Subtle voices in the wind. Hear the truth they’re telling. A world begins where the road ends.
Far Behind, Eddie Vedder

This post reports my trip vacation with my girlfriend in January 2022.

Like all good journeys, it started with a dream, an idea, a concept. And this time, the concept appealing to us was adventure and immersion. An adventure that took us far away by car and an immersion that allowed us to gradually engage in the same culture and locality.

For those leaving Florianópolis in Brazil, moving south seems natural, and just after a short search about Patagônia, we were convinced to choose it as our vacation destination. What?! Swimming with sea-lions?! Walking side a side with penguins? Visiting a glacier? And as a bonus having a massive offer of good wines and meat?! Count me in! At least these were the reasons that made me travel 10.920 km (6.785 miles) by car.

After watching many youtube videos and reading blogs, we set the following itinerary: Florianópolis - Puerto Madryn - El Calafate - El Chaltén - Bariloche - Buenos Aires - Florianópolis. The hardest decision was to cut Ushuaia out from the script, but given the covid restriction at the time, the double frontier between Argentina-Chile-Argentina to get there, and the messy information, it seemed a reasonable decision. Furthermore, just enjoying the other cities would already demand enough time.

The trip to Patagonia would be by route 3 and the way back by route 40. We eagerly waited for the Puerto Madryn’s animals, the El Calafate’s glacier, the El Chaltén’s wildness, the Bariloche’s lakes, and the Buenos Aires' charm.

A bit of context, Argentina has been suffering an inflationary crisis in the last few years, which is undoubtedly unlucky for them but suitable for those who bring foreign currencies. Thus, The prices digits are all high. Lunch? 800 pesos. Hotel? 7000 pesos. Besides, they do all transactions in cash (effectivo) traditionally. So be prepared to carry a bag of money where you go. In the picture below, we flaunt our pesos wealth (LoL) at the left; and you can see a typical Argentina meal (chorizo con papas fritas) at the right.

Chapter 1 - Days 1 to 3 - On the road - From Florianópolis to Puerto Madryn

Our first stop to effectively start enjoying the trip would be Puerto Madryn, which was 3.026 km far from home and would take at least 3 days on the road. On the first day, we moved from Florianopolis to Uruguaiana, a border town with Argentina. On day 2, we left only at 9 am due to the Customs opening hours.

Uruguaiana in Brazil is a well-structured city of average size, but I can’t say the same about the other side of the border. We were surprised when we crossed the border to Paso de Los Libres, which looked like a scenario of western movies with dust and emptiness. Anyway, we could exchange our money using Western Union, and we would also buy the Claro mobile chip if their store wasn’t on shutdown. Then, we decided to buy the chip in another city ahead, following the trip towards Buenos Aires. During the path, we perceived a different reality from Brazil; the highway did not cross any town. We took hundreds of kilometers to understand (remember, we were offline!) that we needed to access the crossroads and move some more km to access the towns. Finally, we bought the chip in Entre Rios.

On day 2, we realized two significant differences between Brazil and Argentina. First, Argentina is a desert; comparing the vegetation density, their Amazon is our Pampas; I mean it literally. And as we move south, the vegetation gets lower; hence, the Argentinian highways are straight lines between two points, not constrained by the typical landforms like Brazil. This was a perfect scenario for a long trip, allowing us to move fast. The second difference is the well-known siesta, which is really ubiquitous there; because of this, we couldn’t buy our mobile chip in the middle of the afternoon. Most stores close after lunch at 2 pm and come back only after 4 pm (a few) or later (5 and 6 pm are more usual).

On day 2, we stopped in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, Luján. On day 3, another day of a plenty road trip, we stopped in General Conesa. And finally, on day 4, we reached our first objective, Puerto Madryn, now officially inside Patagonia.

Chapter 3 - Day 4 to 7 - The animals' land of Patagonia - Puerto Madryn, Península Valdés, Punta Tombo

Although, we moved to the cold and ice (haha). We had a summer week in Puerto Madryn, which by the way, is a beach city. We used day 4 to find a good hotel, rest, and enjoy the Argentinian beach.

On day 5, we snorkeled with the sea lions. In Argentina, they call them sea wolfs as they look like dogs. The snorkeling takes place on an isolated beach, which is the harbor of the sea lions. The beach had ten of males and hundreds of females, true harems. The males are also way bigger than the female. While the females are gentle, soft, and even play with you in the water, the males yell and fight in the sand. This beach is part of a biosphere reserve, so we can’t touch the beach or even the sea floor; all iterations happen only in the water in front of the beach.

On day 6, we went to the peninsula Valdés, which is vast. It has 6 or more points to visit; it takes half or more hours to move between them. Thus, plan the whole day to see the peninsula. There, we observed tons of guanacos (really, it seemed they bloom from the soil haha), lambs, flamingos, elephant seals, a colony of penguins, and an entire island occupied by birds that can be observed with binoculars. Unfortunately, there’s no presence of whales in the summer.

