PATAGONIA NORTH & SOUTH 15 days, 14 nights
Bariloche ↠ San Martin de los Andes ↠ Pucón ↠ Puyehue ↠ Bariloche
Bariloche ↠ El Calafate
El Calafate (2 nights) ↠ Puerto Natales (2 nights) ↠ Punta Arenas
↠ Ushuaia (2 nights) ↠ Río Gallegos ↠ El Calafate
Forget the stress of everyday life, take a little break to spend a few days in fabulous landscapes !
Discovering the north and south of Patagonia on the same trip is really a MUST !
These are the two most famous parts of Patagonia, but they are totally different, having in common high quality infrastructure and services and landscapes of exceptional beauty.
4 days of self driving tour in Northern Patagonia, straddling Argentina and Chile, 900 km in the beautiful Lakes & Volcanoes region, with great stops in famous resorts and charming little villages.
7 days of self driving tour in Southern Patagonia, also straddling Argentina and Chile, 1400 km discovering the imposing glaciers and icebergs, the majestic peaks of the Andean Cordillera, recorded among the “50 Best places to see” in the world (by National Geographic).
HIGHLIGHTS
* San Carlos de Bariloche, the most famous ski resort in South America, and Pucón, the most charming resort in Chile, dominated by the smoking Villarica volcano…
* Driving along beautiful lakes at the foot of volcanoes, inside National Parks and Reserves, observing the specific fauna and flora
* Perito Moreno, the glacier that goes forward and shatters under your eyes…
* Full day boat excursion on Lake Argentino in the midst of giant icebergs to huge glaciers Upsala & Spegazzini
* Sporty off-road excursion to Balcones de El Calafate, offering a great panoramic view to Cerro Huyliche and El Calafate
* Torres del Paine National Park, a paradise for trekking, fauna and flora observation and photography.
* Walk on the Costanera, in Punta Arenas, at the edge of the Strait of Magellan, which the greatest navigators challenged with their boats to access posterity
* Fantastic drive in a no man´s land to the “end of world city” Ushuaia
* Tierra del Fuego National park, the most southern park on the planet and the only one in Argentina with a combination of mountains, forest and sea.
Route Map
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Arrival in Bariloche A
Bariloche - San Martin de los Andes B (205 km)
San Martin de los Andes - Pucón C (185 km)
Pucón - Puyehue D (330 km)
Puyehue - Bariloche A (101 km)
Bariloche - El Calafate (by plane)
Full day around El Calafate E (101 km)
El Calafate - Perito Moreno Glacier O - P. Natales F (430 km)
Full day in the Torres del Paine National Park (200 km)
Puerto Natales - Punta Arenas G (295 km)
Punta Arenas - Ushuaia H (440 km)
Full day around Ushuaia (25 km)
Ushuaia - Río Gallegos I (580 km)
Río Gallegos - El Calafate E (305 km)
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GUIDE-COORDINATOR IN YOUR RENTAL CAR : Yes or No ?
* The guide-coordinator is permanently at your disposition.
* He/she speaks several languages, including necessarily English and the language of the country, this can be very helpful if you do not master it enough.
* He/she knows the route and stops at the best points of view.
* If necessary, he/she activates external services (insurance, mechanical repair, rescue,...).
* He/she takes care of check-in and check-out in hotels, restaurant orders, tourist sites entrance fees,...
* In the event of a puncture or a simple problem on the vehicle, he/she is the first to roll up his/her sleeves !
* Last but not least... He/she tells you about the country, the regions crossed, or even the places visited (when there is no local professional guide).
GUIDE-COORDINATOR IN AN ASSISTANCE VEHICLE : Yes or No ?
* The guide-coordinator is in the assistance vehicle, bringing all the advantages mentioned above.
* The assistance vehicle opens the convoy and carries the first aid kit, any excess luggage,... and basic accessories (rope...) in case your car gets stuck in sand or mud.
* In the event of a breakdown or incident on your vehicle, the assistance vehicle can go in search of help or take all or part of the occupants of your vehicle to the next town or stage.
BUT... If you prefer adventure in a small closed group (not alone) and you speak the language of the country, you can do without a guide and assistance vehicle. You will have maps and GPS in the car, the same advanced logistics (vehicle rental, hotels,...), and a 24-hour hotline to resolve any unforeseen event.
Accomodation
Comfortable single, double, twin or triple suites or apartments with breakfast included and personalized customer service
Charming Hotels, Spas and Resorts in quiet and lovely areas, preferably surrounded by nature
History & Culture
North and South, two regions, two histories but one culture : Patagonia !
Lakes & Volcanoes region (North)
Large natural lakes with peaceful and transparent waters, surrounded by green hills and preserved forests, dominated by the most majestic volcanoes of the Andes (some of which are still active) with perfect symmetries and snow-capped, lined with typical villages or internationally renowned resorts,... this is the region of lakes and volcanoes : exceptionally beautiful and varied, tremendously relaxing.
Our loop self driving tour in the Lakes & Volcanoes region crosses 2 Argentine provinces and 3 Chilean regions :
Rio Negro province : The most famous place of the 4th largest province of Argentine, created in 1955, is San Carlos de Bariloche, for its ski resorts and superb hiking in the nice mountains all around, as well as for its hotels, restaurants and luxury shops. We will spend the first and last day of our trip in San Carlos de Bariloche, at the edge of the beautiful Lake Nahuel Huapi, in the border between the provinces of Rio Negro and Neuquén.
Southern Patagonia
Known as a land of explorers, navigators and adventurers, it is historically the land of the Amerindians. Since the first traces of human civilization around 35,000 BC, several tribes inhabited the region, mainly between 12,000 and 8,000 BC : the Picunches (the largest Mapuche community of that time), the Huilliches and Chonos in central Patagonia; the Onas, the Yagans and the Alacufes in southern Patagonia; and the Mánekenkes who lived in Tierra del Fuego for 10,000 years. In the Andes, these populations hunted guanacos, llamas, rheas and two extinct species : the mylodons (big bears with camelid heads) and hippidion horses. On the coast, they lived fishing on lenga bark canoes and also fed on Lhao-Lhao mushrooms.
After the discovery of the strait linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans by the Portuguese navigator Fernando de Magellan in 1520, Patagonia became the scene of conflicts between the Mapuche Indians and the Spanish colonizers led by Pedro de Valdivia, who died in 1553, a year before the Mapuches of the chief Lautaro win the battle of Marihueñu. The Mapuches reconquered most of Araucania but the clashes continued until the nineteenth century, without, however, harming the progressive evangelization of Amerindians.
Local Gastronomy
While enjoying fantastic landscapes, we can also feast on delicious local gastronomy !
