Patagonia

Vast and empty, wind-swept and barren, a contrast of mountains and ice, home to millions of sheep and guanacos, Patagonia sits at the southernmost tip of Argentina and is an awe-inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime trip for many travelers.

Here, dusty frontier towns like El Chaltén and El Calafate are the jumping-off points for world-class trekking in the region and exploration of the jaw-dropping Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. El Calafate sits on the turquoise Lago Argentina where visitors descend the three-mile-wide Perito Moreno glacier to observe its huge columns of ice–and the adventurous even hike on it.
Patagonia conjures up intense emotions. You may want to pretend you’re Darwin or British writer Bruce Chatwin pioneering through lone Patagonia. It’s that epic.

Ingredients

Ice, Ice Baby
Patagonia, Argentina

Most folks arriving in Patagonia want to see serious ice.Perito Moreno’s smooth catwalks make it easy to arrive at the front wall of the glacier for a bird’s eye view of its staggering dimensions that spans over three miles. For the full experience, strap on a pair of crampons and head out on a guided hike over the azure ice to appreciate glacier’s scale and ecosystem. Further north near El Chaltén is the Viedma Glacier, a favorite hiking spot for the intrepid.

Estancia Life
Patagonia, Argentina
ESTANCIAS ARE THE BLOOD OF PATAGONIA WHERE SHEEP FARMING IS A WAY OF LIFE. A day on an estancia gives you a unique glimpse into daily life in this far flung corner of the world. Saddle up with the resident gauchos, wise men and experts in the local flora and fauna, for a few hours of exploration on horseback. Or witness the beautiful process of sheep shearing in the early summer months (November-December). To this day, many of the same techniques and machinery are employed to shear the flocks.
Set Sail
Patagonia, Argentina
Set sail on a catamaran on the teal-colored Lago Argentino, the largest lake in Argentina. With its limpid blue, icy waters, icebergs are molded by the water in different shades of blue and grey. Set sail towards the Upsala Glacier, descending in the historic Estancia Cristina. From here, set off on a spectacular trek through the Fossil Ravine towards the view of the glacier where dinosaur bones and Jurassic-era plants are time-capsuled in rocks. After, chow down on an authentic lamb barbeque before sailing home in time for sunset.

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Things We Love

Buen Dia!: Trust us. It’s worth rising before the crack of dawn to witness the absolute marvel of the sunrise over Lago Argentino from Eolo. As a new day is born, the sky turns pink, purple, and fuschia, as the orange rays illuminate the horizon. The lake changes from sapphire to turquoise. The horizon is illuminated. Mesmerizing is an understatement.

Contemplative Coziness: Patagonia can be windy, cold, and inclement, even on a sunny day. We are perfectly content some afternoons to stay cozy inside and find a quiet spot to appreciate the changing light and clouds as they race across the sky. Find a comfortable armchair to gaze for hours through Eolo’s picture glass windows at the golden-hued landscape and the icebergs floating on Lago Argentino in the distance. A warming cup of tea, or Malbec, is the perfect companion.

Heart-Pounding Treks: For serious hiking enthusiasts, Patagonia is a veritable Mecca. You can hike on ice on the Perito Moreno and Viedma glaciers (2 and 5-hour walks with crampons), or head out onto the trails near El Chaltén. From Cerro Frias, on a clear day, you can take in stunning views of Lago Argentino to the east and the Torres del Paine to the west.

Searching for flavors; the honest
and the meaningful

Hotels

Eolo

Outside the town of El Calafate on the eastern face of Mount Frias, this chic modern ranch pays homage to the old estancias with its corrugated zinc walls and gabled roofs. Inside, the décor is sophisticated yet homey with comfy corduroy-upholstered armchairs, leather sofas, and chunky wooden tables. Guest rooms have cushy beds made up with crisp white linens and fluffy duvets and wall-to-wall sisal carpet punctuated by local wool rugs. There are captivating views from nearly every window at every hour of the day as the light is constantly changing. While the perfect base to explore the region, you can also trek or go horseback riding literally out the front door.

From our Journal

In Search of Flavor, Episode 28: Rodrigo Romero on Extreme Wines from the Chilean Patagonia

  In this episode of the ‘In Search of Flavor’ podcast, winemaker Rodrigo Romero  joins us to talk about his wine personal project, Trapi del Bueno, located in the far south of Chile in the country’s lake district, not far from where Northern Patagonia begins. Rodrigo, whose winemaking career spans nearly three decades from university […]

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In Search of Flavor, Episode 27: Cecilia Diaz Chuit on Mendoza’s Magic

  Nestled at the feet of the towering Andes Mountains with more than 320 days of sunshine each year, Mendoza is a region defined by wine, much the way Bordeaux or Napa is. After all, it’s the world’s fourth largest wine producing region. Mendoza, however, is more than vineyards and wine cellars. It’s a place […]

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Chile’s Charms: Glaciers, Desert, and Great Wine

Chile stretches like a thin noodle down the South American continent with the wild Pacific crashing to the west and the snow-capped Andes forming a jagged backbone to the east. This long extension of latitudes is responsible for the country’s thrillingly diverse range of cuisine, wine, and landscapes to explore. In the north, Chile has […]

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