Southern Patagonia

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Southern Patagonia
Includes 
Punta Arenas . . . . . . . 336
Puerto Natales. . . . . . 346
Parque Nacional
Torres del Paine. . . . . 353
Argentine Patagonia. 362
El Calafate. . . . . . . . . . 362
Perito Moreno
& Parque Nacional
Los Glaciares
(South). . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
El Chaltén & Parque
Nacional Los
Glaciares (North). . . . 368
Best Places
to Eat
¨¨The Singular Restaurant
Why Go?
Pounding westerlies, barren seascapes and the ragged spires
of Torres del Paine – this is the distilled essence of Patagonia.
The provinces of Magallanes and Última Esperanza boast a
frontier appeal perhaps only matched by the deep Amazon
and remote Alaska. Long before humans arrived on the continent, glaciers chiseled and carved these fine landscapes.
Now it’s a place for travelers to hatch their greatest adventures, whether hiking through rugged landscapes, seeing
penguins by the thousands or horseback riding across the
steppe.
Parque Nacional Torres del Paine is the region’s star attraction. Among the finest parks on the continent, it attracts
hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, even some
towing wheeled luggage (though we don’t recommend it).
Throughout the region, it’s easy and worthwhile to travel between Argentina and Chile. Included in Southern Patagonia
are the highlights of Argentine Patagonia.
When to Go
(p351)
Punta Arenas
¨¨Mi Rancho (p365)
°C/°F Temp
¨¨La Marmita (p342)
Rainfall inches/mm
30/86
¨¨La Aldea (p351)
20/68
¨¨Afrigonia (p351)
10/50
10/250
8/200
6/150
4/100
0/32
Best Places
to Stay
¨¨Ilaia Hotel (p341)
¨¨Bories House (p349)
¨¨We Are Patagonia (p348)
¨¨Tierra Patagonia (p361)
¨¨Refugio Grey (p360)
-10/14
2/50
0
J
F
M
Dec–Feb Warmest
months, ideal for
estancia (grazing
ranch) visits and
backpacking.
A
M
J
J
A
Mid-Oct–early
Mar Coastal
fauna, including
penguins and
marine birds,
abounds.
S
O
N
D
Mar–Apr Blasting
summer winds
start to die down
and brilliant fall
colors come in.
Parque
Nacional
Bernardo
O'Higgins
Mo
nt t
Parque
Nacional
Los Glaciares
Lago
Viedma
Lago
Argentino
El
Calafate
Región
XII
ARGENTINA
Río Santa Cruz
RP
9
RP
2
Santa Cruz
es
And
RN
40
Isla
Hanover
Cerro
Balmaceda
(2035m)
Cueva del
Milodón
Puerto
Natales
Islas
Rennell
Cancha
Carrera
RP
5
RÍO
GALLEGOS
Seno Última
Esperanza
RN
of M
a
Isla gella
Desolación n
Río
Rubens
PACIFIC
OCEAN
0
0
Reserva
Nacional
Alacalufes
Isla
Riesco
RN
3
Parque
Nacional
Pali Aike
9
Villa
Teheulches
Pennínsula
Muñoz
Gamero
40
Bella Vista
9
Seno Skyring
ait
Bahía
Grande
Esperanza
Río Turbio
Villa Dorotea
Reserva
Nacional
Alacalufes
Str
Parque
Nacional
Monte Léon
Laguna
Blanca
Monte
Aymond
255
Río Verde Monumento
Cerro
Natural Los
Sombrero
Pingüinos
Pingüinera
Isla
Otway
Seno
Magdalena
Otway
PUNTA ARENAS
Porvenir
Reserva
Onaisín
Forestal
San
Magellanes
Bahía
Sebastián
Inútil
Península
Puerto
Hambre
Brunswick
Camerón
Isla
Fuerte Bulnes
Cabo
Santa
Froward
Parque
Isla
Isla Grande de
Inés Carlos
Parque Marino
Historia Tierra del Fuego
Francisco Coloane
III
Patagonia
Isla
Isla
Isla
Clarence
Dawson
Capitan
Aracena
100 km
Parque Nacional
60 miles Isla
Tierra del Fuego
Noir
Cor d i
lle r a D a r wi n
Southern Patagonia Highlights
1 Discover the remote
backside of Parque Nacional
Torres del Paine (p353).
2 Join the march of the
penguins on Isla Magdalena
(p345).
3 Hike under the toothy Fitz
Roy Range (p368) near El
Chaltén, Argentina’s trekking
capital.
So u th e rn Patago nia Patag o n i a H i ghl i ghts
Parque Nacional
Torres del Paine
Villa Cerro
Castillo
Isla
Montt
Tres Lagos
los
Glaciar Perito
Moreno
RP
288
de
Fer ry to
Pu
er
to
Parque
Nacional
Bernardo
O'Higgins
lera
Cor dil
El Chaltén
Strait of
Magellan
Fitz Roy Range
Campo
Hielo
Sur
Isla Duque
de York
335
RN
40
4 Ride the range (p346)
and eat a traditional asado
(barbeque) at a working ranch
outside Puerto Natales.
6 Explore the gnarled
volcanic steppe of the littleknown Parque Nacional Pali
Aike (p345).
5 Enjoy a local microbrew,
7 Check out the cool blue
massage and lovely meals in
Puerto Natales (p346) after
time in Torres del Paine.
contours of 15-story Glaciar
Perito Moreno (p367) in
Argentina.