Patagonia oeste

There are few experiences more “adventurous” than traveling through Patagonia along the Andes, between Argentina and Chile, on National Route 40

In this never-ending road movie, you’ll encounter all kinds of characters traveling along the route in every imaginable way: my Polish travel companion who gets around by hitchhiking; the woman who travels from truck to truck, receiving nothing but indecent proposals along the way; or those of us who spent Christmas Day stuck in the mud in the middle of nowhere 😓

From El Bolsón to El Calafate: 1,300 kilometers of steppe, freedom, and colorful people

MY TRIP THROUGH PATAGONIA: EL BOLSON

First stop on my trip through Patagonia: El Bolsón, a sort of hippie town. This is evident on one of its main streets, where a few people have set up camp—apparently on a permanent basis—to voice a wide variety of demands.

One of the best signs read: “No alcohol, drugs, or hate allowed”… I don’t know if hate got in, but as for the rest… no comment. Another interesting thing is that the town’s stores—of any kind—don’t give you plastic bags to avoid pollution; everything is very eco-friendly here…

But people don't come to El Bolsón to use drugs or drink alcohol (or do they? 😛)—they come to enjoy the trails and mountains that surround it. In fact, it has a vast network of mountain huts connected in such a way that you can plan various routes by hopping from one to the next

There are two types of trails: the mountain trails, which lead to the mountain huts, and the easier trails that take you mainly to areas near the Río Azul Valley; for the former, you must register before setting out at the Mountain Office located in Plaza Pagano (next to the Tourist Office), while the latter can be hiked freely.

Needless to say, I only went on the easy ones 😛; at the Mountain Office, they give you maps that are pretty useful, though the trails are also very well marked. Here’s a map with a few of them

The most typical trail is the one that takes you through Cabeza del Indio to the Cascada Escondida; neither place is particularly spectacular, but the walk is enjoyable.

It’s a short hike (about 16 km round trip) and not very steep; as you leave town, an information sign gives you the option to take the “steep climb” or the “Barrio Usina” route. Both involve an uphill climb, but the first follows the road, while the second takes you directly through the forest, where you can enjoy nature. Halfway there, you can take a detour to any of the campgrounds along the Río Azul (follow the sign that says “Costa del Río Azul,” 6 km further round trip) and hang out for a while near the river. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

If you have some extra time—and money—you can take a bus for 20 pesos to visit Lago Pueno National Park (entrance fee: 150 pesos). Buses leave every 30 minutes from the corner of Avenida San Martín and Calle Dorrego.

Once you're there, they offer the typical boat tours to explore the lake or even cross over to Chile; there are also a couple of short trails, one of which ends at a lookout point. Here's a map of the trails and main points of interest.

When you've had enough of all that walking, El Bolsón hosts a fair where all the products on offer must be handmade. Food, crafts, clothing… it's definitely worth a visit, and it's open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Several hitchhikers are gathered at the exit from El Bolsón. No wonder—a ticket to El Chaltén costs about 2,100 pesos, which is outrageous…

By the way, here's their official website: https://www.elbolson.com

EL CHALTEN

We continued on my trip through Patagonia, and after I don't know how many hours on the bus, I arrived in El Chalten.

It’s 9:00 a.m. at a random hostel. A sea of people pours out of it in droves, clad in their expensive mountaineering gear, their faces smeared with white sunscreen, and their eyes gleaming with eagerness for the trail…

This is what a typical day is like in El Chalten, Argentina's “National Hiking Capital.” We've come here to visit Los Glaciares National Park.

The northern part of the vast Glacier National Park can be explored from this small town nestled in a valley and devoted body and soul to mountaineering, offering some of the world’s most spectacular hiking trails for all skill levels: from a simple 6-km round-trip walk to the Chorrillo del Salto waterfall

all the way to the steep ascent to Fitz Roy and its 3,405 meters

As soon as you arrive at the bus station, pick up one of the very useful trail maps available for free at the tourist office and choose the one that best suits your skill level.

An important tip: If you have time, come to El Chalten only after you’ve made sure the weather will be good. The town is really just a tiny main street with restaurants, cafes, and travel agencies—and not much else… There’s nothing to do here if it starts to rain and you can’t go out into the mountains.

And now all that's left to do is enjoy the hike you've chosen; the trails are well-maintained, clearly marked, and clean, and it's a real pleasure to walk here, with scenery that's nothing short of breathtaking

By the way, I can't help but mention one of the things that struck me the most about Patagonia: the influx of Israeli kids. They come in huge groups and fill room after room….

They’re the most closed-off group of travelers I’ve encountered in my 21 years of traveling. They only talk to each other. For example, a girl came into my room with the front desk clerk, looked at me (without even saying hello), and asked him in English, pointing at me, “Is he Israeli?” When he told her no, she didn’t speak to me at all during the two days we were there. A real charmer.

One of them, who was quite friendly, explained to me that they like to talk only among themselves “because they get each other’s jokes” and that they don’t feel quite as comfortable with “foreigners.” Well, there you have it…

EL CALAFATE

A 3½-hour bus ride—and 450 pesos—is all it takes to get from El Chalten to El Calafate; unfortunately, this was the last leg of my trip through Patagonia

El Calafate is your typical “one-attraction town.” It’s true that the many tour agencies on its main street will offer you all kinds of activities—mountain biking, some hiking—but when it comes down to it, we all come here to see the Perito Moreno Glacier, in the southern part of Los Glaciares National Park.

Don't even think about booking a tour (hey, we're exploring Patagonia on our own, right?), and in fact, you can get there by bus from the station (450 pesos, about 75 minutes), paying the National Park entrance fee (330 pesos) along the way.

Your admission ticket includes access to the various trails that run north to south along the glacier: above it, below it, from the coast… it’s amazing

In addition, you can sign up for two other activities: the boat tour and the glacier hike. I didn't do either of them, but here's the information:

It seems you can book the boat tour on the spot at the park itself (350 pesos). From what I saw, the boat gets close—but not too close—to the glacier. It must be an amazing moment if you happen to be on one of these boats when a piece of the glacier breaks off, but you’d have to be very lucky for that to happen… Anyway, since I haven’t done it myself, I’m not sure if it’s a must-do on your visit to the glacier.

There are two types of hikes: the short one (1,400 pesos) and the long one (4,000). You have to book them in advance (as of December 30, 2016, for example, the only available spots were for dates starting January 7, 2017), and everyone I asked told me it was well worth it….

Or you can just take a stroll along the boardwalks and snap as many spectacular photos as you like

If anyone would like more information, here is their official website: https://www.elcalafate.tur.ar

As you can see, traveling through Patagonia on your own is tough (lots of hours on the bus) but amazing… We’ll have to go back someday, but this time on the Chilean side.

Whether you liked this post (or not) or if you have any additional information to share, please leave a comment!!

And to learn a little more about Argentina: https://999millas.net/category/paises/argentina/

Texto y fotos : Mike !