Leaving Christmas Night for Buenos Aires, Argentina
Our trip to South America Patagonia began on Christmas night, Sunday, December 25, 2011, leaving 10:02pm on United flight #847 from Washington Dulles Airport to Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport, landing at 10:40am on Monday, December 26th.
After clearing Immigration and Customs we traveled by taxi to the Marriott Plaza Hotel in downtown Buenos Aires for one night. We were able to walk around the shops on Florida Avenue for a few hours in the early afternoon before retiring.
See the map of South America - Courtsey of the Central Intelligence Agency. Highlighted in light red are Buenos Aires and the areas of Patagonia in Argentina and Chile that we visited which will be discussed in the trip report below.
Buenos Aires, Argentina to Patagonia
On Tuesday morning, December 27, we left Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport on Aerolineas Argentinas flight #1892 at 8:35am (left an hour late) and flew to El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina arriving around 11:45am. We gathered our luggage, picked up our Avis rental car and began the drive from El Calafate on National Route 40 and Provincial Route 5 to Rio Gallegos to catch National Route 3 northward to Penninsula Valdes in Chubut Province, Argentina. Passing through Guer Aike, Argentina placed us the southern most we have been on planet earth to date, at Latitude 51°38' 60" South. We drove around 12 hours that afternoon and evening, finally checking into Hotel Robert in Caleta Olivia around 1:00am in the morning. After sleeping for about 4 hours we drove the rest of the way on Wednesday, December 28 to Puerto Piramide on Peninsula Valdes arriving around 4pm. We had our first taste of gasoline shortages and lines while filling up in the Trelew area. We had to wait about 45 minutes to fill up the gas tank. It seems some of the YPF refinery workers were striking and causing shortages of gasoline through various areas of Argentina.
Our trip was broken up into three general areas, with the first area being Peninsula Valdes, Punta Loma and Punta Tombo, Argentina on the Atlantic coast.
See the map of Chubut Province Argentina - Courtsey of Mapa Proyeccion Conforme de Gauss, Copyright Instituto Geografico Militar. Highlighted in light red are the three areas we visited - Peninsula Valdes, Punta Loma and Punta Tombo.
Peninsula Valdes - Southern Sea Lions
We spent the next three nights in the Del Nomade Hosteria Ecologica in Puerto Piramide. After we arrived on Wednesday, December 28, we explored the town and visited the Southern Sea Lions at Punta Piramide, just a few kilometers outside of town. Here is a photograph of Southern Sea Lions at Punta Piramide.
Punta Cero - Magellanic Penguins
The next two days we explored Peninsula Valdes. On Thursday, December 29th we drove north on Route 3, then east on Route 52 to visit the Magellanic Penguin colony at Punta Cero. The Penguins at Punta Cero were great to watch and the weather remained partly cloudy so photography was good. Then we headed north on Route 45 to Punta Norte to visit the Southern Sea Lion colony. The sun had come out in full force and the made the photography a real challenge. Later in the day we returned back to Puerto Piramide via Route 3. Here is a Magellanic Penguin photograph from Punta Cero.
Punta Cero - Magellanic Penguins
On Friday, December 30th, we drove north on Route 3, then east on Route 52 to again visit the Magellanic Penguin colony at Punta Cero, then headed south on Route 46 stopping at Punta Cantor for a few remaining young Southern Elephant Seals hanging around the Caleta Valdes. Then we continued south on Route 47 to Punta Delgada and followed Route 2 past the Salina Chica and Salinas Grandes dry salt lakes, returning back to Puerto Piramide. Here is a Magellanic Penguin photograph from Punta Cero.
Punta Tombo - Magellanic Penguins
On Saturday, December 31st we left Puerto Piramide and visited Punta Tombo. To be able to walk thru a rookery of over 500,000 Magellanic Penguins was a very powerful experience. It was only a question of where to aim the camera, and there was a steady stream of Penguins coming from and going to the ocean feeding their chicks. We stayed the night in Trelew at the Hotel Libertador. Here is a Magellanic Penguin with a Chick photograph from Punta Tombo.
Punta Tombo - Magellanic Penguins
Here another photograph from Punta Tombo, showing the masses of Magellanic Penguins entering and leaving the ocean to forage for food for their chicks.
Punta Loma - Southern Sea Lions
On Sunday, January 1, 2012 we visited Punta Loma and Puerto Madryn. Punta Loma looks down on a large Southern Sea Lion colony where we observed a number of Bulls trying to control their harems. We were able to photograph several Bull fights. Puerto Madryn was out of gasoline, however we were able to fill up near Trelew. We stayed the night again in Trelew at the Hotel Libertador. Here is a photograph of two Southern Sea Lion Bulls fighting for harems.
Driving to El Chalten & Los Glaciares National Park
On Monday, January 2nd we began our drive back to El Calafate driving to Rio Gallegos that night and staying in the Costa Rio Hotel. On Tuesday, January 3rd we headed to El Chalten to begin the second part of our trip which included both El Chalten and El Calafate, Argentina in the Mountains. We stayed the next three nights in the El Chalten Los Cerros Hotel in Los Glaciares National Park.
See the map of Santa Cruz Province Argentina, courtesy of Mapa Proyeccion Conforme de Gauss, Copyright Instituto Geografico Militar. Highlighted in light red are the areas we visited - El Chalten, El Calafate, Los Glaciares National Park and Perito Moreno Glacier.
Cascada del Salto
In the afternoon, after arriving at El Chalten, we hiked to Cascada del Salto, a beautiful water fall just a few miles from town, as shown in the photograph.
