13 days tour to the highlights of Patagonia and much more. We visit the
nature reserves of "Pensinsula Valdes", "Punta Tombo" and "Cabo dos bahias" with
their unique variety of maritime fauna. We see petrified forests and prehistoric
cave paintings; we will stay on Estancias (sheep ranches) and drive through the
immensity of the Patagonian Steppe along Route 40; visit the national park "Perito
Moreno", the most untouched park in Patagonia; we see the most impressive mountains of
Patagonia and the biggest glaciars in the national park "Los Glaciares".
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Itinerary
Day 1
We drive through the most beautiful part of the
national park "Nahuel Huapi" and enjoy the panoramic stretch going south. We stop
in the hippy town of El Bolson for lunch, visit the famous handicraft market, and
take a short walk to admire the surrounding area. Continuing south, we visit the
Mapuche museum of Leleque and the southern-most town of the Lake District, Esquel.
Accommodation in a Hosteria in Esquel. Lunch not included.
Day 2
We continue on the "Road of the Altars", which
takes us from the Andes through the Steppe almost all the way to the Atlantic. The
different rock formations and colours are astounding. We stop for lunch in a typical
restaurant. We reach the Welsh village of Gaiman with its typical settler houses and
partake of a traditional Welsh tea ("Té Gales"). Accommodation in a Hosteria in
Gaiman. Lunch and dinner (if you are still hungry after the Welsh tea!) not included.
Day 3
After 20 km we are in Trelew, home to the most
important paleontological museum of South America. Dinosaur skeletons remind us of
Jurassic Park. Via the town of Puerto Madryn we drive on to the small Atlantic
village on the Valdes Peninsula, Puerto Piramides. Here we can go bathing from the
pretty beach, or a short walk takes you to bays where seals can be seen. Lunch and
dinner not included. Accommodation in a Hosteria in Puerto Piramides.
Day 4
A boat will take us to the whales which swim in the
"Golfo Nuevo" with their young. We will be able to observe these large mammals
close-up as they play with their young and prepare themselves for their long trip
to the Antarctic. Then we drive along the Valdes Peninsula and picnic on the way.
We pass salt lakes and will see seals and sealions, penguins, cormorants and if we
are lucky also orcas (killer whales) at different stops. (The Southern Right Whales
are only in the bay from June to approx. the middle of December!!! On all later
tours we will spend the whole day on the Valdes Peninsula). Accommodation in a
Hosteria in Puerto Piramides. Dinner not included.
Day 5
We will take you to the Punta Tombo nature reserve,
the biggest penguin colony in the southern hemisphere. About one million Magelan
penguins live here. We have a picnic lunch before driving on to the fishing village
of Camarones in the afternoon. Accommodation in a small hotel in Camarones. Dinner
not included.
Day 6
We can observe penguins, seals and cormorants
again on the nearby headland and nature reserve "Cabo dos Bahias". We have a picnic
lunch on the way before arriving in the early evening at the petrified forest "Jose
Ormaechea" to admire the colours. Accommodation in a hotel in the small village in
the Steppe called Sarmiento. Dinner not included.
Day 7
We continue westwards on Route 40. It is the only
road which was built North to South along the Andes. This dirt road takes us to the
small village in the Steppe called Perito Moreno. We make a detour to the village of
Los Antiguos with its numerous cherry plantations and go to a viewpoint of Lake
Buenos Aires (the second biggest lake in South America). In the afternoon we
continue along Route 40 to a typical Estancia. Dinner and accommodation on the
Estancia (farm with accommodation). Lunch not included.
Day 8
We visit one of the most important cultural
monuments of Patagonia, the "Cueva de las manos" (cave of hands), taking a picnic
with us. The paintings are up to 9,000 years old. We see the magnificent canyon "Rio
Pinturas", with its 250 metre-high stone walls. When you have had time to look around
the area we drive to the typical Steppe setlement of Bajo Caracoles. Later we drive
another 190 km along Route 40 (partly dirt road) and then west towards Andes and
the mountain San Valentin (the second highest mountain in Southern Patagonia). We
enjoy the beautiful evening atmostphere of the Patagonian Steppe. Accommodation and
dinner on an Estancia in the national park of Perito Moreno.
