PATAGONIA

To the majority of the world, Argentina is famous for two things: The Tango of Buenos Aires and its vast southern region known as Patagonia.

Patagonia borders east with the Atlantic Ocean and west with the Andes mountain range. Wide windswept sandy beaches and high sedimentary rocks formations characterize the Atlantic coast. The landscape extends south, all the way to the southern tip of the continent and is bordered by the Andean forests to the west. The climate in the “steppa” is arid and windy and the landscape is dominated by shrubby vegetation. The Andean side is largely comprised of dense beech wood forests that thrive in this climate that gains its humidity from the Pacific Ocean. These forests extend to an altitude of 1800 m. The Continental Ice Cap, located in the Southwest, including the glacier Perito Moreno, is one of the largest reserves of fresh water in the world.

ATLANTIC PATAGONIA

An obligatory stop for anyone traveling along the Atlantic Coast of Argentina is the Peninsula Valdez, located in the province of Chubut. This area is famous for its Southern Right Whale Sanctuary. This fauna reserve was declared a Whale Sanctuary by the International Whale Commission and was given Humankind Patrimony by the United Nations in 1999. The massive Right Whales return to Patagonia every year to breed and the sight is awe-inspiring. A variety of other spectacular marine-life is prevalent here and can be seen on many of the peninsula’s wide beaches including penguins, sea lions, elephant seals, killer whales and a number of bird species. The peninsula is linked to the coast by a strait of land bathed by the ocean. The yellowish, arid terrain spectacularly contrasts with the turquoise ocean. The only urbanized area on the peninsula is the town of Puerto Piramides, strategically located right over the Nuevo Gulf and protected by natural reefs that shelter the marine fauna. Due to this location, tourists are able to see the whales right from the beach. The town of Puerto Piramides is entirely dependent on the eco-tourism industry.

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More About the South Atlantic Right Whale

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This species is one of the eleventh largest in the world. The whale is toothless and therefore it won’t bite! Instead of teeth, the whale has something which can best be described as a beard that it uses to filter plankton, its main food source. The whale breathes through two holes located on its head and has an almost entirely black body. Distinctive white markings located on the abdomen and calluses on the head enable scientists to identify individual whales. The whales reside along the Peninsula Valdez from June to October, the period in which they give birth and find a mate. As is the case with many of the great species on this planet, the Right Whale is endangered and the entire population is estimated to be no more than 5000. In Argentina, the province of Chubut has instituted strong programs to protect the surviving whales and the National Congress has declared the whale a Natural Monument. Strict regulations ensure that only authorized vessels can give tours and also denote fixed areas where the whales can be approached. Notwithstanding these regulations, the activity is still intrusive and the local area is affected by a heavy seasonal influx of tourism which impacts the very fragile environment.

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Punta Tombo and the Magellean Penguin

Located at 110km south of Trelew, Punta Tombo is an area protected for the Magellanic Penguin which nests here. The penguin was first discovered by Magellan on his famous trip to the Southern Hemisphere and now bears his name. The female penguin lays her eggs in October and they have an incubation period of about a month and a half. The eggs begin to hatch in the middle of November and both the male and female take the responsibility for feeding their offspring. In January the young penguins shed their baby feathers and are ready to begin swimming in the sea where they train for their migration to the north in March.

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PATAGONIAN ANDES

The Andes stretch from the south of the province of Mendoza to Tierra del Fuego, or “Land of the Fire”. The area is very diverse and includes areas of mountains, forests, lakes, glaciers, continental ice cap and the Fitz Roy massif. The climate here is also cold but unlike the east, it is significantly wetter.

The area is full of National Parks including, from North to South, the National Parks of “Lanin”, the 750,000 hectare “Nahuel Huapi” which was the first national park in Argentina, “Los Alerces”, named for the beautiful ancient trees found here and “Los Glaciares”.

