PATAGONIA...
Magnificent and Eternal
Patagonia: Valdez Peninsula, Marine elephant female - © Secretariat of Tourism Buenos Aires
Patagonia, Argentina, the finis terrae...uttermost end of the Earth.
A place of myths and legends, where bandits were once made welcome - Buth Cassidy and Sundance Kid chose the Esquel region as their hideout - and Charles Darwin formed part of his "survival of the fittest" theory.
Remember Bruce Chatwin's "In Patagonia" (1997)?
A must-read, exquisite account of his journey through this magical land that remains a masterpiece of literature.
Magnificent and eternal, Patagonia is a land of everlasting snow-capped mountains, ancient ice-blue glaciers, heavenly green forests, rivers, cliffs and fjords...and much more...
It was provably first visited by Amerigo Vespucci in 1501 and later explored by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520.
Throughout 16th. and 17th. centuries the region remained pretty much isolated due to the native population (Tehuelches) and harsh climate conditions.
Late in 19th. century Argentinean ranchers began entering the territory.
Patagonia: Nahuel Huapi National Park - © Secretariat of Tourism Buenos Aires
Argentina's Patagonia encompasses a territory equal to the combined surface areas of Texas and California states(US), 300,000 sq. miles (777,000 sq. km) extending from Rio Colorado (Colorado river) to the Strait of Magellan, and from the Andes to the Atlantic ocean.
Five provinces are part of it...
- Neuquen: (94,078 sq. km)
- Rio Negro: (203,013 sq. km)
- Chubut: (224,086 sq. km)
- Santa Cruz: (243,943 sq. km)
- Tierra del Fuego (47,992 sq. km)
The Chilean portion expands from the VIII Administrative region (Bio Bio) to Tierra del Fuego.
It's composed of two sub-regions: Aysen to the north and Magallanes to its south.
Patagonia: Petrified Forest - © Secretariat of Tourism Buenos Aires
Patagonian Andes is a beautiful region with volcanoes, emerald-green lakes and dense forests.
It's called the Lakes district, with four contiguous National Parks: Lanin and Nahuel Huapy National Park (on the Argentine side), Puyehue and Vicente Peres Rosales National Parks on the Chilean counterpart.
The Southern part is marked by hundreds of glaciers, being the most famous Tierra del Fuego and Torres del Paine National Park.
The Eastern part, also known as the tableland, consists of semi arid wind-swept plateaus covered with grasslands. Since the beginning of colonization, raising livestock, particularly of sheep, it's been a traditional form of livelihood here.
Patagonia Ranch Workers: Gauchos - © Secretariat of Tourism Buenos Aires
In the 1970's, falling wool prices and desertification caused by overgrazing, forced many "estancias" to go out of business. Today, the oil industry as well as the flourishing tourism industry keeps the region well and alive.
The plateau is also rich with marine fossils, dinosaur remains, petrified forests and pre-historic art (Hands Cave and Pinturas River canyon), terminating in cliffs along the Atlantic ocean, and sheltering an infinite number of sea birds, seals, sea lions and penguins.
Valdez Peninsula is a superb example of this.
There is an outdoor attraction to represent every region of Patagonia.
Its adventure options are as varied as the terrain. Patagonia offers a world of possibilities to the outdoor and adventure traveler...
- kayaking
- whitewater rafting
- scuba diving
- trekking / hiking
- skiing / snowboarding
- horseback riding
- mountaineering
- fishing / fly-fishing
- windsurfing
- mountain biking
- paragliding
By the way, there is a pretty interesting book by Lonely Planet Publications that we recommend you to read: "Trekking in the Patagonian Andes" by Clem Lindenmayer.
PATAGONIA PHOTO GALLERY PART TWO
Patagonia is one of the most spectacular destinations in Argentina and a "must-see" place of a lifetime, not to mention a unique South America travel experience...
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