Patagonia trip planning

[fellerr]

Anyone ever been? Looking to take a hiking trip and not sure where to start. Was hoping someone maybe had been there had a travel agency recommendation? I can google it and find some trip guides, but would rather here first hand experiences.

 

[feanor]

Fly into Santiago, take a flight to Punta Arenas and shuttle to Torre Del Paine for the circuit. Unbelievable place.
Perrito Moreno glacier too.
Easy to catch a bus to Fitz Roy in Argentina too. Great hiking to the base from El Chalten.
Lake District is also a surreal spot with volcanoes etc.
Edit : just saw you were asking about a travel agency sorry

 

[Jon_G]

It's on my bucket list to go out there to fish for salmon. Enjoy the trip!

 

[TCUHunter34]

The wife and I went this last January. I don’t have a travel agency to recommend but can say you will have an amazing trip. We did a 4 day horseback excursion near Torres Del Paine. It was truly amazing.

 

[fellerr]

Sounds like the W trek is the way to go!

 

[ColoradoV]

Every time now I fly into Buenos and spend 2-3 days. Stick to the Turon spots or get a bodyguard as it can get dicey after dark..

Head south way south or we ship the gear on buses then catch a flight to San Carlos de Bariloche. Just an amazing town. You can rent the 3 cylinder diesel trucks there. Driver further south across Patagonia to El Bolson and then further to Esquel there is an airport in esquel but the drive is worth it. Usually our destination is Futalafu .. Or Rio Baker rivers. Amazing fishing shoot more birds than your shoulder can take and just an amazing place.

Santiago is cool as well more wine in that are and the Miapo River…. Great spot for wine and great steaks as they take pride in there beef down there…

Pick what you like to do and cater the trip from there. Tons of options to burn a couple months or more. Just have to bounce over the boarder once in a while as it is a 30 day tourist visa…

One of the most special places in the world and once you get out of the City’s very special people and place. If there were mulies in those giant mountains I would be a resident of ….

Quick edit and last words of advice is Chile and Argentina don’t always get along so if you are driving have your paperwork set up to a T!! Dot every single I and cross every single t!! As in the mountain boarder crossings they will be picky and in no and I mean no rush. Guess I am saying don’t be the one leaving a shell in your luggage or it would not end well…..

 

[left field]

Second Bariloche and the towns around it. Just beautiful

I've never had a safety issue in BA. I'm a pretty savvy traveler so don't put myself in stupid situations, but I walked and ate freely everywhere. Local steak is the way you want to go.

Back to Bariloche. I arranged a horseback ride on a local estancia of 3,000 hectares. The woman who picked me up was a third-generation Argentina. Her grandfather came from Texas, purchased 35,000 hectares, and for years, was the only American in Patagonia.

One day, he heard a knock at his door and opened it to find two dusty Americans. They had heard there was another American around and traveled down from Bolivia to meet him.

After lunch, he began to get the idea that they were sketchy guys so he gave some food and supplies for the road and sent them on their way.

Years later, he saw their picture in the paper ... Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid.

 

[Coveyleader]

The south has changed a ton from the 90's, early 2000s. I remember any river, was on, just pull over, fish and on to the next. We had Torres del Paine to ourselves. it was unreal. I had a job down there for a few months, out of Puerto Varas, Chile, and we would drive all the back roads towards Baroloche etc and fish where we pleased. From Puerto Varas, all the the way down to Punta Arenas via Ferry we hit everything we could.

I did a favor for a guy on a tidal guage, and he gave me access to an electric company outlet where they piped fresh water from Lago Chapo into the ocean. If I tried to explain the size of the trout and salmon I caught there, you'd call me a liar. You'd also call me a liar about having many salmon on and watch it get eaten by I assume tuna, some sort of giant fish lurking at the outlet. They were massive. They would come through and the salmon would be pulverized into scales in seconds, the fish jumping out of the water like those carp on the Mississippi trying to avoid being eaten.

I went and retraced the same route about 5 years ago, and the amount of no fishing signs that are now tacked on every other tree was disgusting. It has slowly but surely been "Americanized" Keep in mind It is very expensive, they're shaping it into Europe type ecotourism.

I agree with most above except I have yet to find a place in Chile that offers good steaks. Actually, the food in Chile is pretty bad. Save your meat days for ARG and thank me later. If you're a wine guy, you will enjoy. I never understood it, but I never had a good bottle of Chilean wine outside of Chile. Something happens when it gets exported.

 

[Coveyleader]

Fly into Santiago, take a flight to Punta Arenas and shuttle to Torre Del Paine for the circuit. Unbelievable place.
Perrito Moreno glacier too.
Easy to catch a bus to Fitz Roy in Argentina too. Great hiking to the base from El Chalten.
Lake District is also a surreal spot with volcanoes etc.
Edit : just saw you were asking about a travel agency sorry

Better yet, take a flight to Puerto Mont, and take the ferry from there down! Get off at Puerto Natales, and into Torres