Top Destinations in Southern Patagonia

In this trip I had the unforgettable experience of visiting Ushuaia the southernmost city of the world, El Calafate (Glaciers) and Cabo Vírgenes (penguins). Two years ago I enjoyed the fantastic sceneries of Las Grutas, Puerto Madryn, Punta Tombo, Península Valdez and Esquel. All these destinations can be combined in one trip, stopping at Puerto Madryn on the way down south and at Las Grutas on the way back, or otherwise flying directly to Ushuaia, and then coming up the map using inexpensive and very comfortable bus services. It is completely out of the question to travel by bus from Buenos Aires all the way to Ushuaia, because even though bus services are very good, we are talking of 48 hours travel... USHUAIA is probably the most beautiful destination in this area, it is just under the Andes. The Martial glacier is only 5 miles away from the downtown. The Beagle Channel is just in front of the city, and the Tierra del Fuego National Park, with a beautiful campground, is only 20 miles away. EL CALAFATE: The Perito Moreno glacier is the most known (and economic) destination, because you can go on the bus from El Calafate, although the alternative tour (that also includes one hour navigation in front of the glacier) costs only 43 dollars. I did not go to the Upsala glacier (it costs 70 dollars), but know that it is the most beautiful of all, since you have a panoramic view of where 3 glaciers meet. CABO VÍRGENES is a primitive penguin colony (440,000 penguins) 80 miles south of RÍO GALLEGOS. PUERTO MADRYN: Now that I have been to Cabo Vírgenes it is difficult to decide which penguin colony I prefer. However, in Cabo Virgenes penguins are not very accustomed to tourists, and shy. This may seem incredible, but at Punta Tombo (Puerto Madryn) penguins walk even through the parking lot and do not worry about human presence. Of course, Puerto Madryn has whales (and orcas, depending on the time of the year), plus sea elephants seals and many other attractions. ESQUEL is only 8 hours by bus from Puerto Madryn and 4 hours south of Bariloche, and has one of the most beautiful national parks in Argentina: Los Alerces. The Welsh colony of Trevelin, where the Welsh colonization of the Andes started, is in this area. Don't miss Esquel if you have enough time.

Quick Tips:

Ushuaia and El Calafate are VERY expensive so the best alternative is to stay at an hostel where you can cook for yourself. Prices at supermarkets are nearly the same as in the rest of the country, and you will save a lot of money. However, if you can afford eating at good restaurants, you will spend an average of 10 to 20 dollars per meal, depending on the quality of service you are looking for. In Cordoba budget restaurants start at 3 and a half dollars per meal, if you know where to go... Car rental is a good alternative in Ushuaia and El Calafate, because gasoline costs 1.20 dollars the gallon, half the price in force in the rest of Argentina, while tours are expensive. Car rental costs some 50 dollars per day and includes 200 free kilometers (130 miles) per day. But in Ushuaia distances are short, and taxis and traffic vans are not expensive: 8 dollars to the National Park (round trip), 4 dollars each way on a taxi to the Martial Glacier, and you have fantastic views in Ushuaia itself simply walking the town, especially towards the old airport (Bahía Encerrada). Ushuaia is very safe.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to tour this area is take the plane one way from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and do the rest by bus, with a stopover at Puerto Madryn, from where you have direct buses not only to Buenos Aires (Andesmar, Tramat, Via Tac and other companies), but also to Cordoba (Andesmar and TUS), to Mendoza (Andesmar), to Bariloche (Don Otto), to Mar del Plata (Don Otto) and other destinations. Andesmar and TUS have excellent services, Tramat is good, Don Otto is average, except their luxury service that is excellent. I would avoid travelling by Via TAC (although it has improved lately) and I would definitely not travel by El Pinguino, unless in case of need (their fares are one third cheaper). Taxis are inexpensive. Buses to the Perito Moreno Glacier cost 17 dollars round trip. Traffic vans to the National Park in Ushuaia cost 8 dollars round trip. A taxi to the Martial Glacier in Ushuaia costs 4 dollars each way. You might want to cross over from Puerto Madryn to Bariloche and return from there by bus to Buenos Aires (Vía Bariloche, Crucero del Norte or Andesmar). Long distance buses are very comfortable in Argentina and inexpensive.

