P A T A G O N I A ’24
Travelblog
Patagonia – the vast country in the south of Argentina and Chile was actually supposed to be our destination in 2020. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic intervened and we had to change our plans. In fall 2024, the time has now come and we are starting our exploration of the southernmost part of the American continent.
After a stopover in Buenos Aires, our round trip will start in Puerto Madryn near the Valdes Peninsula.
Our second stop will be Ushuaia – the southernmost city in America – and we will continue via El Chalten and El Calafate to Torres Del Peine National Park. Puerto Natales and the city of San Carlos de Bariloche are the final stops before returning home via Buenos Aires.
For the first time we are using a tour operator (Tourlane) and – also a novelty for us – we don’t have a rental car for the time being, which takes away some of our freedom. We will therefore have to hike to many sights.
Day 1 – 31 October 2024
At 2.30pm we took a taxi to the station. The train was only 15 minutes late (!). By the time we got to Frankfurt, it was 40 minutes longer.
No matter – we then had four hours at the airport. The baggage check-in now works (semi-) automatically, the Security check has also improved.
At the wine bar there was beer in plastic cups, which is a cultural decline in values. At the gate we were surprised at the prices for baguettes, soups etc. – inflation has literally reached cosmic proportions here.
Our 747 took off halfway on time and full – it was overbooked. The flight was bumpy. We had several bouts of turbulence. All the drinks here were shaken, not stirred.
Contrary to expectations, the dinner was really ok, as was the wine. Unfortunately, we didn’t get much sleep.
Day 2 – 1 November 2024
Due to the schedule, breakfast was served at 5.30 a.m. and was delicious – no comparison to Discover. We landed in Buenos Aires about 30 minutes late and got through customs and the baggage carousel quickly. As promised by Tourlane, a gentleman dressed in black was waiting for us in the hall with our name tags.
It is quite sunny and pleasantly warm at 26 degrees.
The journey to Carles Hotel took about an hour and took us through some suburbs with a few hundred of the ugliest tower blocks we had ever seen. Dilapidated facades, crooked windows, sagging air conditioning units, balconies that didn’t inspire much confidence and open-air wiring from roof to roof.
Things got better in the city centre. So far, we have seen a very peculiar mix of those very same dilapidated facades, beautiful baroque-style houses and modern, gleaming tower blocks – the latter mainly occupied by banks.
The Carles Hotel is quite central. We have a room on the 8th floor with dark colonial-style furniture and a huge bathroom. It all looks very nice. We now set off on our first tour of the neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, it has proved difficult to get cash here. Half of the ATMs don’t accept my credit card, the other spits out a maximum of 20,000 pesos (€20) and wants a fee of 12,000 pesos for it. It looks like we’ll have to try Western Union for the first time and send money ourselves. Unfortunately, Tourlane didn’t tell us this in advance. It makes you appreciate the freedom you have at home when dealing with money.
In the afternoon, we walked to the harbor and visited the local train station.
There is also creepy architecture in the better parts of the city.
In the evening we had dinner at La Parrilla, a small steakhouse around the corner. We had a hearty meat dish. Most of it was very good. Steffie even ate the black pudding, which I didn’t dare try. The poodle was not part of the inventory.
Day 3 – 2 November 2024
Today started with a bit of rain, but that didn’t bother us. The breakfast buffet was plentiful, but had a strong tendency to be sweet. But there was also bacon and scrambled eggs and, above all, good coffee.
There is a building site in front of the hotel, presumably due to a burst pipe. The hole is getting bigger all the time. But at least it was quiet at night.
At 9.00 a.m. we started our city tour (on foot) with our personal guide. Within almost six hours, we explored the Recoleta district and the city center. We learned a lot about historical and current politics.
The current president is particularly unpopular with students. However, opinion is actually quite balanced, as inflation has currently fallen to 3.5%.
We photographed some nice cops at the station.
From here we went to the Faculty of Law – the dimensions are worthy of a capital city.
In Recoleta, among many other sights, there is a 224-year-old rubber tree that has grown to enormous proportions. Many of its branches are now supported, one even by a statue.
However, the main attraction is certainly the local cemetery. María Eva Duarte de Perón („Evita“), former First Lady of Argentina who is still revered today for her high social commitment, is buried in one of the almost 4,800 mausoleums. The grave of the Duarte family is still adorned with flowers today.
