Why should someone travel to Patagonia?

Patagonia is a far remote land of vastly untouched natural beauty. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, photography buff, avid hiker, cultural traveler, international foodie, or just looking for a place where you can truly get away, Patagonia has something for everyone. With it’s vast and diverse landscape, towering jagged peaks, arid high deserts, prehistoric ice fields, and temperate rain foresters, Patagonia is one of Earth’s last truly wild places. It’s an experience unlike any other.

Is it expensive to travel to Patagonia?

Much like most travel destinations, the amount of money you spend completely depends on how you want to experience the location. Patagonia offers plenty of options for low budget travel (hostels for accommodation, buses for transportation, etc), and the general cost of living for things like food and services is pretty low by American and European standards. The two expenses that you can’t get around are the flights, and (if you so choose) the rental car.

Flights will always be somewhat expensive to this region, but you can get around a lot of those hefty fares by packing light and booking each leg separately. This allows you to use local airlines like Sky and LATAM which are substantially cheaper.

If you decide to rent a car, know going into it that it’s going to be expensive and logistics heavy.

Do I need a rental car in Patagonia?

This completely depends on your itinerary and how much ground you are trying to cover in what amount of time. For most one-two week trips, a rental car is not necessary. You can get to and from Punta Arenes, El Calafate, and El Chalten easily by bus from Puerto Natales. However, there are some places that the buses do not run to. One of these is Puerto Rio Tranquillo - where you will find Chile’s famous Marble Caves. It is extremely difficult to get to this location or travel this region without renting a car.

I don’t have time for a long trip. Where should I go with only about a week of vacation time?

It is so difficult to decide between all of the amazing destinations Patagonia has to offer, but if I had to pick just one spot, I would say Torres del Paine National Park. Often called “Chilean Patagonia’s crown jewel,” Torres del Paine is the #1 must see place for anyone traveling to Patagonia. If this is not your first trip to Patagonia and you’ve been to Torres del Paine before, then I would recommend El Calafate & El Chalten. These two towns are only a short 2.5 hour bus ride apart and offer attractions like the Perito Moreno Glacier and Mt. Fitz Roy.

I’m planning on camping in Torres del Paine. Should I bring my own gear or rent it?

I am a major believer in always schlepping your own gear. Not only do you already know how it performs, you are used to using it and know it’s limitations. Getting a rental tent, sleeping pad or mess kit means you never know exactly what you’re getting. The last thing you need on the trail is a tent with a hole in it… Lastly, even though there are loads of camping gear rental locations throughout Puerto Natales, there are equal loads of hikers all vying for that gear. If for whatever reason you absolutely must rent gear, be sure to test it thoroughly before heading up to the park so that you can request an exchange if anything isn’t totally up to scratch.