PATAGONIA
Adventuring in the heart of Patagonia
The Argentinian Side.
An essential guide for those looking for adventure.
PATAGONIA
Remember the thrill of Coach Prime’s first two games as the head coach of Colorado? That’s the type of excitement I had coursing through me as I boarded the plane to Patagonia. I’m going to be honest, it was on a bit of a whim. I was staying in Colombia feeling like it had been way too long since I’d seen a live show. So, I popped online, and lucky for me, “Old Man Tiesto” was playing a set in Buenos Aires. Let’s go! Long story short, I headed down to BA and had a fantastic concert experience, but while I was there, I couldn’t help but notice how close I was to Patagonia. I wouldn’t be a true adventurer if I didn’t say, “fuck it,” jump on a plane and explore everything Patagonia had to offer. And that’s just what I did. Like Coach Prime’s Buffalos through two games, Patagonia did not disappoint.
You hear all about the adventure and beauty, but nothing could prepare me for the sights that unfolded before my eyes. The colors in Patagonia just don’t exist in the United States. The deep blues of the glacial lakes contrasting with the yellows of the steppe desert grasslands took my breath away.
It’s truly a magical place. The trails are unreal, the views are majestic, and surprisingly, the food blew me away as well. Patagonia has all of the small-town charm of a Colorado ski town without the massive crowds and never-ending ski lift lines. No wonder 5.9MM people visit it a year (Denver’s ski resorts have about double that.) It’s truly an outdoor wonderland. Beyond visiting Patagoinia’s epic landscapes, I highly recommend Calafate’s main strip. Not only is it the perfect staging place for an adventure, but it’s also like a little Aspen with its quaint shops and cozy restaurants. To quote every girl, “It’s super cute!” experiences below.
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Foodwise, most will come for the spit roast lamb, cooked over an open log fire for several hours until the outside is crisp and the meat falls off the bone. It goes perfectly with a Patagonian craft brew. Cerveza Patagonia originated here but it was bought by Anheuser-Busch. Whatever, it’s still delicious. Amber-colored, strong but drinks easily with a hint of honey that pairs very well with the overall flavor. It carries a (5.5 abv.) For some reason, they also have several (channeling my inner Davey “Pizza” Portnoy) 8.1+ pizza places. Btw, huge fan. I’d 100% fly him out to do a Patagonian Pizza review any time. Moving on… Patagonia also boasts sweet treasures of artisanal chocolate and ice cream which both found their way into my cheat day. You’ll have no problem discovering quality eats scattered up and down main street, Avenida Libertador.
Patagonia offers vistas that very few places on Earth can match. Perito Moreno Glacier, Torres Del Paine, and Tierra de Fuego are the big 3, but you won’t run out of other places to explore in Patagonia. That said, I found no sign of a Patagonia clothing store or even much of their apparel there. I’ll keep an eye out for them when I visit the Chilean side, but a big shout out to Yvon Chouinard for being one of Time’s 100 most influential people in the world. With clothing and gear in mind, let’s do a quick overview of Patagonia’s climate.
Top Experiences In Patagonia Right Now
Patagonia sees a ton of sun during the high season November to March. Not to get too nerdy on you, but the reason for Patagonia’s long sunny days during the summer is due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis near the south pole. Sorry flat earthers, but this means Patagonia experiences a higher sun angle and perhaps, not so coincidentally, extended daylight hours. About 2665 hours a year. It’s important to note that Patagonia’s weather can be highly variable, and even during the summer months, you can still encounter rapidly changing weather conditions, strong winds, rain, and even snow, due to its proximity to the Southern Ocean and the Andes Mountains. Therefore, while the days may be long and sunny, be prepared for rapidly changing weather especially when you’re trekking glaciers, skiing, or mountaineering.
My itinerary was put together super last minute, but I couldn’t have been more pleased with its end results. I flew directly from BA to Calafate and then used Calafate as a rally point to hit the big 3 excursions mentioned above. It’s super convenient. There’s a nice gym, grocery, and of course, the superb main strip. Perito Moreno is only about an hour drive, while Tierra Del Fuego is 3-hours away. El Chalten is about 3.5 hours. To visit Torres Del Paine, I took a bus from Calafate to El Chalten which took about four hours, however, this one was not a day trip. I ended up staying in El Chalten for 3 days and could have stayed longer. It’s an outdoorsman’s wet dream. Jump into the main menu above for more details on Calafate/Chalten itineraries and gear recommendations.
The thought of traveling over 500 miles from the United States to Patagonia is daunting, but it is 100% worth it. An adventurer’s dream, there’s no place on earth like it. Patagonia’s air.dreaming score is 70/100. Click here to see where Patagonia ranks among other top adventure destinations all over the world. This scoring is dedicated to Doug Demuro! Another hero of mine. Next over to the Chilean side!
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