18 of the best things to do in Patagonia

26.06.2024 - 10:09 / lonelyplanet.com

Jun 25, 2024 • 13 min read

Patagonia, covering southern Chile and Argentina, offers more than any person can explore in one lifetime.

This vast, sparsely populated and simply astonishing region encompasses virgin forests, snow-tipped Andean crags that serve as a dividing line between the two countries, myriad glacial lakes and immense stretches of pampas (grasslands). Most of Patagonia's biggest attractions are outdoorsy – from epic road trips and multiday treks to glaciers, prehistoric art and penguin colonies – and therefore weather- and season-dependent, so you have to pick the best time to go depending on your interests. 

Here are some of Patagonia's unmissable experiences.

Arguably South America's finest national park, Chile's 1810-sq-km (699-sq-mile) Torres del Paine is defined by the characteristic bell-shaped Los Cuernos and the trident peaks of Las Torres themselves. Puma, guanaco and condor sightings are frequent, and well-developed infrastructure lets trekkers experience the mountains, lakes, vast glaciers and dense forest along the park's two long-distance hikes in relative comfort. Whether you're hiking the four-day, 69km-long (43-mile) "W" that takes in the park's main highlights (Glacier Grey, the French Valley and Las Torres), or the 113km (70-mile), 7-to-10-day "Circuit" that encompasses a backcountry half-loop as well as the highlights, you can either camp all the way, hike from refugio to refugio, or a mix of the two.  

Planning tip: Note that since hiking permits and accommodations are limited, you have to make arrangements months in advance for the high season (December to February).

An easy day trip from Puerto Madryn in southern Argentina, this UNESCO World Heritage site is renowned for its wildlife, including over 180 species of seabirds. Highlights include taking a boat trip from the village of Puerto Pirámides in search of the endangered ballena franca austral (southern right whale) that comes here to breed from June onward and can be spotted – sometimes even from shore – until mid-December. If you stay land-bound, cross the narrow isthmus and follow the gravel roads along the coastline to spot a massive colony of sea lions from the cliffs at Punta Delgada, elephant seals on the gravel beach at Punta Cantor, and a mix of the two at the remote Punta Norte.

The so-called "Southern Highway" is Chile's most iconic drive, which cuts a 760-mile (1223km) path across the remote Aysén region and its barely touched landscape of dense forest, snow-peaked mountains, volcanoes, isolated pioneer settlements, glacial rivers and misty fjords. Much of the southern section is still not paved; this – along with such other challenges as the lack of phone signal between towns, occasional landslides,