Popular Topics

Trip Report

Chile, Argentina, Patagonia 3 Week Itinerary

Multi-generational vacation where we hiked, visited wineries, and ate amazing food. Our 3 week Patagonia itinerary included both Chile and Argentina.

  • Valparaiso+ 2
  • Kayaking Petite Moreno Glacier
  • Patagonia Camp
  • Chile, Argentina, Patagonia 3 Week Itinerary
luannb
About Me:I'm an active traveler! read more

South AmericaArgentina, Chile20 days / January 2018

Highs & Lows

Alparaíso was a delightful discovery, great street art, amazing seafood and festive atmosphere.

Renting an all-electric car in Chile, but only 3 chargers in the country!

Itinerary Overview

  • 2 Nights: Buenos Aires
    Jet lag recovery time and exploring Palermo.
  • 1 Night: Misiones Province
    Iguazu Falls
  • 3 Nights: Buenos Aires
    Exploration of the city with a foodie.
  • 3 Nights: El Chaltén
    Hiking, fishing and exploring the area
  • 2 Nights: El Calafate
    Kayaking the Petite Moreno glacier
  • 3 Nights: Magallanes Province
    Hiking and kayaking Los Glaciares National Park
  • 2 Nights: Santiago
    City exploration
  • 1 Night: Casablanca
    Vineyard touring and wine tasting
  • 1 Night: Valparaíso
    Discover/explore Valparaiso
  • 2 Nights: Zapallar
    Exploration of the town.
Buenos Aires - Jet lag recovery time and exploring Palermo.
1

Buenos Aires Jet lag recovery time and exploring Palermo.

Dinner at Lo de Jesus, very old world dining experience with professional waiter in crisp white shirt, crowded tables and good food.

Il Quotilion for lunch in upstairs dining space with the locals as they took their late-afternoon meal.

After 2 nights, flew to Iguazu Falls from Buenos Aires National airport: 20 minutes from hotel, much closer than international airport.

Misiones Province - Iguazu Falls
2

Misiones Province Iguazu Falls

First afternoon: guided excursion on the Argentine side of the falls with its extensive trail system and multiple views of the different falls that make Iguazu one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Next morning: walked the path to the visitor area to view Devil’s Throat, a spectacular ring of waterfalls. Had 30 minutes before the crowds arrived on the train. Took tram back to a stop near hotel.

 Argentine side of Iguazu Falls with metal grated walkways, jungle all around, falls were spectacular and we were often so close as to be soaked by the spray. Monkey, coatimundi, golden orb spiders, lots of butterflies, noisy cicadas, many birds.

Try to get to park before it opens to minimize crowd exposure, in afternoon it is hot, humid, crowded with tourists. Staying in park allowed us to deal with crowds, recover from heat and crowds, maximizing the park in a 1-night trip.

Buenos Aires - Exploration of the city with a foodie.
3

Buenos Aires Exploration of the city with a foodie.

Family friends arrive, parents and adult daughter (a “foodie”) definitely improved our dining choices! Explored city on foot as well as guided tour in van.

We wandered the streets, main square in the Centro, San Telmo market: teeming with people, produce, food, crafts and antiques, wonderful place to watch people (and your pockets!)

Cemetery with Evita tomb and various family tombs, tombs of presidents, caskets often down stairs into crypts, some with altars, many different styles. Lots of legends such as ‘woman in white” and tomb with husband and wife facing away from one another

Plaza de Mayo square, office of the president, where the grandmothers march for the disappeared every week, The Casa Rosada, the balcony from which Evita addressed millions, the Spanish colonial buildings.


We toured the Pope’s cathedral and view gorgeous tile floors
Colon Theater tour with yellow, pink and maroon marble, gold room like Versailles, area around the chandelier in the main performance area for the “voices of god” or orchestra music from ceiling
La Boca, the first neighborhood of- Buenos Aires where the rich and poor shared the same streets (right up until a yellow fever epidemic killed thousands and the rich abandoned their homes and moved north to the Recoleta area). La Boca is known for its  small brightly colored houses with metal sidings, “tough” street life near the port and being the home of the birth of tango. 