We continued on to El Ateneo, the most beautiful bookshop in the world – or in South America – or at least in Argentina. The huge store is located in a former opera house. There is a café on the old stage and the boxes are for visitors to read. Anyone who loves books is sure to spend many hours in this place.
This huge building initially puzzled us. It is neither a museum, nor a university, nor a ministry, nor a residential building. In fact, in better times, a palace was built here, which housed the city’s waterworks.
Our tour continued a little further by subway and we ended up in the oldest subway station in South America (111 years old).
Directly above is the Plaza de Mayo. This square is located directly in front of the presidential palace. A pride parade took place here today.
The cathedral of Buenos Aires is located right next to the colorful hustle and bustle.
At the end of our tour, we visited the Palacio Libertad, the Palace of Culture, a huge building with a concert hall and various opportunities for exhibitions and art. The statue of freedom fighter Juana Azurduy is located directly in front of it.
One of the upper floors houses Evita’s former office, which can still be visited in its original state.
From here, we took the bus back to the hotel. We really enjoyed this tour and would like to thank our guide, Bruna Monserrat! We had never experienced this type of individual city tour before and would highly recommend it to others.
At 9.00 pm there was a tango show at the harbour Puerto Madero. El Querandi has been the first address for these shows since 1920. In addition to a good dinner, the evolution of the tango is shown here up close. The dance styles from the beginning to modern times are shown on a small stage, but sometimes also between the guests and even on the bar – with acrobatic interludes. The clothing and live music change to match the era. This is accompanied by a quartet of grand piano, bass, accordion and violin, with interludes of singing by older gentlemen with penetrating bass-baritone voices.
The hall is quite large and was full, but luckily we had good seats right by the stage. So the dancers were only a few meters away – and only a few centimetres for some of the figures.
Day 4 – 3 November 2024
Bus route 152 connects the central districts of Buenos Aires from north-east to south. There are a lot of places of interest here, so the buses on this line have particularly large windows without advertisement. This gives passengers a clear view.
Today we will use this line to explore La Bocca on our own. The former immigrant quarter is home to the world-famous soccer stadium of the same name and is now known for its colorful house facades, culture, gastronomy and art.
The bus took about 20 minutes to La Bocca. 200 m after the bus stop, the Caminito road began. It is very touristy here. Nevertheless, this part of town is worth a visit. The former port workers built wooden and corrugated iron huts here as emergency accommodation and painted them brightly – preferably in the colors blue, red, yellow and green. Even the paving stones are painted in these colors.
There are also many statues and pictures of celebrities here. Due to the proximity to the soccer stadium, these are mainly Maradona and Messi – followed at a distance by the Pope.
Today, this is a marketplace for art – mainly paintings by local artists – but also for souvenirs. There is also a bar or restaurant with an open charcoal grill every few meters. And there are a few pushy vendors here. The entire area consists of a handful of little streets. We were particularly taken with the roof terrace of the Grand Paraiso, a hodgepodge of different eateries. There was a cozy spot at the top of the roof. Here we drank a local beer (Quilmes) and watched the tourists haggle with the traders. However, the beer here is quite expensive (€6.60 for a small bottle) given the attractiveness of this place.
After a break at the port, we took the bus in the opposite direction and drove to the botanical gardens in the Palermo district. The park is beautifully planted and, although it is located in the middle of the city, offers quiet places to linger.
We returned in the afternoon and enjoyed our first empanadas in a café around the corner.
In the evening, we had empanadas again at La Torre de Retiro, which Bruna had recommended to us. The empanadas here were at least as good as the ones from the afternoon. But they were only a quarter of the price. Inflation is causing strange things to happen in this country.
On the way back to the hotel, we gathered a few more impressions of Buesis Aires at night.
Tomorrow we leave Buenos Aires and the Carles Hotel. We will stay here again on November 26.
Day 5 – 4 November 2024
After gathering many impressions in Buenos Aires, today we fly to Puerto Madryn. This ist a harbor town south of the Valdés Peninsula, which was originally built by Welsh emigrants. This is actually the beginning of Patagonia. The peninsula is a nature reserve. In addition to penguins and seals, whales can also be observed here.
…
Unfortunately, our flight to Trelew was canceled. So we spent the day at the airport and queued endlessly at the airline counter. Aerolineas Argentinas is on strike and most flights have been canceled. Pilots, service and ground staff are demanding 90% more pay. That sounds unrealistic by our standards. However, due to inflation, even the airline captains are now struggling to feed their families. In this respect, the situation is damn annoying but also understandable. We spent another night at the Carles Hotel.
