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Seán & Mariana | January 2022

A journey to the land of glaciers, gauchos and penguins


At the end of the year 2021 and just in time for the turn of the year, we fulfilled a dream. We packed our bags, laced up our hiking boots and set off for 3 weeks to Argentina.

The first destination of our trip was the surprisingly green and lively megacity Buenos Aires. During the one or other foray through the city, there were a lot of things to marvel at, in addition to the world-famous sights, such as the Floralis Generica, the districts of San Telmo or la Boca or the Recoleta cemetery. Our favorite place in the metropolis was the new trendy district Puerto Madero with its numerous bars and restaurants.

A few days later we changed the vibrant city life to the small town flair of Ushuaia. This small city at the end of the world is the gateway to Antarctica and starting point for numerous hikes in the National Park Tierra del Fuego. In addition to some smaller hikes, we also made a day trip there to see the penguins. An absolute highlight of our trip.

From Ushuaia we went via Chile, to Rio Gallegos and further to El Calafate. By the way, the bus ride from Rio Gallegos to El Calafate was surprisingly good an comfortable, which we would not have expected for the low price. El Calafate is a town in the far west of Argentina and is very picturesquely situated on Lago Argentino. From there it is only a stone's throw to the Los Glaciares National Park and Argentina's most famous glacier "Perito Moreno." Of course, we did not miss this highlight and went there together with Ivan (our trusted cab driver). While Ivan spent the day there with friends, we experienced Patagonia from its most beautiful and spectacular side. Our tip: Do the round hike on the glacier from top to bottom and look out for the majestic condors. What you should also do in Calafate is a trip to the caves there. Here, during a dinner, you can learn many exciting things about the history of Patagonia.

From El Calafate it is not far to the mountain village of El Chaltén. This small hiking village is located near the Chilean border and is the starting point for numerous trekking tours. So also for us. For a whole week, we explored the area around El Chaltén and, in addition to Laguna Torre, we also made the hike to Laguna de los Tres. An absolute must. These two lagoons are located at the foot of the world famous Fitz Roy. There is an outstanding view and the cooling foot bath is not to be despised after the long march. The way back via Laguna Capri is also a real pleasure, but ATTENTION: endurance and sure-footedness are the basics for this long tour. El Chaltén is kept very plain and simple, which made it all the more beautiful and cozy for us, but not necessarily everyone's cup of tea.

After the wonderful week in this small mountain village we went back to El Calafate for one day and from there back to the capital of Argentina.

A big thank you to Christian and Marina for the great, lovely selection of hotels or accommodations, the help with language barriers, the coordination of excursions and transportation, for a unique trip and a great organization. We will come again 😊

Seán & Mariana - Januar 2022
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