Lago Capri Hike
On Wednesday, January 4th we hiked the Lago Capri trail up into Los Glaciares National Park. Here is a photograph of Mt Fitz Roy taken from the shores of Lago Capri. Although Mt Fitz Roy did not totally clear, we were able to get multiple photographs of the clearing summit.
Lago Capri Hike
Here is another photograph of Mt Fitz Roy from the shores of Lago Capri.
Mt Fitz Roy Clearing
Thursday, January 5th we toured around the El Chalten area with the rental car. The mountains began to clear toward the late afternoon. Here is a Mt Fitz Roy photograph as the clouds cleared away.
Mt Torre Clearing
Here is a Mt Torre photograph as the clouds cleared.
Mt Fitz Roy Sunset
We were blessed with a great Sunset that night. Here is a Mt Fitz Roy sunset photograph.
Mt Fitz Roy Sunrise
We got up early on Friday, January 6th and were blessed with a great sunrise on Mt Fitz Roy.
Mt Torre Sunrise
Here is a Mt Torre photograph in the Sunrise light.
Perito Moreno Glacier
We traveled later that day back to El Calafate and then on to Perito Moreno Glacier. Here is a photograph of the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Upland Goose
We stayed the next three nights (January 6 - 8) in the Edenia Hotel in El Calafate and traveled by car around Lago Argentino in El Calafate and surrounding areas photographing birds. Here is a photograph of an Upland Goose pair taken along the Lago Argentino in El Calafate.
Southern Lapwing
Here is a photograph of a Southern Lapwing taken along Lago Argentino in El Calafate.
Black-Faced Ibis
Here is a photograph of a Black-Faced Ibis taken in El Calafate.
Caracara
Here is a photograph of a Caracara eating a Hare killed on the roadway along Lago Argentino.
Chilean Flamingos
Here is a photograph of a group of Chilean Flamingos that were seen several days at Lago Argentino in El Calafate.
Heading to Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
At various times the two gas stations in El Calafate were either out of gas at one or both stations. We were able to keep at least a half of a tank, and on Sunday night, January 8th we were able to fill up the tank before we turned our Avis rental car back in.
On Monday, January 9th, we began the third part of our trip by transferring via a private shuttle to Torres del Paine National Park, Chile and staying at the Hosteria Las Torres for the next four nights. We almost did not make it to Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. In late December a hiker decided to burn his toilet paper and 100,000 acres of burnt park later, they were finally able to put the fire out. We were able to travel into the eastern part of the park and stay at Hosteria Las Torres, however all the planned day trips into the western part of the park to see Lago Grey, Glaciar Grey, Cuernos del Paine, and Salto Grande Waterfalls were canceled because that part of the park remained closed until the day we had to leave.
See the map of Torres del Paine National Park, courtesy of Gobierno De Chile, Ministerio De Agricultura CONAF. Highlighted in light red is the Hosteria Las Torres where we stayed.
Hiking to Mirador Base de Las Torres
On Tuesday, January 10 we hiked up to Mirador Base de Las Torres along Rio Ascensio – an 18 kilometer hike that took us nine hours. Sunny and warm when we left at 9:00am. Windy, cold, rain, snow and fog when we reached the Mirador Base de Las Torres at 2:00pm. Here is a photograph of Torres del Paine at the Mirador in the fog.
Torres del Paine from Laguna Amarga
On Wednesday, January 11th we took a morning tour to the Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon) and went Horseback riding for 2.5 hours in the afternoon along Lago Nordenskjold. Here is a photograph of the clouds clearing over the Torres del Paine peaks from Laguna Amarga.
Torres del Paine from Laguna Azul
Here is a photograph from Laguna Azul of the clearing peaks of Torres del Paine.
Three Guanaco Chulengos
Here is a photograph of three Guanaco Chulengos. Chulengo is the name of the offspring of the Guanaco.
Lesser Rhea
Here is a photograph of a Lesser Rhea.
Cascada Rio Paine
Here is a photograph of the Cascada Rio Paine on our way back from Laguna Azul. Notice the Torres del Paine Mountains in the background.
Andean Fox
Here is a photograph of an Andean Fox that hung around the Hosteria Las Torres.
Two Guanacos Fighting
On Thursday, January 12th, because the Western part of the park was still closed, we went again on the Laguna Azul tour to see what wildlife we could find. We were able to get some great photographs of two Guanacos fighting.
Torres del Paine from Laguna Amarga
Here is a view of the Torres del Paine peaks from Laguna Amarga.
Rainbow and Return Home
On Friday, January 13 we returned by private shuttle back to El Calafate and the Edenia Hotel. On the way out, we had a rainbow over the Torres del Paine National Park.
We stayed in El Calafate one night and then on Saturday, January 14th caught a taxi to the El Calafate Airport and flew Aerolineas Argentinas flight # 1693 at 1:20pm back to Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires, arriving at 5:50pm.
We caught a taxi back to the Marriott Plaza Hotel in downtown Buenos Aires to spend one night. We did some quick shopping and had a final great dinner in Argentina.
Shopping again the next morning, Sunday, January 15th, and with a late 4pm checkout at the Marriott Plaza, we headed to the Ezeiza International Airport to catch United # 846 at 10:05pm to Washington Dulles, arriving at 6:41am on Monday, January 16th.
It was a great trip that met our plans and expectations. We were disappointed that we could not make it into western Torres del Paine National Park because of the fires, however we at least we were able to get into the eastern part of the park and participate in the hikes and activities we had planned.
Visit the three Patagonia Trip galleries for more photographs.
