Southern Patagonia was settled one estancia at a time, by pioneers who drove sheep into land with no roads and built in wood and corrugated iron against the wind. Some of those ranches still run sheep and now open their doors to a handful of guests. This journey sleeps in four of them, two nights each and three at the last, so that the national parks are seen from the inside of the life that grew around them: from a lakeshore below Fitz Roy, from a valley at the foot of the mountains, from inside Los Glaciares and from a working ranch in sight of the towers of Paine.
Day 1 · To Estancia Helsingfors on Lago Viedma
Highlight · Evenings by a large fireplace at Helsingfors, on the shore of Lago Viedma.
Drive · 180 km · last 70 km gravel
From the airport the road heads north on the Ruta 40, with views over Lago Argentino, Lago Viedma and, above all, Fitz Roy, before the last 70 km of dirt to Estancia Helsingfors, inside the national park, on the shore of Lago Viedma. Evenings here are spent around a large fireplace, with Argentine wines and regional cooking.
Night · El Calafate
Day 2 · A day at Helsingfors
Highlight · Laguna Azul and its glacier, reached on foot or horseback through lenga woods.
A whole day on the land, with Helsingfors' own guides: on foot or on horseback through lenga woods and up river valleys to the Laguna Azul and its glacier, on a long walk to the remote Lagunas del Morro, or riding along the beaches of Lago Viedma under Fitz Roy. Boats to the Viedma glacier, or trout fishing on the water, are arranged on the spot when the weather allows.
Night · El Calafate
Day 3 · To El Chaltén
Highlight · Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, with Egger, Poincenot and Saint-Exupéry around them.
Drive · 180 km · 70 km gravel
Back along the 70 km of dirt and on to El Chaltén. From town the trails need no guide for the shorter routes, and every one of them looks at Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, with Egger, Poincenot and Saint-Exupéry around them. The night is at Estancia Bonanza, outside town.
Night · El Chaltén
Day 4 · El Chaltén
Highlight · Lago del Desierto, silvery water in a green valley closed by snow peaks.
A free day for the walks to the Torre or Fitz Roy viewpoints, or for the drive north along the Río de las Vueltas to Lago del Desierto, a lake of silvery water in a green valley closed by snow peaks.
Night · El Chaltén
Day 5 · Around Lago Viedma to Los Glaciares
Highlight · Around Lago Viedma and across the steppe to a ranch inside the national park.
Drive · 3 h · paved
Back south, around Lago Viedma and across the steppe, about three hours to El Calafate and 56 km more to Estancia Nibepo Aike, inside Los Glaciares National Park.
Night · El Calafate
Day 6 · The Perito Moreno glacier
Highlight · The walkways of the Perito Moreno, then the ranch on horseback or on foot.
The glacier walkways are only 40 km from Nibepo Aike. The rest of the day goes to the ranch itself, on horseback or on foot.
Night · El Calafate
Day 7 · Across the border to Torres del Paine
Highlight · Herding and horse training on a working ranch close to the park.
Drive · 376 km
To Chile and to Estancia Cerro Guido, a working ranch close to Torres del Paine, where guests join the season's work with livestock: herding, horse training, an introduction to the wild horses of the ranch.
Night · Torres del Paine
Day 8 · Torres del Paine
Highlight · The three towers, the Cuernos, the Grey glacier and four lakes in one park.
The park is 40 km away: the three towers that give it its name, the Cuernos, the Grey glacier and the lakes Grey, Pehoé, Nordenskjöld and Sarmiento.
Night · Torres del Paine
Day 9 · A full day on foot
Highlight · A full-day hike in the national park, or a free day at Cerro Guido.
A free day at Cerro Guido, or a full-day hike in the national park.
Night · Torres del Paine
Day 10 · Back to El Calafate
Highlight · One last border crossing on the way back to El Calafate.
Drive · 320 km
Back across the border to El Calafate airport, where the car is returned.
