CHILE
Winning tip: DIY Torres del Paine
You don’t need to go on an organised tour through the Torres del Paine national park, as it’s really easy to do it by yourself. The town of Puerto Natales caters for trekkers, and the Erratic Rock hostel runs daily seminars telling you everything you need to know about trekking in the park. It’s also a great way to meet up with other trekkers if you’re on your own.
Dorms $22, seminars free, erraticrock.com
Jude Burke
A road trip through Patagonia
To appreciate the vastness, variety and beauty of Patagonia, fly into Osorno, Chile, rent a four-wheel drive vehicle or off-road motorbike, and crisscross southbound between Chile and Argentina. Two weeks’ drive takes you to Punta Arenas to fly home. En route, experience the splendour of the Carretera Austral in Chile and the starkly beautiful Ruta 40 in Argentina. Both roads are a mixture of metalled and gravel surfaces. Stop off at the magnificent Perito Moreno glacier and visit the stunning Torres del Paine national park. Stay in hotels or on working estancias, meeting the friendly local people and enjoying their rustic cuisine. I went on a motorbike trip organised by BMW Motorrad Tours.
motorrad-tours.com
stevemonaghan88
ARGENTINA
White water rafting
“Float feet first” are the guide’s instructions as we dive off the raft and into the glacial melt of the Manso river. The water is bottle green, so clear you can see the bottom, and the air is pure. After an exhilarating five minutes, we climbed back onto the raft for another two hours of excitement. At the Chilean border we were met by the tour company, who drove us back to camp, where a welcome asado (barbecue) was waiting.
Around $175 raftingadventure.com
thebluesheep
Lake Caminante, Tierra del Fuego
An energetic six-hour trek to get there. A seven-hour assault course scramble to get down – snow, mud, tree trunks, shale and boulders. Unzipping my tent door to this view was worth every blister and shiver.
ID6335449
La Tablita restaurant, El Calafate
Go to eat huge plates of meat at this buzzing, family parrilla. Book ahead or be prepared to queue while being tormented by the smell of roasting meats on the flaming grills. Best enjoyed after a day at Perito Moreno glacier, or the Laguna Nimez bird reserve, on the edge of town and with wonderful views over Lago Argentino.
la-tablita.com.ar
ID6192173
Day visit to Perito Moreno glacier
An experience I can only describe as a privilege; it’s the intensely moving, raw impact of that first sight of the glacier. The silence and immensity of the expanse of white against a bright blue sky was punctuated by distant rumbles and haunting echoes of crashing ice. I recommend Viator Tours, who will pick up and drop off from hotels in El Calafate. Fares include entrance to the Los Glaciares national park and a boat trip taking you close to the edge, where millions of years of ice drop from the glacier to drift away. After several busy days’ trekking, time stood still while I watched something reminiscent of creation.
viator.com
AnnAlston
Exploring Welsh connections, Gaiman
Plas y Coed is famous for being the oldest Welsh teahouse in the town of Gaiman. It is run by Ana Rees, whose love for Wales and Welsh culture led to her achieving a degree in the subject. Chatting over Welsh cakes and “torta galesa” about her family’s experiences – and the way in which the language and culture almost died out, but is now reviving – was fascinating, and, frankly, made the holiday.
plasycoed.com.ar
ascnjones
Cueva de las Manos rock paintings
A Unesco world heritage site, this is the most amazing place, lost in the Patagonian steppe. We were taken by private car along a rough stone track for two and a half hours, amid bleak scenery, before we descended into a great cavernous valley; here you’ll find hand paintings under the cliff face, said to date back 9,000-13,000 years. It is the most breathtaking experience. There are not many tourists, so you find yourself alone, with a great sense of peace and humility, looking at the paintings showing animals drinking at the river – and then look to the same spot below, where the water used to run.
Vilove4
Whale watching, Puerto Madryn
For whale watching trips from June to December, head to Puerto Madryn, where the warmer waters of the Golfo San José attract more species. The boat trips led by friendly native fishermen start from just £10. They last two hours, with barbecued, freshly caught fish, and the guarantee of your money back if you don’t see any whales: a win-win deal.
Gallarate
Punta Tombo penguins
Forget the John Lewis advert, at Punta Tombo you can actually walk among Magellanic penguins – or rather, they walk among you – and you can see (and smell!) them up close and personal. Absolute heaven. There are also some further south around Ushuaia, the southernmost town in the world, where among other attractions you can try several delicious craft beers.
penguinpeter
