PATAGONIA – Argentina & Cile

THE EXPEDITION:

For Chatwin, Patagonia is like a difficult lover, a charmer who casts her spell, holds you in her arms and never leaves you. He made writers of the caliber of Coleridge and Melville fall in love with him, who spoke of Patagonia to indicate something extreme, but also the legendary Butch Cassidy and the Sundace Kid who found a new life here. It’s like treating yourself to a naturalistic journey to the edge of the world, like seeing the Earth in its truest soul. Places of admirable beauty which, to date, have not undergone major changes. Huge and wild spaces swept by the winds that give the feeling of being in a land at the end of the world. A majestic and uncontaminated nature made up of lakes, mountains, volcanoes, glaciers and waterfalls that have made Patagonia a paradise for trekking lovers, but not only for them. Here are some animal and plant species unique in the world, such as the Patagonian fox, the Guanaco, the Magellanic penguin and the calafate, an evergreen plant whose edible berries make travelers sure to return to Patagonia.

Divided between Argentina and Chile, the territory of Patagonia is approximately 900,000 square kilometers large, including Tierra del Fuego. It is divided into two areas: the Andean Patagonia, characterized by the extreme offshoots of the Andes cordillera with its peaks interspersed with valleys and glaciers, the landscapes of lakes and pines, and the extra-Andean Patagonia, characterized by plateaus, steppes and enormous semi-desert extensions reach as far as the Atlantic Ocean. Our journey will be divided into three phases, the first involves moving by plane to Ushuaia, the second exploration and trekking in the Argentine part of the Santa Cruz region, the third will be the most exciting: On The Road along the famous Carretera Austral aboard 4×4 pick-ups.

March 15 – Arrival in Buenos Aires, City Tour and dinner in a taberna de Tango;

March 16 – Domestic flight to Ushuaia and excursion to Tierra Del Fuego NP;

March 17 – Navigation of the Beagle Channel and domestic flight to El Calafate;

March 18 – Trekking day in the Santa Cruz region;

March 19 – Transfer by bus to El Calafate and visit of the town;

March 20 – Private excursion to Perito Moreno with nautical safari;

March 21 – CHILE border and panoramic trip to Torres del Paine NP;

March 22 – Trekking to Laguna Base Torres;

23 March – Domestic flight to Puerto Montt and start of Carretera Austral, visit of LLanquihue lake, Puerto Varas and arrival in Hornopiren;

March 24 – Excursion to Caleta Gonzalo, Parque Pumalin, Santa Barbar, El Chalten, El Amarillo and Puerto Ramirez

March 25 – Panoramic towards the south, La Junta, Villa Mañihuales, Puyuhuapi;

March 26 – Visit to the thermal baths on the Queulat fjord with subsequent trekking;

March 27 – Panoramic in Cerro Castillo, Puerto Rio Tranquilo and Navigation of the General Carrera Lake and visit of the Marble Cathedrals;

28 March – Return to Coyhaique domestic flight from Balmaceda airport to Santiago de Chile;

March 29 – End of trip and return to Italy

TRANSPORTATION: Plane, public buses, private buses, 4×4 pick-ups, ferries.
WHERE: Patagonia Argentina and Chile
ACCOMMODATION: Hotels, B&Bs, Cabanas.
LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE: None except spirit of adaptation.
DATES: 15 – 31 March 2025
Places available: 4 on 7

WHAT THE EXPEDITION INCLUDES:

• Transfers to and from the airports;
• Accommodations described or similar in double rooms with private bathroom – CABANAS/LODGE OR SIMILAR AVAILABILITY IN SOME AREAS – (single room supplement 50Euro pp);
• Breakfasts;
• Driver and local guide in Italian;
• Entrance fees to parks and reserves;
• Excursion to the marble cave;
• Safari to Perito Moreno;
• Tickets Line bus from El Chalten to El Calafate;
• Exclusive 4×4 RoadTrip to travel the Carretera Austral;
• Fuel;
• Permits and fees;
• Dinner in Buenos Aires with Tango show;
• Guide during all excursions/trekking;
• Expenses of all ferries;
• Taxes
• eXplora Expedition Team Leader.

WHAT EXPEDITION DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• International flights (Italy-Buenos Aires / Santiago de Chile – Italy);
• Domestic flights (Argentina / Chile), Approximate cost about 550 USD;
• All meals except dinner in Buenos Aires;
• ALTERNATIVE activity to Trekking Base Torres, cruise in the fjord;
• Souvenirs & tips;
• Anything not mentioned under “THE PRICE INCLUDES”.