Patagonia: the southern Andes and the long empty roads

It’s 7:14 a.m. at the Laguna de los Tres viewpoint above El Chaltén, in Argentine Patagonia, and the morning fog is just clearing from the Fitz Roy granite massif. The fog reveals the peaks one at a time: Aguja Poincenot first, then Aguja Saint-Exupéry, then the colossal Fitz Roy itself. I’ve been walking since 4:30 a.m. There were six headlamps ahead of me on the trail in the dark; we have all converged on this small alpine lake at 6:50 a.m. for the first light. The wind is the only sound. The granite spires are obscenely beautiful. This is the trip-defining moment I came to Patagonia for.

Why I keep coming back

Patagonia — the vast region covering southern Argentina and Chile from roughly 40°S to the bottom of the continent — is one of the last large genuinely-wild regions on earth. The Andes form its western spine; the steppe runs east to the Atlantic; the southern ice fields are the third-largest non-polar ice mass on the planet. The wind is constant.

Most travel concentrates on two areas: the El Chaltén / Los Glaciares region in Argentina (with the Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre granite peaks, the Perito Moreno glacier nearby at El Calafate) and the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile (with the Towers and the Cuernos granite peaks, the W and O treks).

Where to base yourself

The two key bases are:

El Chaltén, Argentina — A small town below Fitz Roy with several excellent day hikes leaving directly from town (Laguna de los Tres, Laguna Torre, Loma del Pliegue). Walking from town means no logistical complexity.

Puerto Natales, Chile — The gateway town to Torres del Paine. Most travellers stay here a day before the multi-day trek begins.

For those doing only single visits, El Calafate in Argentina is a useful base for the Perito Moreno glacier; Punta Arenas in Chile is the gateway airport for the Chilean side.

What to actually do

Argentine side (El Chaltén / Los Glaciares)

Hike to Laguna de los Tres. The classic 22-km day hike from El Chaltén to the alpine lake under Fitz Roy. The final 1 km is a steep scramble. Best done leaving town at 4:30 a.m. for dawn at the lake. 8–10 hours round trip.

Hike to Laguna Torre. A shorter alternative (18 km) ending at a lake under Cerro Torre. Often equally extraordinary if the famously windy peak is clear.

Visit Perito Moreno Glacier. From El Calafate, an hour’s drive to the most accessible advancing glacier on earth. Boardwalks let you observe the calving (ice blocks the size of buildings falling into the lake) from close range.

Take a glacier-walk on the Perito Moreno. Operators offer ice trekking on the glacier itself; from a 90-minute minitrekking to a full-day big-ice trek.

Chilean side (Torres del Paine)

Trek the W. The classic 4–5 day trek through Torres del Paine, covering the three iconic sections (the Towers viewpoint, the French Valley, Grey Glacier). Refugios (huts) are along the route; book months ahead.

Trek the O. A longer 8–10 day full-circuit trek; less crowded, more remote, requires more experience.

Day trips from Puerto Natales. If you don’t want to do the multi-day trek, the day-trip to the Torres viewpoint is the iconic experience; full-day return.

Wider Patagonia

Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia — The southernmost city, the gateway to Antarctic cruises, a wilder national park.

Carretera Austral (Chilean Route 7) — A 1,200-km mostly gravel road through northern Chilean Patagonia; a 2-week road trip for the patient.

Peninsula Valdés — A whale-watching peninsula in northern Argentine Patagonia; southern right whales calve here (June–December).

Where to eat

Patagonian cuisine is meat-heavy — lamb on the spit (cordero al palo), king crab in season, regional craft beer.

Pura Vida (El Chaltén) — Reliable mid-range; lamb stew, pizza. La Tapera (El Chaltén) — Mountain food, the lamb-and-vegetable stew. Don Pichón (El Calafate) — Cordero asado. Cabernet or Singular Patagonia (Puerto Natales) — Modern Patagonian cooking; Singular is the upscale. The refugios on the trek — Hot soup and bread is sometimes the meal of the day after a long hike.

When to come

Late November through early March (the southern summer) is the practical season. Even then, the wind is the constant; trekking days are weather-dependent.

December and January are the warmest and most crowded.

February is shoulder; lower crowds, weather still good.

March is the autumn — the southern beech (lenga) trees turn red and gold; the lighting is at its most extraordinary.

April through October is the off-season — many lodges close, winds are even more intense, snow on the high passes. Some specialised tour operators run winter trips.

Practical notes

• Visa: 90 days visa-free for most Western passports for both Argentina and Chile.
• Money: Argentine peso and Chilean peso. The Argentine cuevas exchange situation applies in El Calafate and El Chaltén; carry USD.
• Transport: Most travellers fly into El Calafate (FTE) for the Argentine side and Puerto Natales (PNT) or Punta Arenas (PUQ) for the Chilean side. The roads between are long. The Carretera Austral requires a 4x4 and significant time.
• Crossing the Argentina-Chile border: Multiple crossing points exist between the two Patagonia regions; some are seasonal and have specific opening hours. Plan the route carefully.
• The wind: Real, daily, often 80+ km/h gusts. Tents need careful pitching; loose objects blow away.
• Trekking permits: Torres del Paine has nightly capacity caps on the refugios and campsites; book 4–6 months ahead.
• Cost: Patagonia is expensive by South American standards. Mid-range trekking week US$2000–4000 per person plus international flights.

A final thought

Patagonia is one of the largest still-empty regions on earth in 2026 and one of the great trekking destinations. The combination of the granite peaks, the ice, the steppe, the constant wind, and the geographical scale produces an experience that has no real parallel.

The practical advice is straightforward: book the multi-day treks well in advance; build in buffer days for weather; pace yourself; learn a few words of Spanish (different from the standard Latin American — Patagonian Spanish has its own accent); respect the wind. Two weeks minimum; three is better.

The moment at Laguna de los Tres at first light — Fitz Roy emerging from the fog, the granite spires impossibly perfect in the pale morning sun — is one of the most-photographed moments in modern adventure travel. It earns its reputation. Walk there in the dark. Wait for the fog. The peaks will appear.