We’d dreamed of hiking Patagonia for decades, and when we finally arrived, we found Patagonia’s hikes to be challenging and a bit much for our active senior bodies. After staying for three weeks in three different Patagonia cities, both on the Argentina side and the Chile side of Patagonia, we found moderate hikes that our active senior bodies enjoyed without having to tackle the crazy wind and extreme conditions.
Where is Patagonia?
Patagonia’s trails are legendary. Almost anyone who goes wants to hike the famous Patagonia W or its bigger sister, the Patagonia O Trail. Of course, we had dreams of doing these trails, too. After all, when we first started researching Patagonia, we thought that the W and the O Trails were Patagonia, itself! But as we researched Patagonia some more, we learned that Patagonia is so much more than a few famous hikes.
The area of Patagonia stretches from southern South America, the Andes separate the two countries within its region, and it finishes at the southern tip of the continent. It includes glaciers, steppes, grasslands, deserts, glacial fjords and a temperate rainforest. With three weeks to enjoy this vast area while also concentrating on seeing its famous sites like Mount Fitz Roy and Torres del Paine, how would we straddle our time across this vast region?
Day Hikes vs Thru Hikes in Patagonia
Once we understood that the W and the O Trails are in Chile (where we could hike them to see the famous Torres del Paine and the Los Cuernos mountain tops) and Mount Fitz Roy and the Perito Moreno glacier are in Argentina, we started getting a plan together. Quickly, reality set in. As nomads who carry everything we own in our Osprey Transporters which, because of space and luggage requirements, doesn’t include tents, hiking boots, poles, and camping gear, doing the thru-hikes of the W and the O would not be very convenient or easy.
So we looked at renting gear in Patagonia.
When we priced out renting and/or buying equipment to hike these famous Patagonia trails, we realized that hiking the W or the O would not be attainable. In addition, reviews mentioned poorly maintained equipment, wet sleeping bags, and torn tents. So we focused on what we could do and created our entire itinerary around being full-time traveling nomads wanting to trek the great day hikes of Patagonia.
Plan for Weather in Patagonia
We had three weeks in order to see all of Patagonia. Everything we read told us to plan for weather! Why? I thought. It’s summer, the temperatures will be moderate, and we can get by with our hiking pants, hoodies and windbreakers, right? As we enjoyed a month in Buenos Aires and a week in Iguazu Falls before flying to Patagonia, we watched the weather in Patagonia.
Wind, wind, wind, wind. Serious gusts of wind from 20 mph to 80 mph. No matter which town (El Calafate, El Chaltén, Puerto Natales), every day’s forecast had tropical storm to hurricane force gusts of wind. Temperatures ranged from 35 degrees F to 55 with people reporting that biting wind was cutting through hiking pants and hoodies.
Buying Gear for Patagonia
We stopped in a second hand store and picked up a puffer for Steve, a fleece, knit caps and gloves, and some wind pants for me. Together with our existing hiking pants, long sleeved shirts, hoodies, and wind/rain layers, we had the perfect ensembles, even if we did wear the same things every day. With a week in each location, we figured we could play the wind game and do our hikes and outdoor activities as the weather benefited us. This was the best decision we make.
3 Weeks in Patagonia
We planned our three weeks in Patagonia to spread across three locations with one week in each location. We flew from Buenos Aires (where we had stayed for a month) to El Calafate for our first week, took a bus to El Chatlen for our second week, and took another bus to Puerto Natales for our third week. We then flew to Santiago to enjoy a month in Vina del Mar, Chile, after we finished our Patagonia adventure.
What to Do in El Calafate, Argentina, for One Week
El Calafate welcomed us for our first stop. Our cute place we found online (click here to see) kept us warm. Nearby to the grocery, we grabbed food daily and cooked in our cute kitchen. Food prices in El Calafate (veggie pizza/fugazzeta for $35), we found, were the lowest in Argentina’s Patagonia. Before leaving El Calafate, we even provisioned three sacks of groceries to take onward to try and beat the higher prices elsewhere. This was another great decision.
Sitting on a beautiful lake, El Calafate’s gateway to Patagonia is more a resting and launching place than a hiking place. Moderate nearby hikes up the steppes and around the lake don’t really wow like anywhere else in Patagonia.
As the wind blew and we waited for better weather, we weaved in and out of El Calafate’s waterfront, mountain sides, and streetscapes during our first week. It was a little tedious as El Calafate simply is not that big and any excursions to other parts of Patagonia are expensive (and we’d be doing them later in our trip.)
But the one must-do, as everyone else will also tell you, is to take a trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier.
