Discover the best of Patagonia.
“Rock, ice, snow, wind, and water, all warring with each other yet combined against man, here reigned in absolute sovereignty.” That’s what Charles Darwin said about Patagonia when he set foot in Tierra del Fuego over 150 years ago. It’s an apt way to describe the Southern Cone, the last rugged patch of earth before Antarctica and the end of the world. Patagonia is much larger than many travelers realize, and to experience it fully requires time, creativity, and a passion for the untamed wild.

When is the best time to visit?
Patagonia is open for business all year round. When to go depends on your primary interests. If skiing/snowboarding is your passion, then you’ll want to visit during the winter. If you’d like to indulge your inner naturalist and spend your time wildlife spotting, then spring/summer/autumn are ideal seasons. And while you can certainly enjoy mountain trekking in the winter (there’s something primal and rewarding about trudging through the snowy mountains for days on end), summer is a great time to view the sweeping panoramas from mountain peaks.

Where should you go?
Again, the answer depends on your preferences. For wildlife spotting, we recommend Puerto Madryn and the Atlantic coast. For trekking/camping, it’s all about national parks like Torres del Paine and the peaks near El Chaltén. For glacier viewing head to Los Glaciares National Park, and if you want to experience the least crowded and most jaw-droppingly beautiful places in the Southern Cone, you’ll make a beeline for the fjords, rivers, and Andes peaks of the Aysén region, in Chilean Patagonia.

How many days do you need?
If you only intend to visit one location in Patagonia, then you won’t need more than four or five days. However, to really experience Patagonia (both the Chilean and Argentine sides), requires two weeks minimum, but you can plan a faster itinerary that will allow you to see many places in nine or 10 days as well.