This is the second largest penguin settlement in South America, and has just now 440,000 Magellan penguins. However, it is hardly known; I was unaware of its existence less than one year ago. I knew that there should be more penguin colonies south of Punta Tombo but that was all. This area receives a hundred times less tourists than Punta Tombo (Puerto Madryn), and as far as I know only one travel agency is offering this tour just now (MACA TOBIANO, Avenue Roca 998, Río Gallegos). The tour goes through a couple of huge Patagonian ranches, one of them El Condor, property of Luciano Benetton, dedicated mostly to sheep (150,000 sheep grow up in this ranch, that is nearly 60 miles long, but the topography of which is mostly Patagonian desert).

The other ranch belongs to a Kelper family (natives from the Malvinas or Falkland Islands) On the road we saw some birds, a few ñandus (Patagonian Ostriches), and went through the Cerro Redondo oilfield, operated by Petrobras, and one of the most important oilfields in the area. On our trip towards the penguin area we saw some oilwells and oil/gas separation facilities. Then we visited the Cabo Virgenes lighthouse, from where you have a panoramic view of where the Strait of Magellan meets the Atlantic Ocean. The penguin colony is some 3 miles away from the lighthouse, is a National Parks reserve, and has a population of 440,000 penguins. Unlike Punta Tombo, where you can get as close as two feet to the penguins without frightening them (because they are used to see tourists), here you have to walk slowly if you want to avoid scaring the penguins. A maximum of 5,000 tourists visit this area during the year. Actually the day I went I was the only passenger on the tour. I was fortunate that they did not cancel the trip, because doing the same tour on a taxi would have costed at least 90 dollars. Of course, if the family group is 3 or more persons, you might want to consider this alternative. The cost of this tour is 120 pesos (40 dollars) for a 160-mile round trip and the tour lasts some 6 hours, leaving normally at 11am and arriving back at 5pm or slightly later. There is only one place during the whole trip where you can stop for a cup of coffee or a full meal, that obviously will be more expensive than in the city, "Al Fin y al Cabo" is the name of this panoramic cafeteria. Use their powerful binoculars to see the area in detail. If you are not going to visit Punta Tombo, this may be a good chance for watching the second largest penguin reserve in South America. There are buses from El Calafate to Río Gallegos (TAQSA/MARGA) that are very comfortable and that take you there in 4 hours. The first bus leaves El Calafate at 3am, so you would have time to take the tour, or go on a taxi. The same company has bus services from Ushuaia to Río Gallegos, that take some 10 to 12 hours, and from Ushuaia to El Calafate, that take some 14 to 16 hours depending in both cases on customs and immigration delays (these buses go through Chile, so you need also a Chilean visa or waiver) and on weather conditions at the Strait of Magellan. If winds are strong, you might have to wait an hour or two before the ferry crosses. And if the ferry is full when the bus arrives, you will have to wait until it crosses the strait and comes back (one hour in each direction). There are also direct flights from Ushuaia to Río Gallegos (Lan Chile, Aerolíneas and Lade), but most of them do not operate every day. The cost of this flight for an Argentina citizen is 169 pesos (56 dollars) and foreigners have a 70% surcharge on this rate. This is because the fare for Nationals does not cover the operating costs of the airlines. From Río Gallegos north you have buses to Puerto Madryn (18 hours by Andesmar, Via Tac, Transportadora Patagónica, and El Pinguino) of which Andesmar offers the best service.