Notorious jazz and dinner club. Perfect spot with live music and much more fun than an overpriced late Tango show.

Dinner at Carniceria back in the Palermo District. It was a hip version of a Parrilla with huge chunks of meat and various sides and the expected excellent Malbec.

Cafe Notables historic coffee shops

El Obrero in La Boca for dinner. What a fabulous experience! 25 foot tall ceilings, soccer memorabilia on the walls, delicious food (veggies, calamari, sirloin steak, tortilla Espanol and lots of Malbec).

El Chaltén - Hiking, fishing and exploring the area
4

El Chaltén Hiking, fishing and exploring the area

Flight to El Calafate then drive three hours along lake and through steppes to El Chalten. 

El Chalten is a very new town built in 1985. Some of the structures are quite charming, traditional wooden Argentine structures, while many are half-finished and/or half-realized. The general attire is “outdoors sport” with a dash of Rastafarian and a good coating of dirt.

• Van ride to start of hike along river to Hosteria El Pilar, about a 25 minute drive from El Chalten. Started hike around 8:00 on flat trail to begin trek to the base of Fitzroy (about 7.5 hours roundtrip if you go all the way to the base at Laguna de los Tres.) Stunning hike, amazing views.

• Fishing on Rio de Las Vueltas or Lago del Desierto

• Hike to Laguna del Torres, 12-mile round trip hike. The trails were much emptier than the trail to Lagos de los Tres. The first 1/2 hour - 45 minutes rapidly gained altitude, but the way became rolling, relatively-shaded and quite empty after the first lookout. The final stretch was a moon-scape through erratics on a rocky trail. The lake hike provided a completely different view of Fitz Roy and its neighbors, as well as another glacier. A pair of black-chested buzzard eagles (Aguila Mora) begged treats from hikers as they enjoyed views of the lake dotted with icebergs.

Food stops:

  • Califate sorbet (like huckleberry), El Chalten ice cream
  • Lots of good, low-key, economical restaurants throughout town.
El Calafate - Kayaking the Petite Moreno glacier
5

El Calafate Kayaking the Petite Moreno glacier

We retraced our route along the lakes to El Califate. The steppes appeared empty, but with practice one could spy Lesser Rheas (like ostrich) and Guanacos (like llamas). Once in awhile a rider would appear or herds of horses, less often one would see a house.

• Los Glaciares National Park. The first stop provided a great perspective of the Petite Moreno glacier under a leaden sky. It was hard to truly absorb the size of the ice wall and length of the field, but one could not miss the grandeur. Perito Moreno is the only Argentine glacier that is neither advancing nor retreating, but seems to be replenishing itself as the front edges crumble and fall into the lake. 
• Kayaking near the most active glacier in Argentina. Kayak company provided polar fleece “long John’s”, dry suits,  waterproof boots, spray skirts and PFD’s and instructions as to the proper method of donning the attire. Guides launched us out into the waters dotted with ice bergs and undulating with wind-driven white capped waves of Lago Argentino with a  caution to stay 500 meters from the glacial cliff. Watched a huge portion of one ice column collapse into the lake: sent clouds of pulverized ice into the air with a loud crack and crashing, and the plunge of the materials resulted in a massive rolling swell. What an amazing perspective and opportunity. The wind whipped up some significant rollers, some washing over our boats and spray skirts, but our equipment kept us warm and dry on the return trip.

We also had dinner at Isabel’s.

Magallanes Province - Hiking and kayaking Los Glaciares National Park
6

Magallanes Province Hiking and kayaking Los Glaciares National Park

Retraced our route along the lakes to El Califate. The steps appeared empty, but with practice one could spy Lesser Rheas (like ostrich) and Guanacos (like llamas). Once in awhile a rider would appear or herds of horses, less often one would see a house.

