Patagonia – A Jurassic World

Whenever I watch a Superman movie and see him travel to his Fortress of Solitude, for some reason I think of Patagonia.  This amazing place has some of the best outdoor adventure travel and scenery on this planet; it is truly awe-inspiring.  I recently came across this article from GOWAY - they have several tours with itineraries that will take you right to the heart of Patagonia.  This is definitely on my Travel Bucket List!~

An article from GOWAY Travel

Patagonia – a name forged in mystery and adventure – covers the bottom half of both Argentina and Chile and is one of the worlds most popular outdoor destinations and easily accessible from North America via Santiago or Buenos Aires. It is the home to some of the richest dinosaur fossil deposits and also some of the largest dinosaur species every found.
“Paleontologists announced that they had discovered the remains of a 105-foot-long dinosaur on the banks of a lake in the Argentine portion of Patagonia.” The region is also home to some of South Americas most famous and, Mother Natures most beautiful, natural sites – Torres del Paine National Park in Chile (pictured below)

The Moreno glacier in Argentina one of the worlds last advancing Glaciers (pictured below)

and the world famous Fitzroy National Park dotted with a multitude of glaciers and a Mecca for trekkers (again pictured below)

The most striking feature of Southern Patagonia is the look and the geography of Patagonia. It feels of what the earth would have looked like in the days of the dinosaur. No where else can you literally feel like you have gone back in time millions of years.
Centre of all this would undoubtedly be Torres del Paine National Park in Chiles Southern Patagonia, and at its centre the three towers of granite. The Park itself – over 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) – also boasts glaciers, open pampas, endemic wildlife such as Rhias, Patagonia Hare, Vicuna and the Jaguar.

The Torres del Paine circuit (pictured above) around the famous craggy mountains that crown the Park is one of the world’s classic trekking routes. Breathtaking views together with glaciers, rivers, lakes, forests and abundant wildlife provide the trip with constantly changing sceneries and experiences. This is one of the greatest scenic wonders of the world and one of those places to which all serious mountain-lovers must make a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
Other options include day hikes to the base of the 3 towers, kayaking, horse back riding and relaxing based at one of our 3 choices of our all inclusive accommodation options. 5 star explora lodge, 5 star Tierra Patagonia lodge or our Eco Dome suites (pictured below)

Further north in Argentina – a short 5 hour drive away – 5 hours is short in Patagonia! – is the equally famous Moreno Glacier.
Calafate is the base to reach the Moreno Glacier. Like the many other glaciers in the region, Moreno is formed from snow falling the in the Andes over 100 years ago and slowly being compressed into ice. Over time, gravity forces this mountain of ice down towards the head land.
Views of the Perito Moreno Glacier, from the catwalks that snake in front of the glacier or the boat ride that sails up to – but not too close – to the face of the glacier or the ultimate experience – a trek ONTO the glacier – all offer an inkling of the size and wonder of this extreme example of mother natures power and beauty.
Pushing up against the head land where the catwalks are located the glacier is under constant pressure and this pressure sees a continual parade of breaking and falling ice of up to 10 stories high. The sounds of the ice breaking is a constant musical back drop to one of South Americas most amazing sites.
North of Calafate is the Fitzroy National Park. Somewhat ignored by many travelers this park – 2 hours north of Calafate – offers pristine trekking opportunities in an environment of true tranquility and remoteness – though this aspect is quickly disappearing as more and more people become aware of the beauty of the area.

Patagonian Fjords

Heading South true intrepid travelers are able to explore the Patagonian fjords and re trace the navigating steps of Magellan as you explore the Magellan straight and journey from Southern Patagonia to the tip of the South American continent and the southern most town in the world – Ushuaia – on our Southern Patagonia Cruise.
From this furthest point south – other than Antarctica – your journey can continue back north to one of the many more famous sites of South America: Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls or Machu Picchu.

Need help with your travel arrangements?  Please contact me, Lisa Kraiger at lkraiger@cruiseshipcenters.com - I have over 7 years experience putting together complicated travel itineraries, and I would love to help you plan your dream vacation!