I've been drooling over photos of Patagonia, particularly Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares National Parks for a couple of decades - long before they became hot spots. Both parks are busy now, especially the W Circuit in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. I hope these 30 photos of Patagonia - all in Torres del Paine National Park inspire a trip on your part. Fortunately for us the first four days on the O…
The Torres del Paine trek - which includes the O and W Circuits is nothing short of spectacular. These aren't easy multi-day hikes, especially with full backpacks but they sure are bucket list worthy. You are in for a treat if you head to this part of Patagonia to trek. It's time consuming researching the Torres del Paine trek - be it the O Circuit or the W circuit. I always had questions I could never…
Chances are high if you're planning a visit to Patagonia that you'll fly from Santiago into Punta Arenas, Chile - a seaside city known as the "end of the world." It certainly has that sense about it. It's both bigger, windier and more colourful than I imagined it to be with an overriding sense of loneliness about it, largely because I hardly saw a soul, except on the boardwalk late in the afternoon. Despite its…
I'm super excited to be heading to Torres del Paine National Park in Chile's Patagonia region in January. It's a real holiday - though I'm sure a few of my armchair readers might think that trekking for 8 - 10 days in conditions that can include gale force winds, rain and possible snow doesn't sound like much fun. However the mountains in Paine are like no other place on the planet - and they've been…
Crossing the Andes on the Mendoza to Santiago bus, or vice versa, is a superb way to see some stunning countryside. It's also a heck of a lot cheaper than flying. It's only going to cost you $US30-35 one way for a reserved seat. Plan to do the Mendoza to Santiago bus ride during the day so you can enjoy the views. This post includes some affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase through…
Every trip you take teaches you something - whether about yourself, the country you're visiting, the culture or hard topics like the impact of overpopulation or rising food prices. It all depends on what you're open to learning. My recent trip with my husband, John and good friends, Jo and Ted, to northern Chile and Argentina taught me plenty. Here's what traveling teaches you in Chile and Argentina. I learned 8 lessons over 18 days.…
You can do this, it will be easy, just take one step at a time and breathe deeply! So there we were, Ted and Jo, novice hikers, with world-class mountain hikers Leigh and John, in the middle of nowhere - ok it was the Chilean Atacama Desert. Hot beyond belief, sunny and arid (it rained 11 months ago for an hour). Hey while we're staying at this 5 star resort (Tierra Atacama) let's go climb…
Our goal while in Chile and Argentina is to move between the two countries using public transport wherever possible. Not only is is much less expensive but its a great way to absorb some of the local flavour. We traveled from Chile's Atacama Desert, specifically San Pedro to Salta in northern Argentina by bus. I was less keen on this ride, mainly because of its length - 11 hours. Updated January 2020. This post includes…
Chile's Atacama Desert sits in the northern part of the country. It's one of Chile's three main tourist regions - the others being Patagonia and Easter Island. The Atacama Desert is desolate, dry, forbidding, inhospitable and at first glance you're going to wonder how you're going to find comfort in these surroundings. But the Atacama Desert surprises too. The Moon Valley Chile is located in Los Flamencos National Reserve. It’s moon-like landscape consists of sand dunes,…