Our stop in Puerto Madryn and the whale-watching tour had to be canceled. Instead, we fly directly to Ushuaia at 5.50 am on Tuesday, provided nothing else unforeseen happens. Instead of 29° C it will then be -2° C. Time to unpack our winter jackets – even though it’s summer here.
The only photos from today are the ones you don’t really want to see among your vacation photos:
Day 6 – 5 November 2024
We got up at 2.30am and were at the airport at 3.15am. We are still in good spirits that our flight will take place. Unfortunately, we have booked all future domestic flights with Aerolineas Argentinas …
Luckily, the plane picked us up and we landed on time in Ushuaia, the southernmost city you can find on maps. In the meantime, Latventure found us a hotel, the Hostal del Bosque. We left our large luggage here and went into town for breakfast. There is a café around the corner, the Dulce Pau – they had delicious sandwiches.
Afterwards, we went on a short tour of the city. The center of Ushuaia is 15 blocks wide and 7 blocks deep. Each block is about 100 x 100 meters. This makes it easy to navigate. However, the city is on a slope and you have to walk up a steep hill.
We looked at the Falklands War memorial and a few stores. We took some photos of the harbor and also photographed the first wild creatures.
Latventure has booked us a full-day excursion to Laguna Esmeralda for tomorrow. We leave at 8.30 am.
Tonight we have dinner at the Bodegón Fueguino.
Day 7 – 6 November 2024
Today started with sunshine. As soon as we got up, we could marvel at the white peaks of the surrounding mountains.
At around 10.00 am, we set off on a full-day tour to Laguna Esmeralda – the emerald-colored lagoon. We were accompanied by Sonia, our guide from Canal Fun. It is located at the end of a path that starts about 15 km north of Ushuaia in the middle of a basin. The lagoon is fed by glacier water.
The way there leads through a breathtaking landscape. Here we got our first impression of the vastness of this country. Unlike other mountains, such as the Alps, these mountains appear untouched and unapproachable.
On the way, we passed ponds that had been dammed by beaver dams – unfortunately, we didn’t see any beavers.
After about three hours, we reached the lagoon. We weren’t the only ones here with our group of seven, but it was still a magical moment.
For the tour, we walked about 5 km uphill over a stony, muddy track and then back again. It was quite manageable. We can highly recommend the organizer and the guide!
In the evening we went to Freddy’s Cantina for a Seafoof dinner. The food was really recommendable. We had mussels and a delicious paella, accompanied by a bottle of Chardonnay “Fin del Mundo”.
Steffie massacred small sea creatures.
Unfortunately, the bill was not as expected: The wine was charged at ARS 4,000 more than shown on the menu and, in addition, there was the bad habit, originating in the USA, of directly showing a 10% tip. We reduced the bill accordingly and won’t be going here again.
Finally, we took some night photos of Ushuaia.
Day 8 – 7 November 2024
After breakfast, we packed up and checked out. The “transfer” to the Alto Andino Hotel was on foot. The hotel is only 350 meters away. We stored our luggage here and walked to the water.
We actually wanted to go geocaching today, but didn’t find the first two caches. And there isn’t much choice in Ushuaia. That’s why we checked into our room first and then wanted to try again.
We had dinner again in the Bodegón Fueguino – this time tenderloin or lentil stew. The steak here is ridiculously cheap compared to Germany, but that’s not surprising.
After our meal, we took a few photos of the Ushuaia lettering. It changes color all the time – we liked the red one best.
Day 9 – 8 November 2024
The weather wasn’t nice at first today, but cleared up around 11.00 am. We decided to walk along the coast to the east. A cab took us out of the city and we soon found ourselves in a fantastic landscape. The forest could have come straight out of a fairy tale.
In some places it descends to the coast, where there are a few pebble beaches.
This is a view of the Beagle Channel, named after Charles Darwin’s ship, which sailed through this connection between the Atlantic and Pacific to the Galapagos Islands. On the other side lies Chile. The uninhabited islands belong to Argentina and were also fought over during the Falklands War. The Argentinian navy is currently training here.
There are plenty of birds here. They are not shy and probably don’t often see people.
This time we had dinner at the “Tante Sara” café in the city center. We had hamburgers and a beagle salad with salmon. Both were very good and we can recommend the place.