Premium bed bus services (those in which seats lie down completely flat like a bed) do not come as far south as Río Gallegos, but you can change to one of these buses at Comodoro Rivadavia. To check timetables, have a look at this page: www.andesmar.com.ar. For timetables of buses from Calafate and Ushuaia to Río Gallegos, and from Ushuaia to Calafate, and to see what their buses are like, click on this link: www.taqsa.com.ar. They feature only semi-bed service, and serve no meals on board, but they have a 15 minute stop for a snack on the road. Buses are very comfortable. From Puerto Madryn north you have buses to Mar del Plata (Transportadora Patagónica / Don Otto), semi-bed but not as good as Andesmar. From Puerto Madryn to Buenos Aires you have buses of Andesmar, Condor Estrella, Tramat, Via Tac, Transportadora Patagónica, El Pinguino and probably others. I have listed the companies in my order of preference I prefer Andesmar and Condor Estrella, and would definitely not travel on El Pinguino although it costs about 35% less. Tramat is a good in-between option. To give you an idea, Andesmar charges 100 dollars from Río Gallegos de Buenos Aires, Tramat 80 dollars, and El Pinguino 66. These prices were those in force two weeks ago, and could have suffered a ten percent increase. There are also direct buses from Puerto Madryn to Cordoba (some 18 hours) by Andesmar and TUS (Transportes Unidos del Sur), TUS costs about 10% less and is still a very good service. There are also direct buses from Puerto Madryn to Esquel (8 hours) and Bariloche (13 hours), standard bed service of Don Otto, that offers an excellent service, but that costs twice the price of their regular service. Now that you are set up, don’t forget to take at least enough film for some 700 photos. I took nearly twenty seven 36-photo films in Ushuaia, El Calafate, and Cabo Virgenes in less than ten days... Soon I will be sharing some of them with you. They are passing them to CD just now. Enjoy your trip.

Recently there have been problems in radar equipment in the Buenos Aires airports, and that has been causing delays in many flights due to the need of complying with safety requirements. If you rely heavily on airplane services, your travel plans could run down the drain.

On the other hand, foreigners are charged higher rates (approximately 80% more than nationals and residents) and that increases the expenses, while bus services are incredibly modern and comfortable, and have still very low rates.

If you wanted to go to Ushuaia on a bus that would mean 36 hours to Río Gallegos, and another eight hours from there to Ushuaia. Obviously, even with a premium bed service (seats that lie back completely flat like a bed) that is too long a trip. And in any case, the premium bed service only goes down as far as Comodoro Rivadavia or Caleta Olivia, some four hours south of Puerto Madryn. From there onwards, you have the option of the classical bed service (something like business class on international flights) or semi-bed. These are very comfortable, but distances are long.

Since there are places worth visiting between Ushuaia and Buenos Aires, let me give you my personal suggestions:

1) Use the plane one way (from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, and not on the way back, in case you lose international connections). Travel takes about four hours. You can fly either to Ushuaia, to Río Gallegos (from there it is four hours on the bus to the glaciers at El Calafate, or eight hours on the bus to Ushuaia.). There is a very good bus company (TAQSA, or Transportes Automotores Quebek) that features comfortable semi-bed services; they serve no meals on board, but they stop where you can eat at affordable prices. The other company TecnoTrans, by what I have heard from passengers, seems to not be as reliable as TAQSA or MARGA, that belongs to the same owners and uses the same buses.
TAQSA has a direct bus service from Ushuaia to El Calafate (12 hours), although they will probably change buses in Río Gallegos or at their stop for lunch after crossing the Strait of Magellan on the ferry.

2) Of course, you always have the option of stopping at Las Grutas on the way down south, and at Puerto Madryn on the way back, and that you cut your travel in half both ways, enjoying beautiful sceneries.

3) The other option is to fly into Santiago de Chile, fly on LAN Chile to Punta Arenas, taking advantage of their visit Chile special fare, and then cross over to Ushuaia or El Calafate on the bus (there are direct bus services from Punta Arenas to both these cities. Or even traveling on the bus from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales (four hours' travel), visiting the Torres del Paine National Park, and then continuing by bus from Puerto Natales to El Calafate (some five hours on the bus, with 2 services every day). To check the bus timetables from Puerto Natales to El Calafate, click here:

http://www.turismo.elcalafate.gov.ar/

Travel from Calafate to Puerto Natales costs $12 to $17, depending on the bus company you use. Higher rates may apply in Chile; I am not sure.