The peninsula has a desert-like scenario bordering the sea of solid blue color; it is very picturesque. There are also salt flats there; we visited the salina chica, which I highly recommend; the salt flats are not very publicized, though.

After the peninsula, we drove until Trelew to stay the night. The next day, day 7, we visited the world’s biggest colony of Magellanic penguins in Punta Tombo, which counts with more than 250 thousand penguin couples!

At the end of the day, we followed to Comodoro Rivadavia. It was tough finding an available room. We spent one hour on the phone until we found it. It was almost midnight when we finally lay down. Comodoro and Trelew are industrial cities with oil companies, one of the few spots of high populational density in Patagonia.

The animal observations were one of the highlights of our adventure that I most recommend. Most people travel by ruta 40 because of the famous lakes; nonetheless, our experience showed that ruta 3 was even nicer, mainly because of the animals.

Chapter 3 - Day 8 to 14 - The land with no summer - El Calafate

On day 8, we had 1.022 km ahead to get to the farthest town of the trip, El Calafate, 4.483 km from home. We spent the whole day driving, reaching our destination at 8 pm. One of the biggest advantages of traveling during summer is the extended daylight periods; the sun was setting at almost 10 pm in El Calafate.

The route between Comodoro and El Calafate gets almost to the end of the ruta 3 (following north-south), next to Rio Gallegos, where we turned to start the ruta 40 (following south-north). At the beginning of the ruta 40, the Andes mountains already appear on the landscape, it is also noticed a growth on the vegetation. Chile is just on the other side of the mountains.

The following day (day 9), we focused on finding a nice place to set for a full week. We also walked around the town, scheduled activities with the adventure agencies, and proved a Patagon risotto (with lamb meat).

Day 10 was the Big Ice day; we visited the Perito Moreno glacier. Photos may mislead the actual size of the things; the glacier wall was massive, it reaches more than 70 meters in height, and that’s only 10% of its size, the other 90% is underwater. This experience was like feeling behind the cameras of a National Geographic show, an incredible landscape!

The next day (day 11), we rode on a bike around Argentino lake; it’s a simple walk but very delightful, I highly recommend it. At the end of the afternoon, we visited the farm 25 de Mayo; this is one of the typical tours in El Calafate and way surpassed my expectations. The tour guide was one of the most pleasant Argentinians we met on the trip; she told us since the town foundations, which was initially a warehouse for the tropeiros (similar to drovers) that took the lamb’s wool until the port of San Júlian at the beginning of the century XX. Also, at that time, Argentina adopted national policies to habitat Patagonia, splitting all land into farms of 20.000 hectares! It is enormous; to present you a glimpse, 20.000 hectares would be a square of 45 by 45 km. Afterward, the tour guide shows part of the farm, like a miraculous garden in the middle of the desert (there) and a gaucho (similar to cowboy) cutting the lamb wool with scissors. At the end of the tour, we had dinner with a local music presentation. Everything was perfectly set!

On day 12, we had a horse ride in the morning, and, despite living at the summer peak, we were got by a cold, intense, and constant wind. The temperature registered 3°C. In the afternoon, to fill up the day, we went to a less-known attraction (but surprisingly good), the Centro de Interpretación Historica de Calafate (Historical Interpretation Center of El Calafate). It presents the colonization region’s history and the native people’s culture, besides dinosaur fossil replicas.

On day 13, we scheduled with a local agency to kayak in the Leona river. This journal had multiple stages; it started kayaking at first, followed by two hours of hiking in an old geological region with the guide’s explanations; later, it returned to kayaking again. Well, I was eager for this journal. We got at 7 am the van that moved us to the beginning point; however, getting there, the weather was terrible; it poured and blew hard, temperate reached 2°C. It was the worst weather we lived in El Calafate. The adventure had to be canceled. The guide took the opportunity to at least take us for a one-hour walk on the mountain just next to the Liona river before we went back to El Calafate.

In the afternoon, we went to the Glaciarium, the ice museum, it is not that funny, though. It has an excellent outlook of lake Argentino. The museum plots a lot of information about the Perito Moreno glacier and also tells a bit about the history of the person Perito Moreto, who was the man! He helped to map the region and actively acted in the political border conflicts between Argentina and Chile.

On the last day in El Calafate (day 14), we visited the lagoon Nimez, a natural bird observatory. The reserve is a charmful spot for a two hours walk at a slow pace; I did not see birds, though. At night, we visited an official bar of the Patagônia beer.

