The journey from Puerto Madryn to El Calafate was our longest bus trip to date. Argentina is a massive country (it’s the 8th largest country in the world) and we knew we would have some mammoth bus trips in store for us. Our bus left Puerto Madryn at 7pm and we arrived at our transfer [...]
Following our introduction to Argentina’s Patagonia in the beautiful mountain town of Bariloche, we boarded an overnight bus to cross a vast expanse of nothingness towards a very different part of the region – Puerto Madryn. There, on the Atlantic coast, a huge array of wildlife can be found in and around the ocean, including [...]
Our next stop after Valdivia, Chile took us across the border back into Argentina to a town we’d heard a lot about. Backpackers rave about Bariloche as its stunning landscapes and nature provide a spectacular backdrop for hiking, camping, fishing, cycling, horseriding, kayaking, skiing and paragliding. We were looking forward to soaking up the views [...]
With the taste of disappointment still fresh on our tongues, we walked to the Pucón bus terminal to catch our ride to Valdivia. Still mocking us, the volcano was perfectly clear in sight as there wasn’t a cloud anywhere near it. Boy, had we picked the wrong day to climb… Valdivia was a spontaneous addition [...]
We had first heard about Pucón and the Villarrica Volcano all the way back in Nicaragua, and it was one of the things we were most looking forward to in Chile. On the active Volcan Cerro Negro outside Leon, Nicaragua, we hiked to the top carrying a sandboard, which we used to slide down the [...]
We set off for the Santiago metro to head for the bus terminal. This isn’t something we usually do – taking public transportation with all of our belongings on us. But we’d been told it’s easier to catch buses to our next stop, Valparaiso, from a terminal outside the city center. Once we got off [...]
The road journey between Mendoza, Argentina and Santiago, Chile is supposed to be one of the most spectacular in South America. Having heard this, we booked a morning bus from Mendoza so we wouldn’t miss any of the scenery along the way. As we left the Mendoza Valley, the bus began climbing through the Andean [...]
We left Cordoba heading West to Mendoza, situated in the high plains bordering Chile, with the towering Andes Mountain range in sight. Mendoza is, of course, famous for being the heart of winemaking in Argentina, responsible for nearly two-thirds of the country’s wine production. Having recently visited the white-wine region of Cafayate in the North, [...]
The wines of Cafayate did not disappoint and I was sad to leave this white wine haven. After sampling the Torrontes and Malbec wine sorbets at Heladeria Miranda (yum!), we caught the bus to Tucumán. There, we had to switch buses at 12 midnight for the bus to Cordoba. It was a long night and [...]
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Hiking the “W” Part I – Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
We left El Calafate and Argentina to head across the border, towards Puerto Natales and nearby Torres del Paine National Park. This park is supposed to be one of the most beautiful in Southern Patagonia, offering many different hiking opportunities around its stunning mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, lakes, and rivers. The classic trek through Torres del [...]