From Calafate to Río Gallegos travel takes four hours, and from there to Puerto Madryn another 16 hours. For the first section, consult the same internet site I gave you above, and from Río Gallegos to Puerto Madryn the best service, by far is that of

www.andesmar.com.ar

You will need to stay three to five days at Puerto Madryn, depending on the season of the year. Whales arrive in June and leave in December, while penguins arrive in September and leave in April. The beach season starts in December and ends in March, but you can have nice days for the beach from October to April, depending on weather conditions; during the Summer months, Puerto Madryn can be warmer than Mar del Plata and the beaches are beautiful. Sea lions and sea elephants will be there the wh

I have been only three times in my lifetime to Ushuaia, and have enjoyed each trip more than the previous one. The beauty is incredible and difficult to describe in words. As a European tourist said: "It is a combination of Norway and Switzerland". There is a beautiful glacier four miles from the downtown (Martial Glacier, at a walking distance) and many more navigating the Beagle Channel towards Punta Arenas. This four-day cruise, the Mare Australis, is rather expensive, but is one of the ultimate experiences I would be delighted to take, if my budget allowed paying for it. http://www.australis.com/EN/index.php Ushuaia is small, and unless if you intend to go trekking, three days might be enough for enjoying its most outstanding beauties: the city itself (a different scenery of the mountain from each corner), the Martial Glacier, the navigation of the Beagle Channel (half a day) and the Tierra del Fuego National Park. To which you can add the Prison Museum, the Aquarium and the End of the World Museum. I was not able to visit the Prison Museum and the Aquarium (they were closed the day I intended to go), but thoroughly enjoyed the other tours. MARTIAL GLACIER: Unlike most glaciers I have seen, this one is on a mountain slope and offers incredible beauty. There is a chairlift that takes you up to the base of the glacier (the price is around $5) and from there on you can choose different trails to go up the glacier. I chose the one that runs along the side of the stream, and had a beautiful time. Be careful; the stream runs under the glacier, and where the ice is thin you could slide into the freezing water. No serious danger is involved, but it would be an unpleasant experience. So do not walk above the ice without a guide. In any case, the scenery is fantastic, and I know you will enjoy it. A taxi to the glacier will cost $3 each way. Just send the taxi home, and ask the office to request one once you have come back down. NAVIGATION FO THE BEAGLE CHANNEL. There are different options, that cost between $30 and $60. I would not choose the most expensive one to Penguin Island, unless you do not intend to visit the Puerto Madryn or Cabo Virgenes penguin colonies. You will visit a sea lion island, a bird island, and will also have the chance of trekking on an island from where you will have panoramic view of Ushuaia and of the whole area. It is really worthwhile. Don't miss it. You have the option of doing this tour on a catamaran, on a small motor boat, or even on a sail boat. TIERRA DEL FUEGO NATIONAL PARK: Bahía Lapataia and Lago Roca are really beautiful. Traffic vans charge some $8 for the round-trip, end at the campground of the national park, and you can stay as long as you wish and come back when you wish. Highly recommended. TRAIN TO THE END OF THE WORLD. It is an enjoyable trip, but rather expensive, and it repeats the same route as the traffic vans. So either you take the previous tour, or this one. CERRO CASTOR SKI CENTER: I have not been there, but have seen photos, and it is really beautiful. It is the lowest ski center in all Argentina, and maybe in the whole world. Since you can visit practically all of Ushuaia in three days, you will want to continue to El Calafate by bus or plane to see the Perito Moreno glaciers, El Chaltén and many other beauties in the Glacier's National Park. There are direct bus services from Ushuaia to Río Gallegos with immediate combination to El Calafate. Some transfers are made without even going into Río Gallegos. The best service is that of TAQSA/MARGA. Have a look at their web page: http://www.taqsa.com.ar/ They feature comfortable semi-bed services, and are the most reliable company from Ushuaia to Río Gallegos and El Calafate. Travel takes some eight hours to Río Gallegos and 12 hours to El Calafate, the South American Alaska. From Río Gallegos towards Puerto Madryn, Las Grutas, Córdoba, and Buenos Aires, the best service by far is that of Andesmar. www.andesmar.com.ar Take advantage of the favorable exchange rate to the dollar now, or you may regret it later. Four years ago, you would have spent half the amount of dollars you will need now, but it is still cheap for you. Enjoy your stay in southern Patagonia.