Afterwards, we went to a corner store to buy yogurt and were quite surprised at the local prices. A bar of milk chocolate here costs the equivalent of 5.60 euros and a small Toblerone 9 euros. Everything that is transported here by ship is quite expensive. We took two cold cans of beer with us (an “Imperial Lager” and a locally brewed “Beagle Czech Lager”) and drank them in the viewing lounge of our hotel with a good view over the city, the harbor and the canal.
Day 10 – 9 November 2024
Today is Steffie’s birthday and unfortunately the weather wasn’t birthday-appropriate at all. It was very cold and the day started with rain. We went on a boat trip across the Beagle Channel. With a group of 19 wet set off at 10.00 a.m. in a small boat (13 m). At least the rain stopped after a short time.
The guide gave us plenty of information about the history of the area on the way. Among other things, he told us about the Yámana, who lived here for at least six thousands years as hunters of sea lions and birds. The last Yámana who still spoke the indigenous language died two years ago. Our first stop was one of the larger Channel Islands, which is now uninhabited but was used by the tribe for accommodation.
There were plenty of birds to see on the tour, especially white cormorants flew close over the water.
They had formed colonies here on two small rocky islands and were nesting.
The birds collected algae from the water and used it to build their nests.
American sea lions were resting in a small group on a neighboring rock.
The only use of the islands today is a lighthouse, which makes a good photo motif in the atmospheric landscape.
This time we had dinner at the Dublin Pub, a very trendy location in Ushuaia. The reviews on Trip Advisor were somewhat ambivalent, but we wanted to give the place a chance and didn’t give it up.
The drinks were great – Negroni top, the cold beer was delicious (ok, we’ll leave APA for next time). The food was typical bar food but ok. We sat directly at the bar in front of a nice bartender. He was a bit concerned about sales but that’s his job.
The atmosphere and music were also okay. Unfortunately, there’s no Guinness here, but lots of other types of beer. You can certainly party here until the early hours of the morning.
Day 11 – 10 November 2024
Today we booked a half-day excursion to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Canal Fun picked us up at 8.50 am. The drive to the park takes about 20 minutes from Ushuaia. The park is right on the border with Chile.
Admission costs the equivalent of 40 euros per person, but it’s worth it. However, due to the vastness of the park, it would have been better to spend a whole day here or stay overnight. You can actually camp wild here. Without a car, however, you are in a bad position.
Our first stop was the Rio Lapataia, a river that widens into a lake here. This is where we actually found our first cache on Tierra del Fuego. At last!
In the background of the lake you can see a cave. This is the Murray Channel, which leads south directly into the Pacific.
We were able to observe the magellanic geese that are common here. They are almost always found in pairs, a white male and a brown female.
We drove on to Lago Roca. There are several mountains here, with Andean condors frequently circling around their peaks. We were very lucky, one of the birds flew directly over us several times.
Another stop was the end of the Panamericana, a road that runs more than 17,000 km from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. There is a sign here with which many tourists can be photographed. We didn’t take a photo of it, but we did take a photo of another sign, which is used to spread a little bit of lacal patriotism, even if it’s actually fake news.
At the end of the tour we had a wonderful view of the landscape and a great lunch. This is what the “end of the world” looks like in Argentina.
This was our third tour with Canal Fun and we can only recommend this service provider. We would definitely spend a few nights in this park if we were to visit again.
This time we had dinner at Küra 1900 – something healthy for a change, namely salad. It was accompanied by cold beer, which is also available here in 650 ccl glasses. The service was very nice and the location is cozy.
Day 12 – 11 November 2024
Today we want to go up to Glacier Marcial, a small glacier above Ushuaia. You can see it from the hotel, but it’s a longer hike. We took a cab to the hiking parking lot right next to the mountain station. From here, there are several routes on foot. We want to get as far up as possible. The cab driver warned us about the cold – and he was proved right.
The path was very steep right from the start and only had a few sections where you could relax a little. There were several wooden bridges that crossed a glacial river several times. The bridges were not very confidence-inspiring constructions, some with large holes in the planks.
Despite a slight haze, the view was good. You could see Ushuaia and the airport.
Just after the tree line, which is around 500 m above sea level, it became very windy and freezing cold. We covered the rest of the route wearing a hood and gloves. I realized that my gloves and pants needed to be better lined.
After about 4 km and 400 meters in altitude, we reached the glacier and took a break. Steffie walked a few more meters, but then reached a point from which you could only continue with snowshoes.
In terms of fitness, I was reasonably relaxed. The hike to the Torres del Peine will be about twice as long and cover around 900 meters in altitude. The average gradient will therefore be similar. That should be doable.
