10-Day itinerary Backpacking Patagonia: Ultimate South America Roadtrip 🇨🇱🇦🇷

What to do in Punta Arenas?

Well, you can walk around and check out:

• The Plaza de Armas

• The Regional Museum of Magallanes (Magellan)

How to get to Torres del Paine? Bus is a great option...

I headed to Puerto Natales by bus, approximately a 3-hour drive. It is the town located at the base of Torres del Paine National Park, therefore it is easy to find excursions to the park from there. And the road looked like this...

Torres del Paine National Park is internationally recognized for the beauty of its landscapes. So, I spent a good night's sleep in Puerto Natales before tackling 2 days in the park, which is really the minimum time needed, I would have loved to stay longer there!

Here are a few photos of Puerto Natales...

💡: Stray dogs are very common in South America, but they are rarely aggressive 😉 However they might have disease, if you touch them wash your hands directly! Also, attacks can happen, having done your rabies vaccine could save your life in case of a bite

I first took a guided tour of the western part to see the magnificent turquoise lakes, and it is truly impressive.

💡 Why is the lake water so blue? lakes in the region often have a striking turquoise color due to the presence of fine rock particles, known as "rock flour," coming from adjacent glaciers. When sunlight reflects off these suspended particles in the water, it creates an incredible turquoise hue, giving the lakes of Torres del Paine an unreal and magical appearance.

No filter needed!

A quick stop at the Milodon Cave, an important archaeological site!

In 1895, remains of a prehistoric animal called the Milodon were found in the cave, hence its name. These remains helped reconstruct the appearance of this giant animal, which resembled a large ground sloth.

Due to the proximity of the Grey Glacier, Lago Grey is often filled with drifting icebergs. These icebergs regularly break off from the front of the glacier, creating a unique and spectacular landscape.

⚠️ The hike to the base of the famous towers requires really good physical condition!

It's a loop of about 18 km and can take between 7 and 9 hours. It is considered difficult due to the distance and elevation gain. The trail has steep climbs and rocky terrain, especially in the last section before reaching the viewpoint.

This is how my hike started 🌈

I traversed all kinds of landscapes: forests, rivers, valleys, mountains...

Personally, I have a fear of heights, and there were parts of the hike where I was really scared, but it lasted about thirty minutes in total.

It's a popular park, you have to book in advance to enter!

💡: If you are doing it in 1 day, beware of the last bus back, the hike is long, but the bus won't wait. Make sure to descend in time for the last bus schedule. (I ran a bit towards the end to catch it)

Crossing the border into Argentina, I continued my journey to El Calafate, where the adventure on the Argentinian side of Patagonia awaited! 🇦🇷

Still traveling by bus, from Puerto Natales to El Calafate.

💡: The border crossing can take time, it's really unpredictable, so it's best not to plan anything immediately after.

Time to go on a boat excursion to Perito Moreno Glacier ❄️ The Glacier was one of the highlight of my trip in Patagonia, don't skip it!

It's one of the most impressive places I've ever seen. Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the largest glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park. It covers an area of about 250 km2 and reaches a length of 30 km.

What makes Perito Moreno Glacier unique is that it is constantly advancing. Unlike most glaciers that are retreating, the front of Perito Moreno Glacier gradually advances into Lake Argentino. This advance creates pressure that eventually leads to spectacular ice ruptures or collapses, where huge chunks of ice break off and fall into the lake.

The park also contains other lakes and glaciers worth visiting.

Ushuaia, the city at the end of the world!

The capital of Tierra del Fuego province is considered the southernmost city in the world.

I spent 2 days there, exploring the city and going on a boat excursion to see whales!

💡: Ushuaia wasn't the most impressive stop of the trip, nor the cheapest. If you have time, go for it, as it remains iconic, but otherwise, it's better to prioritize other places!

What an experience to see whales for the first time! We also stopped to witness pingouins and seals.

On our last evening, we stumbled upon a local street carnival! Look at that...

Time to go back home to Santiago de Chile, where I live and study... And what a journey back!

I took a bus from Ushuaia to Rio Grande (05:00am-08:00am) and then from Rio Grande to Punta Arenas (10:30am-6:30pm), almost 14 hours of travel to go back up Patagonia! (Think of it as driving from the North to the South of France, which takes about the same time)

One night in Punta Arenas, then a return flight to Santiago (1:35pm-5:00pm)