• Los Glaciares National Park. The first stop provided a great perspective of the Petite Moreno glacier under a leaden sky. It was hard to truly absorb the size of the ice wall and length of the field, but one could not miss the grandeur. Perito Moreno is the only Argentine glacier that is neither advancing nor retreating, but seems to be replenishing itself as the front edges crumble and fall into the lake. 
• Kayaking near the most active glacier in Argentina. Kayak company provided polar fleece “long John’s”, dry suits,  waterproof boots, spray skirts and PFD’s and instructions as to the proper method of donning the attire. Guides launched us out into the waters dotted with ice bergs and undulating with wind-driven white capped waves of Lago Argentino with a  caution to stay 500 meters from the glacial cliff. Watched a huge portion of one ice column collapse into the lake: sent clouds of pulverized ice into the air with a loud crack and crashing, and the plunge of the materials resulted in a massive rolling swell. What an amazing perspective and opportunity. The wind whipped up some significant rollers, some washing over our boats and spray skirts, but our equipment kept us warm and dry on the return trip.

Dinner at Isabel’s

Santiago - City exploration
7

Santiago City exploration

• Central market on foot. The market is in a series of old buildings with detailed iron work. HUGE is an understatement. We start with fish followed by olives and pickled veggies, fruit, nuts, merken (purchased), avocados, huge ears of corn and every other kind of fresh vegetable imaginable.

• Bellavista to visit one of Pablo Naruda’s three houses. This one was shared with his last mistress/wife, Matilda. It eas damaged by Pinochet government shortly after the coup in 1973 but has now been beautifully restored.

• Barrios Lastarria and Paris y Londres, La Moneda (Presidential Palace), the Plaza de Armas, and the Mercado Central.

• Santa Lucia Hill, which marks the spot where conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago

Pisco Nation for casual drinks and food

Peumayen for unique presentation of multiple courses of local, Peruvian/Mapuche breads, vegetables and dips...all exotic and delicious. Has published its own beautiful book on “localvore” ingredients and cuisine (not a cookbook, however.)

Casablanca - Vineyard touring and wine tasting
8

Casablanca Vineyard touring and wine tasting

Drive through several tunnels to the Casablanca Valley, just east of Santiago between the coast range and the sea. The weather is dry but cooler and the area is largely agricultural. Vineyards crisscross the hillsides and the morning sea breeze is welcome under the sun. Feels like Napa, CA.

After one night, our friends departed and we were again traveling on our own, more flexible explorations and fewer planned activities.

• Emiliana vineyard, a biodynamic winery owned by Concha e Toro, a massive winemaker that may have been one of the first Chilean wine exported to the US. A charming guide takes us on a tour and explains how chemicals are replaced by plants, bugs, chickens and alpacas to nurture a better (but more expensive!) product (inspired Austrian, Steiner.) Also interesting was the commitment to social justice and amenities for the employees of the winery.
• Rent TREK bikes and ride the back roads.

• Lunch location, Loma Larga, Named “Winery of the Year 2011” by Wine & Spirits magazine. This winery was also expansive, followed the biodynamic methodology, but did not seek certification in order to allow more flexibility in preparing their product.

• Horseback riding on Patagonia pony mixes with typical Patagonia tack and our own chaps. The horses were steady and beautiful, clopping through beautiful fields and vineyards as the day steadily got warmer and warmer. Our final destination was the winery facility on the top of the hill, where we viewed the tanks and barrels in beautifully-designed facilities.

Dinner at hotel was excellent.

Lunch at main restaurant of hotel. Wine pairings with tuna carpaccio, abalone/asparagus risotto, lamb and corn purée and dessert.

Valparaíso - Discover/explore Valparaiso
9

Valparaíso Discover/explore Valparaiso

We walked towards the harbor, took a funicular to the square and weekend market. Great trio of women musicians and craft booths. Visited bright boats in front of navy ships. Climbed hill to view murals and graffiti, visit art galleries and take pictures of quaint cobblestone streets, ornate buildings and wood hostels. Charming, charming, charming.

