Granite spires, glaciers and wind that knocks you off your feet – Patagonia is the end of the world for hikers.
Photo: Bruce Chia (Unsplash)
Full disclosure: I know Patagonia from the photos of friends who came back in their hiking boots and talked about nothing else. Fitz Roy near El Chaltén on the Argentine side, Torres del Paine on the Chilean side, and the Perito Moreno Glacier in between – three highlights that can be combined in two weeks.
El Chaltén is a hiking village: day walks to Laguna de los Tres beneath Fitz Roy and to Laguna Torre, no entrance fee, no guide needed. Torres del Paine is the national park with the «W» trek (4–5 days with overnight stays in huts) or day trips from your hotel. Perito Moreno near El Calafate is the easy one: walkways right up to the ice.
The weather is the real challenge: four seasons in a single day and winds of up to 100 km/h. Refugios and campsites in Torres del Paine need to be reserved months in advance. If you'd rather keep it comfortable, take an organised tour – or the cruise through the fjords from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia.
El Chaltén: the village (walk straight to the trails). El Calafate: the centre. Torres del Paine: refugios in the park or hotels in Puerto Natales.
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