Top Nature Experiences in Patagonia

Patagonia. Or better: nature experiences in Patagonia. Never have I ever felt so small like when I was facing the immensity of nature in Patagonia.

Whether I was hiking the mighty Perito Moreno Glacier with crampons on my shoes or camping all by myself somewhere in the middle of nowhere: experiences for life! 

What stroke me the most was the quietness of the endless steppes. It's here that you really feel that mankind is only a visitor on this planet.

Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of my personal top nature experiences in Patagonia!

Where to begin?

The easiest way to explore Patagonia is to rent a car in El Calafate, the main town in Los Glaciares National Park.

It took me roughly 5 hours on pretty bumpy gravel roads to get from Lago Roca to Lago Grey in the middle of the Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. And that is the maximum length of the routes you will take in order to experience Patagonia like I did.

Practical stuff

#1 Perito Moreno Glacier and the Big Ice hike

The first of my top nature experiences in Patagonia was the Perito Moreno Glacier and the hike on top of it. 

It's a unique experience you should definitely have when in Patagonia. The feeling of walking on moving ice masses is indescribable.

How to get there and where to stay

I flew from Buenos Aires straight to El Calafate (Argentina) where I stayed at the charming Hosteria La Estepa, which is located a bit further from the city centre.

But the magnificent views you get - especially from the breakfast area - are totally worth being a bit on the outskirts of the city!

El Calafate is basically one big street with shops, restaurants and tourist agencies. But it's a good starting point to experience both the Argentinian and the Chilean side of Patagonia. 

It's located right at the entrance of the Los Glaciares National Park, which is exactly what you need for this particular experience.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three glaciers in the world known to be advancing rather than retreating.

Whether it was by standing in front of it or hiking on top of those big icy masses: the sound of water and ice moving is astonishing and you feel so small contemplating Mother Nature in all her glory.

What and where to book a hike?

I booked the 'Big Ice'-hike with Hielo & Aventura. The company will pick you up very early in the morning and you will be on your feet the whole day - a certain level of fitness is thus required.

If you don't feel like it or your health doesn't allow it, they also offer shorter hikes that still allow you to walk on the ice but at the base of the glacier. This is also a good alternative for when you're short in time.

I have to admit, I was a bit worried because of my asthma and the fact that my legs had endure surgery
less than a year prior to this trip (check out my whole health story).

Although the pace of my 10-people group was quite high, there were frequent breaks and so it was all manageable.

You get to watch the immense glacier from several different viewpoints before the boat brings you to the base of the ice mass.

We spent around 3h30 on the icy surface itself and picnicked on top of it - all the while paying attention to leave nothing but our footprints on the ice - which would disappear a few hours after we left. 

Admittedly, the price of 125 € / 150 US $ per person is not something a budget-traveller might want to consider, especially since it doesn't include the entry to the national park or the lunch you have to bring yourself, but I really think it was worth it.

There are probably cheaper tours as well but the organisation here was impeccable, the guides very friendly and the experience unique.

Here's the map of the whole hike that the company of Hielo y Aventura made:

The hike: crampons and breath-taking views

It takes a bit of practice to get used to walking with crampons on your shoes but the guides are super helpful and the views you get from up there are brilliant!

This glacier is also the third largest fresh water reserve in the world - I tasted that water, it's so pure and fresh.

Then, while we were sitting around, waiting for the boat to pick us up again, the most incredibly impressive thing happened: a huge chunk of ice broke off from the glacier, crashing into the water, causing a huge wave to roll all the way to the opposite shore! 

It's weird how something like this can be so impressive but also very scary at the same time (see the video below the pictures). 

To finish off the tour we got to enjoy an ice-cold whiskey 'on the rocks', the latter being small chunks from the glacier itself.

 #2 Lago Roca and the endless Patagonian steppes

Camping in the cold

My favourite Patagonia (nature) experience #2: this is where the quietness of Patagonian steppes really hits you! I spent the night camping at this beautiful little lake called Lago Roca.

Just me, my (rather small) tent and nature. If you plan on sleeping under the stars in the month of April, you can. But beware, it gets pretty cold at night. That tent and the sleeping bag also accompanied us on our road trip through Europe and is of exceptional quality! It just wasn't enough for these kinds of temperatures...

Nevertheless, nothing beats a beautiful sunrise waking you up in the morning. You have to get inventive toilet-wise, though. Luckily, my Ulcerative Colitis was under control at the time of travelling, so not too much worries on that side.

Be sure to have a car and a good navigation system to get to that lake! I booked my car with Sixt and everything went super well, I can honestly recommend them. 

Road trip towards Torres del Paine National Park

And then I started my real, proper road trip: roughly 350 km to get to Torres del Paine National Park on the Chilean side. 