In this photo you can see the leaching glacier tongue flowing towards the valley.
After the descent, we stopped off at the Mountain Café for a hot chocolate. We returned to the town on foot and found two more geocaches next to the trail in the forest.
For dinner we went to Chiko, a Chilean seafood restaurant in the city center. We had calamari as a starter and then salmon sorrentinos or fettuchini frutti di mare, accompanied by an excellent Chardonnay. It was all very good but heavy, as it came with a creamy cheese sauce. So it’s a good thing that I set a new walking record today.
Day 13 – 12 November 2024
We left Ushuaia today. We liked the small town with its lively streets and we saw a lot here.
We were at the airport on time, through baggage check-in in 10 minutes and through security check after 30 minutes. The plane took off at 11.50 and after a good hour’s flight we landed in El Calafate – named after the Calafate plant.
A bus took us to the hotel in El Chalten. This is about 80 km away and lies on the northern shore of Lago Argentino. This is the largest lake in Argentina and is about three times the size of Lake Constance. The drive took us through a variety of mountain landscapes, with the mountains getting higher and higher as we approached the lake. We saw birds of prey again and also our first guanacos. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a good photo of them from the moving bus.
We arrived in El Chalten at around 5.00 pm. The whole place actually only exists to provide accommodation and food for the hiking tourists who want to get to Fitz Roy and the surrounding mountains. Accordingly, it is quite touristy here.
We stayed at Posada Lunajuim, a tranquil and rather simple hotel, but it offered everything we needed here. We had dinner at Banneton, a small bakery and pizzeria.
Day 14 – 13 November 2024
To the north of El Chalten is probably the most famous mountain in Argentina – the Fitz Roy. In front of it there is a glacial lake, both together create a similar motif to the Torres del Peine. This is where we wanted to go today. However, the tour is quite a challenge. It’s supposedly 10 km uphill and then the same route downhill again.
The first obstacle, however, was the long queue of people in front of the ticket office. You shouldn’t think that you can see mountains in Argentina for free. There is an Argentinean standing in front of every reasonably appealing motif and holding out his hand. If you say “Germany” when asked which country you come from, he holds out both hands. The stupid mountain tour cost €90!
After a tough climb, we arrived at Lago Capri after about two hours, a very pretty mountain lake, which we used for some photos and a break.
The path led partly through small ponds …
There is a campsite just before the steepest part of the route. Here we met this Southern Crested Caracara, a small bird of prey. He was looking for food on the ground. He was hardly shy of humans.
We decided to carry on and try the ascent. From the lake, it should be another six kilometers. The landscape was fantastic and we got quite close to the Fitz Roy, but we stopped after a good 10 kilometers. According to the returning tourists, it would have taken us another two and a half hours from there. Then we wouldn’t have made it back until it was dark. Unfortunately, my fitness wasn’t good enough. In the end, we were back at the hotel at around 5 p.m. and had covered more than 24 km (mountain) distance according to the GPS.
Day 15 – 14 November 2024
Today we took our time, had a good breakfast and bought something for lunch. We left El Chalten at around 10.00 am and headed east towards Laguna Torre. After about 2 km, I filled up my water bottle at a stream and put half a Micropur tablet in it. After 10 minutes, all the germs should be dead. It was easy to drink, without any chemical aftertaste. Let’s see if I’m still well in a few hours.
It really is a beautiful landscape here in the sun.
After 2.5 km we came to a viewpoint. Here we had our lunch and a break. The Tres Torres were clearly visible from here under the clouds. It looks bitterly cold in the photo.
Condors were also circling here, trying to gain height in the updrafts.
A little later we found a pond to our left, the spot next to the path was inviting and I decided to take some wildlife photos here.
After listening to a woodpecker working on “its” tree for about an hour, I set off in search of the bird and after a short time actually found it in a fork of a branch. It was a Magellan Woodpacker, looks like a little devil. He let me get within three meters of him and was not even irritated by the clicking of the camera. Perhaps the fat maggots he pulled out of the tree tasted too good. I was even able to take a short video.
We could still hear him hammering long after we had left the place. He had probably felled the tree in the meantime. Steffie went on to Laguna Torres and explored the area there.
We had dinner in a book café, La Esquina.
Day 16 – 15 November 2024
Today is a transfer day, we are picked up at around 4.30 p.m. and take the intercity bus to El Calafete.
