Deep Patagonia – From Bariloche To El Calafate

We will leave Bariloche to take Route 40 south direction, bordering Gutiérrez and Mascardi lakes to reach the town of El Bolsón, a quiet town at the foot of Piltiquitrón hill. We will learn about the history of this small town and its traditional and colorful handicraft market, the best in Patagonia. After lunch, we will return to the route to enter the 38th Parallel Region, passing through Cholila and Villa Rivadavia, two rural villages located in the valley of Rivadavia Lake. From there we will arrive at the north portal of Los Alerces National Park. Once we get access to the park we will border the Rivadavia, Menéndez and Futalaufquen lakes, making a few stops. If you wish, we can hike for about two hours crossing the Arrayanes river and continuing through the Menéndez and Verde lakes, where we can admire the magnificent flora of the park and the incredible blue and green colors of the lakes and the river. Night in Arrayanes National Park

From Los Alerces National Park we head to the town of Esquel, passing through the beautiful valley of the Percey River. We will return to National Route 40 towards the immensity of the Patagonian steppe. As Route 40 moves south, it also veers towards the center of the province of Chubut, and after passing the towns of Tecka and Gobernador Costa where the steppe landscape is dominated by coirones and grasslands, deep Patagonia. In the middle of the afternoon we will arrive at the town of May River, located in Senguer River, famous for its sheep ranches producing excellent quality wool. After passing May River we will arrive at the city of Perito Moreno, where we will make a detour to reach Los Toldos, a key point in Patagonia Park where we will enjoy a unique night in a steppe hut/shelter.

From our hut/ shelter, we will leave early going through an internal path of the ranch to reach the formidable Pinturas River Canyon where we will take a one-hour walk descending the canyon, then crossing the river and ascending on the other side, to arrive at the natural eaves where are the paintings. The walls of the canyon house cave paintings from four different periods between 9,300 and 1,300 years old, being one of the oldest artistic manifestations of the original natives of South America. The place was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. You can also get to the cave with vehicles, traveling an unpaved road lasting one hour from Route 40. After visiting the paintings, we will go to the town of Los Antiguos (The Ancients), located on the shores of Buenos Aires Lake, where we will spend the night.

From Los Antiguos we take Camino del Monte Zeballos (Monte Zeballos path) 160 km unpaved scenic route that covers four different environments: steppe, Andean forest, high prairies and high mountains. We will start from an altitude of 200 m, going through the spectacular valley of the Jeinimeni river, bordering Chile. Then we will enter a forest area, where we will make some stops before ascending to the highest point of the route, at 1,500 m high, with impressive views of Monte Zeballos, surrounded by basaltic dikes and sandstone cones. From this point we will also begin to see San Lorenzo Mount (3,706 m), and we will continue to see it along the descent. After having lunch next to a lagoon where we can observe a large number of water birds. We will continue to the turnoff to the Roballos pass and from there we will cross several sheep ranches before reaching Posadas Lake, where we will spend the night

We will dedicate the morning to make a tour around Posadas and Pueyrredón lakes, one of the most pristine areas of Argentine Patagonia, surrounded by impressive geological formations. We will arrive at the mouth of the Oro River, where we will be able to do a small trekking ascending the canyon towards San Lorenzo Mount to reach a natural viewpoint, following in the footsteps of the Salesian priest, Alberto de Agostini. After lunch we will travel 75 km of gravel road that separates Posadas lake from Route 40, to continue along to the south to the Perito Moreno National Park, where we will stay at a Patagonian Ranch, an authentic and traditional one where we can enjoy watching birds in the afternoon and authentic Patagonian cuisine accompanied by the stories of the inhabitants.

From the ranch we will continue along the old route of Route 40, made of gravel, trying to identify the large herds of guanacos that blend into the terrain, and perhaps we will have the fortune to find the king of Patagonia, the puma. Back on the pavement we will reach Tres Lagos, where we will make a brief stop before continuing to El Chaltén, the Argentine capital of trekking, with countless attractions for mountaineers and climbers. The most iconic peaks are Fitz Roy Mount (3,405 m) and Torre hill (3,102 m), which attract climbers from all over the world due to their extreme technical difficulty. If the weather conditions are good, this route offers magnificent landscapes, with impressive views of the Fitz Roy massif and the Viedma glacier, both in Los Glaciares National Park. In the afternoon we can walk through the town and take a short walk to the viewpoints.

You will be able to choose our trail for the trekking day to get to know one of the most beautiful places in the world for it. Our menu of options covers all kinds of demands and physical conditions, from easy walks such as the Los Cóndores and Las Águilas viewpoints (2 hours), moderate walks such as the Torre lagoon (7 hours), and the Los Tres lagoon. (9 hours) or to the viewpoint of the Pleated Tumbado (9 hours). Our team will provide you with all the necessary information to live the vibrant experience of recognizing the region.

Early in the morning, we will say goodbye to El Chaltén to travel the 215 km to El Calafate, the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park, where the famous Perito Moreno Glacier is located. The Park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981. On the way we will enjoy magnificent views of the Viedma lake and glacier, La Leona and Santa Cruz rivers and the Argentino lake. Arriving at El Calafate, we check into our hotel and continue to Los Glaciares National Park, where we will spend the afternoon contemplating the Perito Moreno glacier. Walking along the footbridges located at different levels we will enjoy excellent views of the glacier, which is 5 km wide and has an average altitude of 74 m. Night in El Calafate, goodbye dinner.

This day we will say goodbye, free day to enjoy the region until the time to go to the airport. Transfer to the airport. End of our services.