Dinner at Fauna restaurant overlooking harbor/city

Zapallar - Exploration of the town.
10

Zapallar Exploration of the town.

• Walked along the Rambla into town. We passed the fishing dock and headed out to the cerro (hill/peninsula) just to the south. Stunning 360 degree views abound. The granite hill is covered in succulents and cacti with a single large evergreen at the top. The views back to the bay and out to the ocean are unbelievable. Waves crash while gulls and pelicans swirl overhead. Simply magical!
• Drive to La Ligua

• Hike the Rambla again, along the curving beach, behind last night’s restaurant, past the mounded outcropping that was yesterday’s scramble, and along the stone path paralleling the crashing surf. The sea seemed more calm than prior days but there were several places with dramatic breaks. Watching was mesmerizing and entertaining.

Great ending to our travels, even with the stress of finding place to charge our electric car. A few hours drive to Santiago to catch flight home.

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    Enjoyed the upscale hotels selected by our friends but would have preferred more mid-range options and more time for wandering and getting lost.
  • Tips you would give a friend?

    Argentina is economically stressed: 50% inflation last year. Translates to a more stressed culture: people working multiple jobs and still loosing economic ground. More caution needed for tourists to watch bags, pickpockets, fake money. Chile is markedly more relaxed with a very healthy economy; feeling on the streets reflects their good fortune.
  • Transportation Tips?

    We rented an all-electric car in Chile, but only 3 chargers in the country!!
  • Packing tips?

    In Patagonia, be prepared for any kind of weather as it continues to shift dramatically all day. Layer, layer, layer. Rain pants and jacket a must, hiking poles advised. Winds can be fierce. We packed hiking boots which took up a lot of space but only used them in Patagonia. Outdoor gear can be purchased in country.
  • Restaurant recommendations?

    Meat in Argentina is as touted: excellent. Portions are huge. We are not huge meat-eaters, however, so usually ordered one main dish for the two of us. Preferred seafood on Chilean coast. Go to markets and load up on local spices. Merken is a traditional Chilean seasoning created by the indigenous Mapuche people. Learn to make Chimichurri, an uncooked sauce used for grilled meat; it comes in a green version (chimichurri verde) and a red version (chimichurri rojo).
  • Booking details?

    This was a custom itinerary planned by our friends. Normally we would travel a bit “lighter” and be a bit less structured. That said, it was terrific. Vaya Adventures Gabrielle Venturi gventuri@vayaadventures.com (510) 269-4292 South America Travel Specialists Berkeley, CA 94704

Lodging

  • Hotel Legado Mitico - Boutique hotel located in the center of the fashionable Palermo. Great lobby. Remodeled by architect owners in last 10 years. Classy. Breakfast buffet in lobby.

  • Hotel Melia - Newly-remodeled Sheraton now owned by Emerati billionaire, the only hotel in park with view of falls and misty gorge. Nice interior design of an old structure. Beautiful infinity pool, nice spa and workout area, oddly-antiseptic dining room, great decks and bar. Allows great access to park, evening/early morning views of misty falls from room balcony.

  • Alvear Hotel - Recoleta district. Pretty upscale for us mere mortals, but appreciate the lovely room, immense marble bathroom with 5 fixtures, in-house gym, pool and sunbathing rooftop deck.

  • Hosteria Los Sendaros - Smallish lodge with beamed ceilings and local weaving inspired by the Patagonian farms of the 1920’s within Los Glaciares National Park.

  • Xelena Hotel - Hotel was nice but without distinctive character and located across road from the expansive Lake Patagonia. Medium walk into town of El Califate with a real vacation-vibe. Best part was their outdoor restaurant on the lawn with chefs preparing lunch on outdoor grill.

  • Patagonia Camp-Hotel was nice but without distinctive character and located across road from the expansive Lake Patagonia. Medium walk into town of El Califate with a real vacation-vibe. Best part was their outdoor restaurant on the lawn with chefs preparing lunch on outdoor grill.