After breakfast, we explored the area and walked in the direction of Rio Las Vueltas. The river has a high flow velocity and forms many islands and peninsulas here. In the area, we were insulted by two Quero Queros, who were obviously very annoyed by our presence. We already know this species of kibiz from Brazil, they are very aggressive. As the wide riverbank is apparently also a nesting area for birds, we left it again.
We had a hot chocolate at La Esquina and took a packed lunch with us. Then we planned the next few days at the hotel.
The bus picked us up on time. The journey took us through the fantastic, wide mountain landscape again in perfect weather, which unfortunately we couldn’t take any decent photos of from the bus. This is really annoying, especially as we won’t be coming back here any time soon.
We arrived at the Sierra Nevada Hotel in El Calafate at 7.30 p.m.
Day 17 – 16 November 2024
The Perito Moreno Glacier was on the agenda for today. The glacier is located on the eastern side of Lago Argentino. This is the largest lake in Argentina, about three times the size of Lake Constance. The Perito Moreno is one of the few glaciers that is still growing. It currently covers an area of around 250 km² and is 30 km long.
We were picked up on time and took the bus for about 2.5 hours to the national park. We saw a few vultures on the way. You can recognize the young animal by its still bright wings.
The glacier tongue runs directly towards a peninsula that divides Lago Argentina at this point. The front wall of the glacier is only a few meters away from the shore, sometimes it reaches the shore and dams up part of the lake at this point. The glacier tongue is in contact with the ground here and is pushed upwards as a result. The wall of ice reaches a height of 70 m here, to the left and right it is about 50 m high.
Ramps and stairs take you up several levels to viewing platforms from which you can see the glacier from above. The view is impressive. On the right you can see the upper course of Lago Argentino. The water here is light gray-green due to the sediment carried by the glacier. In the western part, where the sediments have settled, the lake becomes intensely turquoise.
After two hours of ice viewing, we went to the landing stage and took the catamaran to the left side of the glacier lake. Here we were able to view the ice wall from the water. The boatman kept a respectful distance from the edge of the glacier, as it calves several times a day and the breaking chunks of ice create waves of considerable height. Despite the distance, the view here was even more spectacular than from above.
After another hour on the boat, we headed back to El Calafate.
Here we had another experience for dinner: Pura Vida is right next to our hotel and is also a trendy bar in El Calafate. They serve beefstew in a pumpkin cut in half. We finished off with a first-class Negroni.
Day 18 – 17 November 2024
The night was short, we were picked up at 6.30 am. We took the off-road overland truck to Chile. It took us about four hours to get to the border. As we were sitting far behind the rear axle, we were given a good shake.
The border controls went quickly. Our luggage was scanned, for whatever reason.
Apart from us, it was a day trip for the other passengers. They drove back to El Calafate in the evening and weren’t back there until 9pm. The two guides did their best to keep the passengers happy and gave us a lot of information about the area.
Shortly after the border, we entered the Torres del Peine National Park. After a few photo stops, we arrived at the Hosteria Pehoe. This hotel is located on an island in Lago Pehoe, a glacial lake right next to the Torres del Peine massif. The location of the hotel is spectacular. To enter it, you have to cross a wooden bridge.
After checking in and unpacking, we made our way to our first viewpoint, the “Mirador Condor”. This is a very steep path up to the top of a small mountain (286 m). It is extremely windy here.
From here you have a view of a landscape that is simply breathtaking.
Keeping the camera straight for a short film was not easy in this wind.
Nearby is a campsite with a restaurant where we had dinner. On the way back, it was slowly getting dark and we could watch the sunset on the surrounding peaks.
Day 19 – 18 November 2024
We set off at around 9.00 a.m. and hiked to the “Mirador Salto Grande”. The Salto Grande is a waterfall from Nordernskjöld into Lago Pehoe.
The cascade is only a few meters high but still impressive. Here you can see it from a distance.
In the foreground a bird in front of the waterfall.
The Salto Grande up close.
It took us about an hour and a half to get here. We then continued on to another viewpoint, the “Mirador Cuernos” at the foot of the mountains of the Torres del Peine massif. On the way, we turned off and found a deserted bay with black sand directly in front of a small island. We took a short break here.
After four hours, we reached the Mirador Cuernos. The view over the turquoise lake to the mountains is indescribable and can hardly be captured in a photo.
We were back at the hotel around 6 p.m. and decided to have another meal at the Pehioe camping hotel. This time we had chicken with rice and a good Chardonnay.