Chapter 4 - Days 15 and 16 - The Argentinian Trekking Capital - El Chaltén

Officially still part of the El Calafate city, but 210 km away from their town, it is the El Chaltén village. This small city is known as the Argentinian trekking capital; its “urban” area has two blocks with a lot of campsites populated by travelers carrying trekking bags all around. The scenery is breathtaking. We already had the feeling of going to a unique spot on the road while we approximated to El Chaltén. Of all the trip landscapes, El Chaltén was the best, in my opinion; El Chaltén is astonishing.

We didn’t book any site beforehand, just as the entire trip. Hence, the first thing we did getting there was to look for a tidy campsite. The Argentinians have the habit of mounting tents just next to their cars; they don’t have a spot apart to park vehicles as is usual in Brazil. This logic eases moving things, but, on the other hand, there is a lot of noise at night because of constant people’s motions. We stayed in El Relincho camping, which is blessed with a brook at its side.

The following day (day 16) was my big day, the Fits Roy trekking (or sendero as called there), which sums to 21 km in total, back and forth. Most of the trail was flat, having only a rising in the first half-hour and at the end, where the challenge really takes place. The final part has a 500 meters elevation, and its path is a bit steep in arid soil with loose boulders; there’s no break on the way, the challenge follows until the end. It took me 4 hours to complete the trail one way. The back was faster. This is the main trail in El Chaltén; therefore, be aware that many people are doing it. Furthermore, during the path, there are two public camping areas for those who wish to shorten the course on the trekking day.

The Fitz Roy is the most prominent rock in the landscape; in its base, where the trail ends, there is a huge lagoon. In the picture, the lagoon seems small, but don’t get the wrong impression; there were around 300 people around it when I arrived. The lagoon is formed by the mountain meltwater, called the lagoon of los Tres. Los Tres what? I haven’t found it yet (haha). A bit ahead, a second lagoon on the left side has more restricted access. I stayed in that environment for a few hours, just laying on the rock, feeling that incredible atmosphere.

We had a short stay in El Chaltén, unfortunately. It would not lack cool activities for a full week there.

Chapter 5 - Day 17 to 21 - The seven 7 lakes region - Bariloche

We left El Chaltén early in the morning on day 17. It was a complete road day, 1.250 km until the city of Esquel. The landscape changed a lot during the journal, leaving the typical Patagonia dryness to the arrival of mountains full of pine trees. At night, we had a problem finding any available room. We were used to not finding rooms in the first trials, but the seven lakes region would be much more difficult. When we got to Esquel around 10 pm, we spent one and half-hour seeking a room, but the town counted with none available. Luckily, in the end, we were welcomed by a campsite, which was almost full too, and we could set up the tent after midnight.

During our stay in El Calafate, the city had many tourists; after all, it was summer. Nevertheless, Bariloche and vicinities (Esquel, Villa La Angostura, and San Martin de Los Andes), which are closer to Buenos Aires, were crowded, and consequently, the hotel pricing was very high. If we paid 7.000 pesos in El Calafate for a nice spot; differently, in Bariloche, the prices started at 14.000 pesos for the simplest spaces.

Here, I will start a controversy. While planning the trip, I noticed a preference to choose the way on the ruta 40 (Pacífico/Andes) and the back on the shorter ruta 3 (Atlantic); this choice is usually explained by the 7 lakes, which are amazing, but just last 200 km of the path. We did the reverse, the way on the ruta 3 and the back on the ruta 40; in the end, we most liked the ruta 3 attractions, such as the animals' observations and its coast to the Atlantic ocean. I think after El Calafate and El Chaltén, our eyes got used to seeing astonishing landscapes, such that Bariloche and its surroundings did not impact us. Furthermore, we saw a lot of mess at the town entrance, which did not match our expectations. Their attractions are beautiful; however, I believe the best options for the summer are engaging in the lake activities, such as kayaking, sailing, and on.

Returning to the report, on day 18, we ate a pizza at night. It has a different approach from the usual Brazilian pizza, but very tasteful. The paste is thicker and porous, followed by high-quality tomato sauce and cheese.

On day 19, it poured all day; however, it did not stop us from following the chico route, where you visit Bariloche’s main attractions. In the morning, we went to the Swiss colony. Despite the name, it looked more like a hippie spot, including a hippie fair and many camping areas. Despite that, the place also had nice restaurants and bakeries with amazing chocolates.

On the same day, we visited the mini-fabric of the Patagonia beer, which yields the drinks consumed in the local bar. It was one of the coolest moments of the trip and an indispensable visit for all beer lovers. We were fortunate to get a spot for the fabric visit, which allowed us to stay in the bar after the visit. To get access to the bar, you need to book it beforehand, and, as I said, Bariloche is too crowded in the summer, so it is important to book it a few days before to guarantee a spot on the bar. The bar has a privileged outlook at the side of a lake. The place also has a hop plantation.

On day 20, it poured all day too, and I felt a bit sick. Although, we have a guided visit to the Havanna chocolate museum. We found it tiresome; the guide spoke super-fast, running over all the information. Finally, we were left in the Havanna store, which had expensive prices.

