Discovering Patagonia

The story

TRIP TO PATAGONIA (ARGENTINA AND CHILE) FROM 19 DECEMBER 2006 TO 5 JANUARY 2007

The trip was made over the Christmas–New Year period, when the season in Argentina and Chile is high summer; naturally, however, southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego in particular are at the latitudes of our Scandinavia, so although the days were in full daylight, the temperature was very low. The exception to this rule is the Valdés Peninsula, where people were bathing in the sea on the beaches.

The details of the trip do not include the part made aboard the ship Via Australis in the Argentine and Chilean fjords, which is described in a separate tale (country: Chile).

19/12 - FLORENCE – BUENOS AIRES

Departure from Florence airport, Florence – Frankfurt flight, change of aircraft in Frankfurt and late-evening departure for Buenos Aires (via São Paulo).

20/12 - BUENOS AIRES

Tour of the Argentine capital with an Italian-speaking guide; Buenos Aires is a chaotic, extremely lively but very interesting city; its architecture has taken on a very European stamp: broad tree-lined avenues and large monumental buildings make it resemble some historic districts of Paris: the city tour includes some of the finest views of the capital: the sumptuous "La Recoleta" district and Palermo park, the Costanera and the Rio de la Plata, the majestic Teatro Colón (the most important for opera in all Latin America), the Congress, the Cabildo (former seat of the Spanish viceroy), the Casa Rosada, the current seat of the President of the Republic; finally the old San Telmo district (where an interesting antiques market is held on Sundays) and the extremely colourful Boca, the port area of Italian immigrants where tango is danced in the street.

21/12 - BUENOS AIRES

Excursion by coach and tourist train to the village of San Isidro and Puerto de Tigre; here we board a boat that took us along the canal opening onto the Rio de la Plata; return to Buenos Aires by boat.

22/12 - BUENOS AIRES – USHUAIA (Tierra del Fuego) Buenos Aires – Ushuaia flight tour of the town with an Italian-speaking guide and of the Museo del Fin del Mundo

The town stands facing the Beagle Channel and the Navarino and Hoste islands (already in Chilean territory); it hosts a large naval base and is also the departure point for voyages to Antarctica; the interesting Museo del Fin del Mundo lets you observe finds from the now extinct indigenous civilisations and historic objects of the colonisers.

23/12 - USHUAIA

visit to the Tierra del Fuego National Park, which, a short distance from the town, is reached by the "train of the end of the world". On arrival you observe the typical "Fuegian" vegetation with immense beech forests and various species of animals. in the afternoon boarding the Via Australis

24-26/12 - SAILING VIA AUSTRALIS SEE SEPARATE TALE (CHILE)

27/12 - VIA AUSTRALIS – PUNTA ARENAS – TORRES DEL PAINE Late in the morning docking at Punta Arenas (Chile) (the most important in southern Chilean Patagonia) and disembarking from the ship; transfer by scheduled bus and private vehicle to the Torres del Paine National Park (via Puerto Natales)

28/12 - TORRES DEL PAINE

Created in 1959, it represents one of the most spectacular natural areas of South America; from a valley bottom practically at sea level, rocky peaks rise to more than 3,000 metres; the environment is pleasant and full of appealing views, in the tangle of beech forests, bright blue lakes, waterfalls and rushing streams, imposing rock walls; the wildlife is varied and easy to spot: guanacos and foxes, condors and eagles, flamingos and black-necked swans (a very rare species) populate the park in great numbers. Among the most spectacular spots: Lake Nordenskjöld, at the foot of the Cuernos del Paine, the Salto Grande (a beautiful waterfall), Lake Pehoé and Lake Grey with its spectacular glacier.

Excursion to Lake Grey where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the glacier of the same name as it descends into the lake itself.

29/12 - TORRES DEL PAINE – EL CALAFATE transfer by private vehicle and scheduled bus to El Calafate, with a change at the Cerro Castillo pass

Afternoon in the town centre for very convenient shopping.

30/12 - EL CALAFATE (Perito Moreno)

Full-day excursion to the Perito Moreno glacier

This is the best-known glacier in Patagonia and certainly one of the most famous and distinctive in the world; it offers its visitors a front of over 4 km and a wall of ice rising more than 60-70 metres above the surface of Lake Argentino: one of the last, day after day it advances, making huge glacial structures as tall as ten-storey buildings collapse continuously and spectacularly; the glacier is about 80 km from the town, the road is unpaved but very good and along the way there are some interesting points to see! Here we had final proof that the saying "a day in Patagonia is like the 4 seasons" is true; indeed we went from autumn-like weather in the early morning to rain, snow, hail and winter fog at lunchtime, then the first spring clearings and in the early afternoon a beautiful, very warm sun! Fortunately the optional boat excursion that approaches the glacier wall (very spectacul

ar) — which in the morning was full — we did it, and so on a beautiful day, taking dozens of photos!

31/12 - EL CALAFATE – TRELEW - PUERTO MADRYN Calafate - Trelew and transfer to Puerto Madryn on the Valdés Peninsula; the town is a veritable marine station and the season allowed bathing in the sea. Fish dinner (black hake from the Falkland Islands) to round off the year!

01/01/2007 - VALDÉS PENINSULA

visit to the Valdés Peninsula

This area is one of the most spectacular in Patagonia and represents a great nature reserve where various species of animals live undisturbed: penguins, sea lions and elephant seals, whales (present from May to early December, which in fact we didn't see), orcas, armadillos, rheas, guanacos and many others; most of these species, depending on the period, find here the ideal environment for mating and breeding, and every year you can admire the various colonies from very close range. In particular we saw the elephant seals at the Punta Delgado lighthouse and the sea lions at Puerto Pirámide, though without being able to take the boat excursion because of the rough sea caused by the wind!

02/01 - PUERTO MADRYN – VALDÉS PENINSULA

visit to the penguin colony of Punta Tombo

Over a vast area linked to the sea by a long beach, every year in mid-September hundreds of thousands of pairs of Magellanic penguins arrive to breed and raise their chicks, with which they then return northwards (as far as the coasts of Brazil, to follow the fish-rich currents) around mid-April; we were able to visit this colony at length and observe and photograph a great many penguins, which in turn come close, curious, with their funny waddle. On returning to Puerto Madryn we visited a typical Welsh village populated by these Europeans after a 19th-century emigration.