Day 20 – 19 November 2024
Today we wanted to go on another boat tour – on Lago Pehoe. We set off for the landing stage at 10.00 a.m. with light luggage. It took about an hour to get there. Unfortunately, we had to wait as the next ferry wasn’t due to leave until 4.00 pm. We therefore walked back to “our” bay and took a longer break there to watch the birds.
At some point, the weather got worse and it started to rain a little. We walked back to the landing stage and took the boat to Peine Grande. The crossing across Lago Pehoe takes about 30 minutes. The trip was very windy.
From the boat we could see the three Torres del Peine in the sun.
Grande Peine is a kind of base camp for hardcore hikers. You can camp here, there is a small store and a few amenities. Here you meet real “mountain people”. The water supply here was provided by a dubious construction held together by cable ties.
At around 6.40 p.m., the boat headed back, this time in heavy rain. We were back at the hotel at around 8.00 pm.
Day 21 – 20 November 2024
We were picked up at the Hosteria Pehoe at 9.00 am. The drive took us through the part of the Torres del Peine National Park that we had not yet seen. Among other things, you could see the “inside” of the Torres del Peine from here.
On the drive to Puerto Natales, which took about two hours, we also saw lots of guanacos. Some of them jump over the fences and then get lost in the traffic.
Together with llamas (the domesticated form), alpacas and vicuñas, the animals are actually form one species – they are all interbreedable. They are related to camels. If they want to, they can reach astonishing speeds.
The same applies to ostriches. They live here in small groups on the extensive pastures. One of them ran alongside our bus and Steffie was able to film it. He probably could have overtaken us.
We arrived in Puerto Natales at around 11.00 am. This is a port city with just under 20,000 inhabitants on the Última Esperanza fjord in Chile. Here we stayed in the “Vinnhaus”, a small, very stylish hotel with baroque furnishings. After our stay in the mountains, it felt like a return to civilization.
We explored the city first. As in many other Chilean and Argentinian towns, there are a lot of dogs running around freely here. They seem well-fed and are generally friendly. They seek contact with people.
Puerto Natales is also somewhat touristy. There are many restaurants here. We couldn’t work out what this sign meant. We hope it means “sucking pig” – which is still a mystery to us.
On the promenade, we photographed the flying people and an old jetty, among other things.
Some of the buildings near the harbor are dilapidated, but still offer an atmospheric motif – such as this graffiti workshop.
We had dinner at La Disqueria, a seafood restaurant. There was live music and the best seafood we’ve had so far.
Day 22 – 21 November 2024
We started today with a longer tour of the city. Above our hotel there is a kind of city center with a few shopping centers – which are much smaller here than ours – and a small church.
In this part of the city there are also murals – paintings on the walls of houses. The largest work of art along a wall shows the development of the indigenous population of Patagonia from its beginnings around 14,000 years ago to its expulsion.
Later, we ended up at the industrial port and the waterfront promenade.
There were swans in the water, including offspring of a species unknown to us.
And we found other atmospheric motifs, such as this old footbridge.
Here we took a break and watched the passing boats and ships, including a small expedition cruise ship on its way to Antarctica.
After lunch at El Bote (home-brewed beer is served here) we visited the Historical Museum of Puerto Natales, one of the few places where the expulsion and murder of the indigenous population of Patagonia (Selk’nam and Kawesqar) – incidentally with the participation of German ranchers – is critically examined.
Day 23 – 22 November 2024
Unfortunately, our stay in Chile comes to an end today. We have certainly seen and experienced one of the most beautiful landscapes here. But today we are taking the overland bus back to Argentina. The photo shows Steffie at the Chilean border.
We arrived in El Calafate at around 2 p.m. and had a quick transfer to the Hotel Sierra Nevada – something we were already familiar with from our last stay.
El Calafate is located on the shores of Lago Argentino, at least in summer when the lake swells as the snow melts. Then the water goes right up to the promenade. At other times of the year, a coastal strip about one kilometer wide is not covered by water. Only small streams and ponds have formed on the meadows. In the background you can see the Isla Solitaria.
Wild horses graze here.
This place is also a favorite area for many bird species. We saw Quero Queros (this is a species of Kiebiz), Magellan geese and a chick that we couldn’t identify.
We had another excellent dinner right next door at Pura Vida.
Day 24 – 23 November 2024
Today we flew to San Carlos de Bariloche. The transfer arrived on time, but we still had two hotels to stop at before heading to the airport. The queue to check in our luggage was correspondingly long and despite the very quick security check, we made it to boarding just in time for the first time. The flight was quiet and we landed in Bariloche shortly after 11.00 am.
