Thirty years ago, the seaside town of Puerto Natales didn’t have a single traffic light, but it was already the gateway to Torres del Paine – even though many of those on a Patagonia expedition were shoestring backpackers who thumbed their way to Chile’s most famous national park. Most of them stayed in town only […]

When I first saw Ushuaia, in the summer of 1979, not many foreign visitors were enjoying Patagonia adventure cruises there. Argentine and Chile had only recently avoided war over several small islands in the famous Beagle Channel and, in a seaside city with only about 11,000 inhabitants – it has more than five times that […]

Travel Documents Ensure your passport is up-to-date and is valid for at least another six months. Check if you require a visa or to pay a reciprocity fee for entry into Argentine and/or Chile.   Ensure you’re covered with insurance for any medical emergencies abroad. Flights into Patagonia Argentina: Ezeiza International Airport (EZL) Buenos Aires […]

The Ojos del Salado lake in the Andes is the world’s highest lake. It is situated on the eastern face of Ojos del Salado, the world’s highest active volcano. The volcano and lake are part of the Andes mountain range, straddling the Chilean and Argentinean borders. No adventure vacation to South America is complete without a trek […]

Argentina’s El Chalten hiking trails are a must-do for the adventurous Patagonia traveller. El Chalten is part of the Los Glaciares National Park, home (perhaps unsurprisingly) to more glaciers than anywhere else in Patagonia. Though there is plenty to do in Los Glaciares, El Chalten is decidedly all about hiking. There are many different hiking trails to […]

Dominating the surrounding area and visible from practically every corner of Bariloche, Lago Nahuel Huapi is a stunning stretch of crystalline water in the Lake District of Argentina. While Bariloche makes for an excellent place to kick back, enjoy delicious food and Argentine craft beer for a few days, adventure enthusiasts can be satisfied in […]

A Patagonia cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. No other cruise destination can offer the vast scope of sights and experiences. If you’re planning a Patagonia cruise trip, this guide is for you. Australis has been operating cruises to Patagonia for decades. In that time,so we’ve developed truly expert knowledge of the region. In this guide, […]

Rising out of the Beagle Channel and ringed by the snowy, white peaks of the Martial Mountains in the north, Ushuaia certainly feels at the far edge of the South American continent, if not the world. An embarkation point for cruises through the fjord systems of Chilean Patagonia to Punta Arenas and out along the […]

Considered the world’s southernmost indigenous group, the Yaghan people once paddled through the remote, isolated channels of Tierra del Fuego in the very south of Patagonia. But the arrival of Europeans to South America saw a culture that had learned to survive in some of the most extreme conditions on the planet practically driven to […]

From the sharp peaks of the Andes Mountains to the windswept plains of the pampas, Patagonia is a region containing a variety of ecosystems and habitats, making it an excellent place for a holiday observing wild animals. But how do you go about planning a vacation where you’re guaranteed to catch a glimpse of an elusive […]