El Calafate maybe is not the most beautiful city in Argentina (I prefer Ushuaia and Bariloche), but it is certainly unique due to its impressive glaciers. It is surrounded by the Los Glaciares (The Glaciers) National Park, and I would call it the South American Alaska. There are fourteen very important glaciers in the area, of which the Perito Moreno is the third in size, after the Viedma and Upsala glaciers, that are 4 and 5 times larger. The Perito Moreno glacier itself is 20 miles long and has an altitude between 150 and 200 feet. To watch huge pieces of ice falling off the glacier, to navigate along its north side, and to do trekking over the ice are experiences that you will never forget. On the way to the glacier you will see condors flying, probably thousands of sheep been driven by the gauchos, ñandus (South American ostriches) and many other attractions.

The city of El Calafate itself is very nice, and from there you can continue on bus to Chile to visit the Torres del Paine national park, or the nearby city of Puerto Natales. There are direct bus services from El Calafate to Ushuaia (MARGA/TAQSAm, 12 hours travel) and also direct flights. On the other hand, Rio Gallegos is only 4 hours away by bus, and flights to Rio Gallegos are cheaper than those to El Calafate. Lodging at El Calafate is rather expensive. A single room at the Hostal del Glaciar Los Pioneros costs some 35 dollars, and a meal costs anythinbg between 7 and 20 dollars. So decide carefully where you intend to go and plan your travel and stay in advance. Here are some suggestions: Where to eat: Estilo Campo is a Chinese restaurant that includes barbecue and deserts for a flat rate of 7 dollars. Some other restaurants will charge you 14 dollars only for a serving of lamb. Breakfast costs at the very least 3 dollars for a cup of coffee and two croissants. You might want to consider staying at an hostel, where you can cook your own food. Prices at supermarkets are not expensive at all. If you are looking for a luxury hotel, Posada Los Alamos (5 stars) is beautiful and even has its own golf course. Have a look at their web page. Prices are in pesos (divide by 3 to have the equivalent in US Dollars and by 4 to have the price in Euros). www.posadalosalamos.com. An in-between hotel would be El Quijote (3 stars) but for paying their rates I would prefer the luxury of Posada Los Alamos for a little more. www.hotelguia.com/hoteles/quijote.

A cheaper option would be the Hostal del Glaciar El Libertador (quite nice) and the cheapest option I would recommend would be the hostal Los Pioneros. Both can be seen in this page: www.glaciar.com You can go to the Perito Moreno glacier on the bus (17 dollars for the round trip (Chalten Travel) or buy the alternative tour that includes navigation in front of the glacier for some 30 dollars. The bus trip to El Chaltén (also offered by Chaltén travel) costs some 35 dollars and is worthwhile, although I would recommend staying overnight at El Chaltén to enjoy the incredible beauty of Mount Fitz Roy and of the Viedma Glacier (there are local tours that take you there). It is up to you to decide if you want to go to the Upsala Glacier. The scenery is beautiful, you will navigate to a point where 3 glaciers meet, but the tour is rather expensive, some 70 to 100 dollars per person. Some 3 to 4 tours should be enough to explore the area, and probably then you will want to continue travel by bus to Puerto Madryn, to see whales and penguins, and then continue by bus to Bariloche, the South American Switzerland. Start planning your trip to Ushuaia and El Calafate. Your experience will be so fascinating that you will find it difficult to describe it in words... Welcome to Southern Patagonia