After about 20 km by transfer bus, we arrived at the Hotel Nido del Condor, a spa hotel with a whirlpool and fireplace in the room and a view of Lake Nahuel Huapi. So far, this has been our best hotel on this trip.
We haven’t seen any condors here yet, but we did see an ibis in the garden.
The town is nice, almost mediterranean. However, it has an unholy Nazi past. Erich Priebke lived here, former SS-Hauptsturmführer and involved in the shooting of 335 Italian hostages during the Second World War. He was arrested here in 1994.
His former house can now be visited as part of a historical Nazi tour of Bariloche.
Day 25 – 24 November 2024
Behind our hotel, a road leads into the mountains. There is a small lake there, Lago Guiterez. We drove there in a “cab”, actually a private vehicle without a taximeter, and took a hike into the mountains.
There are supposed to be cougars here – unfortunately we didn’t see any (or was it better that way?)
The first stop was the Cascadas, a double waterfall in the middle of the forest. Unfortunately, there were a lot of selfie-takers here.
Then we walked about a kilometer steeply uphill to the “Mirador Lago Guiterez”, a viewpoint on a mountain peak at 1,070 m above sea level. From here you have a great view of the surrounding mountains and lakes.
And there were ibises here too. These are funny birds that are hardly afraid of humans.
We walked most of the way back, which took a few hours but provided us with some beautiful photos.
On the way back, we took a break on the lakeshore and found a playmate. The little guy was also looking for cuddles.
Day 26 – 25 November 2024
We had booked a full-day excursion for our stay in Bariloche, the 7 Lakes Tour. It started at 9.00 am. We took the intercity bus once around Lake Nahuel Huapi and then into the mountains. The destination of the approximately 400-kilometre tour was San Martin de los Andes, a mountain village close to the Chilean border. The village is located on Lago Larca. On the way there, you pass six other lakes, where we made short stops – unfortunately not always in the places we would have preferred for photos. But the landscape was unique.
In San Martin de los Andes we had a delicious lunch and a short tour. The village itself doesn’t have much to offer, especially as all the stores were closed – siesta.
At the harbor we saw a large gathering of small birds of prey – vulture falcons or, as they are called here: chimango caracara. Never before have we seen birds of prey in such numbers. There must have been 30 birds. Gulls and pigeons didn’t have much to report here.
The birds are barely the size of a crow. They are food generalists and cultural followers. Accordingly, they had their sights set on a small feeding area with stalls. Some were fed by the tourists, others simply stole their food. The squawking was correspondingly loud – both from the birds and the tourists.
We drove back at around 2.30 pm. That was just right, because the weather was getting worse and we arrived at the hotel at around 7 p.m. in pouring rain.
Day 27 – 26 November 2024
Our vacation is coming to an end. Today we are heading back to Buenos Aires. The night was short, we were picked up at 6.30 am and were at the airport at 7.00 am. Ten minutes later we were sitting in the cafeteria, with baggage check-in, check-in and security check already behind us. That was definitely a record.
We landed in Buenos Aires 20 minutes ahead of schedule at 11.20 a.m. and drove to the Carles Hotel, which we already knew.
We spent the afternoon walking around the city in the sunny weather. Among other things, we went back to El Alteneo, a wonderful bookshop with a café. There is a huge vinyl department with records on the ground floor. Even compact cassettes are still sold here. Fans of vintage hi-fi will get their money’s worth here.
On the way back, we passed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, after Javier Milei halved the number of ministries, is now also the Ministry of Economy and Culture. That would be an idea for streamlining the German civil service.
We had dinner at Huacho, a small restaurant on Esmeralda Av. that we highly recommend! They serve an excellent 400g ribeye and a tenderloin just as good. The scampi cocktail as a starter was also great.
Day 28 – 27 November 2024
Today we have to leave Argentina. At 5.50 p.m. local time, the plane leaves back to cold Germany. It’s currently 25 °C here, compared to just 7 °C at home. That will be a change …
We arrived at the airport on time and still had plenty of time for a second breakfast.
The flight was turbulent, just like the outward flight. We also had two two-year-old girls (twins) in the row of seats behind us, who frequently switched on the siren. So it was almost impossible to sleep.
The aircraft arrived 30 minutes ahead of time in Frankfurt and even Deutsche Bahn was punctual for once, so we were back home by 6.00 pm.