This was quite an adventure as I only booked a small car that wasn't really designed to do off-roading. Still, I managed to get to Lago Grey in Torres del Paine NP without too many scratches or dents underneath the car - but damn! It got dirty! 

Anyway, I could probably have been a bit faster than the 5 hours it took me but I stopped quite often just to take in the scenery.

Wildlife along the way was pretty cool too: big flying birds, big non-flying birds like ostriches and most importantly: Guanacos!! I love everything llama-ish! And these were my very first encounters with camelids of that sort back then. Of course, travelling to Peru about two years later was even better in that matter. 

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#3 Lago Grey and the 'iceberg cemetery'

Why I count visiting Grey Glacier on Lago Grey in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park as one of the top nature experiences in Patagonia? Mainly because this glacier has been shrinking at a rate that is absolutely frightening and so it should be on anyones top priority list.

It's still very impressive seen from close-by but the ice has been drawing back hundreds of meters in the last few decades - I don't know if you can grasp what kind of speed this is for a glacier. It's pretty dramatic!

Hence the title 'El Cementerio de Icebergs' for the lake surrounding the glacial lobe, which literally means 'iceberg cemetery'.

I stayed at the Hotel Lago Grey - pretty expensive but I figured I deserved a bit of luxury after the cold camp nights.

Plus: the hotel is known for having the best food in Torres del Paine with magnificent views on the lake. It's also the perfect location for stepping onto the boat (after a quick walk along the shore) that brings you to the glacier. 

BTW: Food is one my main focus points when I travel because it's intrinsically linked to the culture and the whole experience of a foreign country.

At some point, you will find a food post on Patagonia, Argentina and Chile. But in the meantime, check out some other food-related posts below.

Read also | My food odyssey with Ulcerative Colitis

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Read also | Restaurants in Cusco: where to find the best food

#4 Torres del Paine National Park and the hike to its symbol

Finding a hotel last minute

What can I say? Three days simply weren't enough for this magnificent park! I mean, just look at the pictures! How beautiful is this? 

Although I must say: staying inside the Torres del Paine National Park ain't cheap. I planned to do a bit of camping here as well. You can, and it's not too expensive. It's possible to rent all the camp gear and even ask for a 'meal package'.

But: in April, it gets freakishly cold at night and as you know from my Bio, I'm not the healthiest person. As I had a few hikes planned, I din't want to exhaust myself by freezing my butt off at night - I needed my sleep.

And I did already have a chilly night at the Lago Roca.

So I spontaneously booked a room in one of the few hotels inside of the park. But I gotta say, it was a pretty sweet one! The Hotel Las Torres Patagonia offers nice rooms, an amazing breakfast and comfy spaces with cosy fireplaces and blankets for relaxing purposes.

It was the only one available on such short notice but - oh my - I slept so well!

Booking a guided hike

This is also the hotel where I had booked a guide, last minute as well, for the famous 'Base of the Torres hike'.

I originally planned to do this 8-hour-hike all by myself but I wasn't feeling so well. And I must admit, I got a bit scared when I heard that the winds were pretty rough this time of the year.

The hiking paths are very steep and pebbly, so the chances of slipping and losing your balance through heavy winds are very high. As much as I love a bit of adventure, I didn't want to be careless and find myself at the bottom of a gorge without anyone noticing my absence.

Climbing up to the Torres

The guide was great! I couldn't have asked for a better one. His name was Lucas and as far as I know, he still works there (2021). He speaks perfect English, knows this park and its inhabitants (i.e. pumas, etc.) by hearth, is incredibly passionate and takes different levels of fitness into consideration.

I ended up doing the final climb by myself eventually because the ladies in my (small) group stopped quite a lot for pictures. They were so lovely and it was nice to chat for a while but when I'm hiking, I need a certain pace. So at some point, Lucas just gave me a few indications and I went off to the Torres by myself, waiting there for them to catch up.

It. Was. Epic. That view was SO rewarding! And the wind was SO cold! But it was also SO awesome! I would do that hike over and over again. I learned so much about the surroundings and the arid Patagonian landscapes.

And it got me longing for more. Sadly, I didn't plan enough days for my visit here because there are several other hikes that are supposed to be a major highlight to experience in Patagonia. I'm talking to you: 'W' and 'O' Trek! Not to mention the one that'll get me to Cerro Paine: 'Los Cuernos a Paine grande' trail.

What next?

From here, I went on to experience some VERY different views on Easter Island. The contrast was extreme!

Together with the Namib Desert, the Colca Canyon in Peru and the National Park Tortuguero in Costa Rica, these experiences in Patagonia were among the best nature ones I've ever had.

What experiences did I miss in Patagonia? I know there are a lot but I'm definitely heading back there one day, so feel free to comment on what I should put on my list!

Liked what you read? Found it useful? Then pin it to save it for your Patagonian adventure 🙂

xx

Cyn

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