Patagonia is a shared region between Chile and Argentina. Sort of like Niagara Falls has a US side and Canada side. The question is which side is better?? (Canada side hands down)
The answer for Patagonia is…. BOTH. So if you’re able to visit both definitely do! But if you’re pressed for time here are our top 5 musts in Chile Patagonia.
- Drive to fin del mundo. If you fly into Punta Arenas you’ll notice the road you are on is called “fin del mundo” or end of the world. Driving south on this road feels a little surreal. You can literally drive an hour and a half from the airport to where the road ends at the San Isidrio Lighthouse. But if you’re pressed for time don’t drive all the way to the bottom because you’ll need to drive all the way back up!
- Hike Torres del Paine- Base Las Torres. This 10 mile hike starts and ends at Hotel Las Torres. It’s a moderate hike so bring lots of snacks, water and hiking poles! If you’re lucky on a clear day you’ll have an amazing view of the towers.
- Visit Grey Glacier– this glacier is located on the west side of TDP. Depending on how long of a hike you are interested in and depend on which route you take to reach it.
- Visit Lago Nordenskjold – this is a much easier hike to do after you’ve exhausted your legs hiking Base Las Torres. You’ll likely spend most of the time just taking pictures because it’s unreal.
- Isla Magdalena, an hour and a half from Punta Arenas by boat. Here you can see the Magellanic penguins in their natural home. We unfortunately were not able to do this and I cry about it every time I think about it!!
Although not the easiest place to get to, visiting the Chile Patagonia side is spectacular.
