Argentinian Patagonia

Los Glaciares National Park is Argentinian Patagonia’s most popular destination with travellers.

Its biggest draw is the mind-boggling Perito Moreno Glacier, which can be explored in any number of ways from ice-hiking on its back to boat trips to the bottom of its massive ice cliffs.

Hiking is the other reason to head here, from myriad day hikes around the Fitz Roy Massif from the charming mountain town to El Chaltén to longer treks like the Huemul Circuit to truly testing expeditions across the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.

Alternatively, ride horses between estancias like a true gaucho, stopping off at remote outposts align the way, or kick back in some of Patagonia’s finest luxury lodges.

Combining shimmering lakes, jagged peaks, white water rapids and biking trails, the Argentinian Lake District has something for everyone.

This is one of the best (and most picturesque places) in Argentina for adventure activities, with travellers basing themselves in one or both of its two main hubs, Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes.

There is superb hiking in Nahuel Huapi and Lanín National Parks, from Cerro Catedral and Tronador to the slopes of Lanín Volcano. Its waterways are ideal for exploring by kayak, and its trails are designed for mountain biking. 

And if you just want to relax? Tour its pretty pretty alpine towns on a microbrewery trail.

Tierra del Fuego, the rugged island region at the foot of the continent is the final frontier for travel in Patagonia – and South America. 

From the gateway city of Ushuaia, you can take an adventure cruise around the archipelago, following in Charles Darwin's footstep through the Beagle Channel to a wild landscape where glaciers plunge from the mountains into the sea, and penguin colonies hint at Antarctica lying just to the south, beyond Cape Horn. 

This is also home to some amazing hiking, from day hikes to mountain lagoons to multi-day treks to remote passes and valleys where you'll barely see another hiker for days at a time. 

Lying along Argentina’s Atlantic coast, Peninsula Valdés is a world apart from the rest of Patagonia. A mix of vast open steppe, long sweeping beaches and steep sandstone cliffs, it draws visitors for its amazing wildlife watching – particularly for whales. 

Every winter and spring, Southern right whales visit the quiet waters of the peninsula. There are resident orcas along the coast here as well, who uniquely hunt seals by deliberately beaching themselves. Elsewhere, including Bahía Bustamante to the south, you can find huge colonies of Magellanic penguins. 

There’s an interesting cultural angle here as well, with parts of the region dubbed Welsh Patagonia thanks to their strong identity inherited from the region’s 19th Century pioneers.

Argentinian Patagonia is a world class hiking and trekking destination. Its most iconic trails can be found in Los Glaciares, around the Fitz Roy Massif and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field – with celebrated day hikes like Laguna de Los Tres and Cerro Torres from El Chaltén, multi-day treks such as the Huemul Circuit  and immense adventures like the Southern Patagonian Ice Field Expedition.

In the Argentinian Lake District, there are day hikes or hut to hut treks in the granite peaks close to Bariloche, or Lanín Volcano.

Tierra del Fuego offers the least-trodden paths, with the opportunity to hike for days where few have ever hiked before – or just take short day hikes from Ushuaia to glacial lakes or along the Beagle Channel. 

The vast and rugged landscapes of Argentinian Patagonia have been explored on horseback for hundreds of years, and gauchos remain an integral part of the local culture. Visitors to Patagonia – novices and experienced riders alike – can also feel the thrill and excitement of riding through the steppe and mountains here.

Los Glaciares is home to Argentinian Patagonia’s best and biggest estancias (traditional ranches), where you can connect with the true gaucho experience. At some, you can go riding for a day, but others offer the chance to ride for days under the big skies, getting far off the beaten path and sleeping in simple gaucho outposts while your horses graze outside.

There are plenty of ways to experience adventure in Patagonia.

You can take the water to kayak or go whitewater rafting in the green surroundings of the Argentinian Lake District, paddle the glacial rivers of Los Glaciares or even close to Perito Moreno Glacier itself, along the Beagle Channel in Tierra del Fuego, or even explore the coastline of Peninsula Valdés in sea kayaks for wildlife encounters with sea lions and dolphins. 

There are mountain biking trails in every region, with e-mountain bikes an increasingly popular option for those wanting to tour the scenery in a more relaxed style. The Argentinian Lake District has some of the most picturesque circiuts, with the added bonus of local microbreweries to stop at along the way.