbing, hiking, surfing, fly fishing, trail running and other human powered sports.

back to top

Global Vision International - Volunteer projects, expeditions and courses in Patagonia.

Global Vision International - Expedition Leader

BOOKS:

Lonely Planet: Latin American Spanish Phrasebook—available at Adventure 16 stores.

Classic Hikes of the World by Peter Potterfield—available at Adventure 16 stores, $39.95

back to top

Travel Medicine Center

World Health Organization

• Argentina
• Chile

Altitude Sickness

back to top

The Patagonian Foundation

The Patagonian Foundation endeavors to protect and preserve the Patagonian culture and environment by promoting economic, social and environmental sustainability. The Foundation forms cooperative partnerships with individuals and regional, national and international organizations to develop and implement programs that will promote sustainable and responsible economic growth, maintain quality of life, and preserve and permanently protect Patagonia's vast land and diverse ecosystems.

back to top

Hiking, backpacking, and other wilderness activities, are potentially dangerous and unpredictable.  Adventure 16 assumes no liability for injuries associated with the use of information provided on this site. The trails, activities and areas described on this site are to be used for informational purposes only and should not be your sole source of guidance.  Always thoroughly research any outdoor area you plan to visit using various resources--including contacting local ranger stations--to obtain the most up to date information for your destination. Contact your physician if you are unsure about your health or physical abilities.

Store Locations | Featured Products | Upcoming Events | Outdoor Classes | Guided Trips
© 2007 Adventure 16