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Province of Neuquen

Neuquen is located on the northwestern border of Argentine Patagonia. The Andes run from north to south across the western side of the province. The area contains a number of volcanoes, most of which are no longer active and mountains covered with volcanic sands. The areas we visit also contain pristine lakes, green valleys, and forests of a mix of many tree species unique to the area. “Araucaria” forests in particular are formed by Araucaria Araucana, a prehistoric tree unique to the area and sacred to the Mapuche Indians. These trees once covered a large portion of Patagonia, however, the formation of the Andes 150 million years ago diminished their range and mixed Andean forests. This area has a high concentration of Mapuche population. The Mapuche community of Argentina consists of about 90,000 people and they are currently attempting to recover their traditional lands that they lost when the area was conquered by European settlers. The Mapuche economy is based on sheep and goat farming, craft production and such trades as shearing and fruit collection, organized in producer and consumer cooperatives. Some of the Mapuche communities are active in the tourist industry and offer such services as camp sites, guiding, and cooking to go along with more traditional activities such as craft making.

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Province of Rio Negro

In the Andean portion of the Province of Rio Negro the Andean forests are quickly replaced by the steppe. There is also a huge change in climate as one travels along the West-East axis and average rainfall drops from 4000ml to 1000ml in just 50km. The climate varies from moderately warm to cold and the precipitation varies greatly because of the climatic effect created by the Andes chain. This large variation means that the area is home to three distinctive vegetation zones: Andean-Patagonian forests, transition forests (called “ecotono”) and steppe bush land. The area with the highest rate of annual rainfall is “Valdivian” forest that stretches all the way to Chile due to the same humid climate on both sides of the Andes. These forests are practically impenetrable.

The major tourist attractions of the area are Bariloche and San Martin de los Andes. Commonly referred to as simply Bariloche, this popular tourist town is located 1680km from Buenos Aires in Andean Patagonia. The city and its surroundings are dominated by mountain ranges with peaks reaching 3500m, heavy precipitation, rivers, lakes, glaciers and evergreen forests. All around Bariloche extends the “Nahuel Huapi” National Park, a large protected area of about 750,000 hectares.

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SOUTH PATAGONIA - The Glaciers

In the Province of Santa Cruz, at the southwestern part of the continent we find the The Glaciers National Park (“Los Glaciares”): a complex and huge system of glaciers, which together consist of the biggest water reservoir on earth.

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The most popular tourist attraction in this region is the incredible “Perito Moreno” glacier, located in “Los Glaciares” National Park. The town itself is located on beautiful Lake Argentino, which is filled by the runoff from a number of glaciers. This area contains one of the largest water reserves in the world known as the Patagonian Continental Ice Cap. While there are a number of Glaciers in the area, “Perito Moreno” is the unchallenged star of the lot. This is largely due to its close proximity to the town and the fact that it is accessible by car. The view is incredible as it is possible to watch the glacier breaking off mammoth chunks of ice that crash into the frigid water below. A tour to “Perito Moreno” includes a scenic walk along safely constructed footbridges and for those in search of something more adventurous, a mini-trek on the glacier itself. While “Perito Moreno” is definitely the star, the supporting cast should really not be ignored. Several lake-tours are offered to visit the spectacular glacier “Upsala”, with ice flows barrier, the Onelli area and the Spegazzini and Seco.



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To access to this area we stop in the village of El Calafate, a typical tourist seasonal town, which bears the name of a local wild fruit similar to the blueberry. You will be certain to be told, “he who eats the Calafate will come back” and it is highly recommended that you try it because you will certainly want to return to this beautiful area of Patagonia.

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Province of Tierra del Fuego

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Ushuaia: A Trip To The End Of The World

Ushuaia is the world’s southernmost city, located in the Province of Tierra del Fuego on an island in an archipelago of forested islands. The development of the city has been largely due to a perceived Argentine necessity to consolidate their presence in the territory. In the first stage, the city grew up around a high security prison; when this closed its doors to prisoners the national state promoted a series of laws to encourage factories to move their operations and gave high salary incentives and benefits to the workers.

Ushuaia is now a charming tourist city, the area is full of fjords, channels, forests, steppes and a multitude of sea birds. The options for visitors to the region include the Tierra del Fuego National Park, “Lapataia” Bay, Lake “Fagnano”, the Train to the End of the World, and the Beagle Channel. The port serves for cruise ships, Antarctic ships and fishing vessels often overflowing with spider crabs. Tourist tours across the Beagle Channel offer beautiful views of the channel, “Les Eclaireurs” Lighthouse and small rocky islands whose only inhabitants are seals and sea birds.

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