The sun came back on day 21. This day we went by chair lift to Campanário mountain. The view up there is just breathtaking. Afterward, we follow to Villa La Angostura, an elegant and well-done village. It was even crowder than Bariloche. Next, we drove for 110 km up to San Martin de Lons Andes, finally bordering the famous seven lakes. There are many viewpoints and escapes on the way.

At the end of the day, we moved to our final destination: Buenos Aires, the porteña metropole. We stopped in Piedra del Águila that day.

Chapter 6 - Dia 22 a 24 - The charming city - Buenos Aires

The following day (day 22), we did the longest road drive, 1.350 km! Leaving at 5h30 am a getting to the hotel in Buenos Aires at 8 pm.

Honestly, I did not know what to expect about Buenos Aires. The trip goal had been Patagonia, and I practically did not do any research about Buenos, which was optional in our plan. Nevertheless, at first glance, this metropole positively surprised me, and our choice to stay two days there was worth it.

At the town entrance, I was surprised by the vast highways; at some moment, I got the impression of having ten lanes on each side of the road. From the city entrance to town, it took one hour. After we arrived at the hotel, we just left for dinner in a nearby restaurant.

Restaurants in Argentina are a kind of church because it is always a rite. There’s no such thing as fast meals; everything takes time. It’s long to be welcomed, long to serve the food, and eating is slow; the food is always good, though, always pasta or beef. But, after 20 trip days, I started to miss the typical diversity of the Brazilian meal.

On day 23 in the morning, we went to some downtown attractions, such as casa rosada, a theater, some parks, and the church the Papa Francisco used to pray. Unfortunately, many places we couldn’t get in given the Covid restrictions. In the afternoon, we went to the Belas Artes, which exhibits paintings since the Middle Age, a fabulous museum. Afterward, we visited the famous bookstore, El Ateneo Grand Splendid; it occupies an old theater; we were enchanted by the place. Buenos Aires has a charming downtown with many classical and grand buildings; its streets are surrounded by the green of the trees.

At night, we went to a tango concert. Tango is a drama! First, a full meal is served, with entrance (soup), the main option (chorizo), and a dessert. The concert was terrific and indispensable to better know the local culture.

On the second day in BSA (day 24), we went to the grad cemetery of the wealthy Argentinians. I’d never thought I would like to visit a cemetery, but it was interesting. It had a contest between the affluent families building the most incredible plot.

Next, we moved to the Evita Péron museum, which exhibits the life of this notorious Argentinian character that inspired the famous song Don’t Cry for Me Argentina. The museum is interesting. In one hour’s visit, you go through the complete life of Evita, which was an artist before marrying one of the most influential politicians from the 1940s. In this decade, she also turned into an icon of social fights and women’s representation. She passed away at the early age of 33 years.

In the afternoon, we went to the Tortoni coffeehouse, it has a classic spot founded in 1856. And at night, we walked by Puerto Madero.

Day 25 was our departure day from Argentina. In the morning, we drove almost 700 km to the border city of Paso de Los Libres. There, we took the opportunity to buy as much wine as possible (haha). We bought two boxes of 6 wines each. Later, we checked these wines were 3 to 6 times cheaper in Argentina than in Brazil. We stayed the night in São Vicente do Sul/RS on this day. And in half of day 26, our adventure ended after 10.920 km drove on the road.

Final impressions

Patagonia is just amazing! Traveling by car led us to an immersive experience in which we could slowly perceive the culture and scene changes, little a little through the car window. Mountains turned into plains, and trees became bushes. If I could, I would stay at least two months there, and it wouldn’t lack exciting things to engage in.

Argentina is a lovely country with a very different culture from Brazil that is worth the ticket. The country counts with a significant number of museums and exhibitions where you go. Besides, sometimes when you go in the middle of nowhere, and there is a single store or restaurant, they don’t take advantage of charging high prices, usually keeping the standard price; I found it a friendly attitude.

Argentina has an enormous territory. Patagonia’s distances are always hundreds of kilometers. Their roads are always straight and well maintained, making it possible to move faster and to accomplish long distances. Furthermore, their gas price is very low.

Meat, pasta, bakery products, and wine are spectacular in Argentina. On the other hand, do not count on nice fresh fruits, vegetables and more variety of food as in Brazil.

I’d travel to Patagonia at least 100 more times (haha). El Calafate and El Chaltén have my heart. I found Bariloche overestimated in the summer; it can be a different story in the winter. Unlike most people, I think ruta 3 is underestimated; The Patagonia animals' land (Puerto Madryn and vicinities) is extraordinary, and travel bordering the sea to the strait of Magellan is breathtaking. In the end, Buenos Aires is the cherry on the cake.

That’s all. Hope this post may contribute to your plans or inspire you on something. All the best!