What’s the most beautiful place in Patagonia? It’s an impossible question to answer of course—this is one of the most stunning regions of the world, with incredible views around every corner—but we know that there are some vistas that win our hearts time and time again.
To find out which views are the best in Patagonia, we asked our greatest experts: the guide who lead our Swoop Group Tours, who spend every day introducing visitors to their wild home. What views do they never tire of seeing?
The Paine Massif, Torres del Paine
The Paine Massif appearing in the distance on a clear day. Even after seeing it many times, there’s still a little moment of excitement when the clouds open and those mountains suddenly dominate the horizon. It’s one of those views that photographs can prepare you for, but never completely reproduce.
– Zaira Pared, Swoop Tour Leader
How to experience the Paine Massif
It’s no surprise that many of our tour leaders voted for the Paine Massif as their favourite view in Patagonia, but Francisco really particularly captures the excitement of seeing it approach on the horizon – whether you’re driving in from Puerto Natales, or having just crossed the border from Los Glaciares National Park, or waking up in a hotel or glamping site in Serrano Village, where the Massif stands proud on the horizon.
All of Swoop’s Group Tours, as well as our tailored trips to Torres del Paine, offer the chance to drink in these views. Spending a number of days in the park means that you can see all its moods, which change constantly depending on the location, light and time of day.
Lago Pehoé, Torres del Paine
The view of Lago Pehoé with the Cuernos of Paine in the background. I’ve seen it countless times, in sunshine, rain, snow and wind, and somehow it always looks different. The combination of turquoise water, mountains and changing Patagonian light is something I never get tired of.
– Barbara Gallardo, Swoop Tour Leader
How to experience Lago Pehoé
Lago Pehoé in Torres del Paine is the place in Torres del Paine to head to for one of the most classic views of the Cuernos – the granite ‘horns that rise sharply out of the Paine Massif.
If you’re hiking the W Trek, the road from Puerto Natales to the starting point of the Base of the Towers trek takes you past some of the best view points on Lago Pehoé. All our Towers to Glaciers and Glaciers to Towers group tours also build in time to explore the many view points, including Mirador Cuernos, right on the edge of the water. If the weather is clear, the short hike up to Mirador Condores has one of the grandest panoramas in the entire national park. Those staying at Explora Patagonia are treated to these views every day: few lodges have such a dramatic location.
Perito Moreno Glacier
Perito Moreno Glacier and the beautiful Lago Argentino. No matter how many times I visit, the colours and the sheer scale of the landscape never stop amazing me.
– Nayla Gallo, Swoop Tour Leader
How to experience Perito Moreno Glacier
Perito Moreno is Patagonia’s most accessible glacier, and can easily be reached from El Calafate, the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park. As such, it’s easy to add to any itinerary here, and features in all our Group Tour trips that include both Los Glaciares and Torres del Paine.
There are a host of ways to experience Perito Moreno. Everyone should take in the classic view from the walkways above the glacier, where its true scale is hard to fathom, as it pours slowly out of the mountain. To feel really dwarfed by the glacier, boat cruises can take you close to the bottom of its 70 m (230 feet) high cliffs, while keeping a safe distance in case an iceberg calves into the lake – a daily occurrence. Alternatively, you can don crampons and hard hats to be roped up to go ice hiking across its back, getting dazzled by its frozen landscape.
Mount Fitz Roy & El Chaltén
Mount Fitz Roy from the road into El Chaltén. Every time the clouds open and the peaks appear, it feels like the mountain decided to say hello just for you.
– Gabriel Cirelli, Swoop Tour Leader
How to experience Mount Fitz Roy & El Chaltén
The highway from El Calafate to El Chaltén in Los Glaciares National Park is one of the most spectacular roads in Patagonia. On days when the mountains hide in the clouds, you can spot guanaco and rheas from your vehicle, but on a sunny day, the great profile of Mount Fitz Roy and its companions loom above you like snowy giants. The vista is so grand that it inspired the logo of the Patagonia clothing brand.
Including all our Swoop’s Glaciers to Towers and Towers to Glaciers group tours. When staying in El Chaltén, Fitz Roy is also a constant presence on the horizon: we don’t know any better inspiration to lace up your hiking boots and join one of the many walking trails that lead out of town.
John Gardner Pass on the O Circuit
The view of which I never get tired is at the John Gardner Pass in the Torres del Paine National Park, upon reaching the Grey Glacier on day 4 of the O Circuit, after the ascent to dominate, being above the glacier is breathtaking – and unique each time.
– Mauricio Carrasco, Swoop Tour Leader
How to experience the O Circuit
The O Circuit is one of Patagonia’s best loved hiking routes. It’s the bigger and wilder brother to the W Trek, expanding on that classic route by adding in a wide loop around the northern sector of Torres del Paine National Park.
You need to be fit to complete the O Circuit, as it’s a 7–9 day guided camping trip for experienced hikers. The biggest challenge (and its greatest reward) comes on the fifth day. This involves the stiff ascent to the John Gardner Pass (1200 m/3900 feet), and an even steeper descent, along with a series of narrow bridges across wide gulleys. For this, you’re rewarded with long views out to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, and hike alongside and above Glacier Grey, before descending to Lago Grey. It’s a tough hike – but worth every sinew you strain to get there.
The Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego
One of my favourite places is the Beagle Channel. Whether I’m sailing along it, walking along its shores, or simply heading to one of its beaches to enjoy a drink of mate, I always find something that connects me with the place. When the atmospheric pressure drops and the clouds seem to touch the water, I feel a special sense of peace. It’s a place I truly enjoy and always look forward to returning to.
– Fernando Tosto, Swoop Tour Leader
How to experience the Beagle Channel
The Beagle Channel is the long stretch of water that cuts through Tierra del Fuego on Patagonia’s southernmost edge. It’s home to Ushuaia, the gateway city for some of the region’s most remote treks, where you can find Patagonia’s best seafood, and also the home port for adventure cruising.
The Beagle Channel is the starting point for cruises to Cape Horn, where albatrosses follow your ship and the next nearest landmass is Antarctica (Ushuaia is also the starting point for cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula). Patagonia cruises here typically spend five days exploring Tierra del Fuego, visiting glaciers so remote they can only be reached by ship. Cruises either start in Ushuaia and finish in Punta Arenas or vice versa – either configuration allows you to easily add them onto an itinerary that includes Torres del Paine (our Ultimate Patagonia group tour does exactly that)
These views are just a small selection of the best vistas in Patagonia. Even asking the question in our team generated a fierce debate. ‘What about Laguna de Los Tres in Los Glaciares?’ someone asked. “Why did you miss out the procession of stunning views along the Carretera Austral highway?’ said another. And we didn’t even touch on the volcanoes in the Chilean Lake District…
Perhaps this is the problem with being Patagonia addicts: we know there’s too much to squeeze in. But let us know where you want to explore in Patagonia, and we guarantee that we’ll find you a series of views that will capture your heart just as much as these views have captured the hearts of our tour leaders.
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