Day 9
We have the whole day to explore the national
park of Perito Moreno by minibus and on foot. This is the least-visited national
park of Patagonia, with approximately 1,000 visitors every year. This is nature in
its purest state and is a paradise for observing guanacos, ostriches and condors as
well as other wildlife, as well as turquiose-coloured glacial lakes, istmos, canyons
and untouched rivers, not forgetting the Andes with the mountain San Valentin in the
foreground and its numerous glaciars. Picnic in the park, accommodation and dinner on
an Estancia in the national park Perito Moreno.
Day 10
We drive back along the famous Route 40 and
experience the loneliness and the freedom of Patagonia. Different landscapes in
combination with clouds and turquoise-coloured lakes will fascinate us all day long.
If we are in luck we will see guanacos, reahs (small ostriches), armadillos and hares
(Steppenhasen**). A picnic stop will shorten the journey. For the last 90 kms we
drive along the Viedma Lake with the glaciar of the same name. We come closer and
closer to the Andes and can see from the distance the continental ice, and then we
are in the naional park "Los Glaciares". We will stay in a hosteria in the small
Andean village of El Chalten, at the foot of the Torre and Fitz Roy mountains.
Dinner not included.
Day 11
We hike through the northern part of the national
park "Los Glaciares". From the viewpoint of the Laguna Capri we have spectactular
views over Mount Fitz Roy, which is the mountain which is the most difficult to
climb in the Andes. The majestical view and the enchanting landscape take us into
another world. A picnic will give us strength on this hike, which can be as long or
short as you like. Those who are fit can hike on to the viewpoint over the second
most famous mountain in the national park - Mount Torre. We stay in the Hosteria in
El Chalten. Dinner not included.
Day 12
The drive to El Calafate will be shortened by a
visit to the small restaurant "La Leona". In the afternoon we drive on into the
national park "Los Glaciares" in order to look at the world-famous glaciar Perito
Moreno from all sides, and we'll go along the glaciar in a cataraman and see the
incredible dimensions of the ice walls, which are up to 60 metres high and 5 kms
long. If we are in luck we will see enormous ice walls falling into the lake with a
great splash. We will then visit the viewpoint, where you will have a lot of time to
observe the glaciar. We will stay in a Hosteria in El Calafate. Lunch and dinner not
included.
Day 13
On this long but spectacular day trip a catamaran
will take you across Lake Argentino to the spectacular fjord-like northern arm.
Passing icebergs, we will reach the biggest glaciar of the continental ice, the
Upsala glaciar, and later the smaller Spegazzini glaciar. Hiking through beech
woods, we will get to Lake Onelli with its hundreds of small icebergs. The glaciars
Onelli, Agazzis and Bolados flow like enormous frozen streams into the lake.
Accommodation in an Estancia/Hosteria in Calafate. Lunch and dinner not included.
Services included:
All accommodation includes breakfast: up to 4-star hotels, small family guest houses and ranches (double room with private bathroom)
Half board
All transfers und transportation
All excursions
All entrance fees for museums, national parks and nature reserves
English speaking guides
A lot of fun
Services not included:
International flight to Buenos Aires
Two domestic flights: Buenos Aires - San Carlos de Bariloche, El Calafate - Buenos Aires
Airport tax
health insurance
beverages
tips
Price:
US$ / per person based on double occupancy, in a group of at least 6 people
(extra charge of US$ for single rooms)
Information:
- Combination with all other tours of the Lake District or individual tours
organized.
- Optional tour to Ushuaia and national park "Tierra del fuego".
- Depending on season times the tour can be organised in the opposite direction
(from south to north)
- Rooms with more than two beds can be booked in the hostels on demand to reduce
costs