You can enjoy the Perito Moreno Glacier in three ways; hiking along the boardwalk next to it, taking a boat ride up to it, or hiking upon it with a guide. Since we’d gotten married in on the Mendenhall Glacier and we’d also cruised Glacier Bay, we decided to walk the boardwalk as our glacier experience.
Of all the glaciers we’ve seen, the Perito Moreno boardwalk hike of about 5k was the best, most up-close way we’ve ever enjoyed a glacier. With lots of steps up and down the boardwalk next to the facade of the glacier, this moderate walk got our legs pumping and energies ready for our next stop in Patagonia, El Chaltén.
What to do in El Chaltén, Argentina, for One Week
We took the 3 hour bus ride to El Chaltén from El Calafate, loaded up with a week’s of groceries for 4 people. The one-mile walk to our cottage hotel at the Tres Lago trailed showed us that the wind would be a fierce competitor all week. Our friends arrived shortly after, and we began our week of planning fantastic hikes.
First up, we had to conquer Mount Fitz Roy.
You know the famous Mount Fitz Roy–it’s the image on the Patagonia logo. From our cottage, it loomed over us. We checked the weather forecast for clouds–high clouds meant better views than low clouds. Surprisingly, the next day looked like almost perfect weather conditions, and with fresh legs, we were eager to climb the iconic Tres Lagos trail to Mount Fitz Roy.
We got up early and cleared the Los Glaciares National Park’s entrance gate before 7 am, ready to show our national park passes ($45 per person), if asked (we weren’t.) Our other two friends met us at the trailhead, and up we climbed. The average age of the six of us clocked in at 53; Steve and I topped that by 11 and 5 years respectively. Together we reached the first mirador, took a group shot and continued to the next view point.
At the second view point, Steve and I pulled up the rear, but not by much. We took another group shot. But then the trail got really hard. Think 14er in Colorado, but less altitude. Gravel, scree and boulders dotted the trail while a stream ran down the middle. Twenty-somethings zoomed past us like sure-footed goats; I worked my poles, my brain constantly focused on pole and foot placement. I kept looking up the steep climb and wondered how the hell I was going to get down.
The final mile separated young from old, nimble from amble, and technical from casual. Steve and I looked at each other, confirmed we wanted to climb this last mile of 6, and set our hearts to the finish. An hour later, we arrived to find our friends tucked in between boulders to avoid the wind, enjoying the view and eating their lunches. We took another group shot.
Soon, the crazy 50 mph winds encouraged us to leave the coveted top that took so much effort to summit. And down we went. We told our friends to go ahead; we’d meet them at the dinner table. Off they scrambled, while Steve and I wore our brains out managing the technical descent. At one point I realized that if one of my poles cracked or went sailing off the edge of the rocks, I’d be in sorry shape. I’d be able to get down the hill, but perhaps by one cheek and then the other.
Fortunately, my surgeried knee (see my vblog post about my knee surgery in Malaysia) performed gloriously. Yet I simply wasn’t in the shape I had been just five years earlier when I was climbing 14ers in Colorado. Steve, at our first break, looked at me and asked about the ibuprophen. He’d developed a new pain in his knee and was quite unsure if he could keep up the pace. So we slowed down. Eight hours after we’d begun, we limped into the cottage.
The next day, we rested.
Hiking to the Waterfall, El Chaltén
The third day, we felt recovered enough but looked at the other available options of good hikes in El Chaltén and realized that another 20K day was not doable for Steve. His knee screamed hell no. So we enjoyed a wonderful 7k walk to the waterfall and laughed at a German skinny dipping in the chilly water. He swims everyday, he said, regardless of where he is. What spirit!
The moderate hike to the Chorrillo del Salto leaves out of the north end of the town and continues along a dirt road. You can enter through the National Park’s entrance and pay the $45 entry fee, or you can walk along the road almost the entire way. A short detour through the wetlands along the river about halfway to the falls provided a nice respite from the dirt of the road. The final part of this easy to moderate hike goes through the woods where you end up sneaking up on the waterfall.
Not grandiose like the amazing Iguazu Falls or wide like many waterfalls on the Patagonia Chile side, the height of Chorrillo del Salto is what makes this micro view in a land of macro views enticing. Walking to the waterfall is a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors of Argentina Patagonia while still having a relatively easy rest day.
The fourth day, our friends scooted up the gorgeous Torre Lagoon hike and shared photos. Again, we took a break from the long hikes and made our way to the visitors center at the other end of town. Their exhibit of historical climbers and their gear charmed us, and rangers advised on how and where to do more difficult hikes within Patagonia. Bathrooms, the only publics ones we found in the entire park beyond the compost toilets at campgrounds, required bring-your-own toilet paper.
Age’s Calling Card
We enjoyed the town yet we found ourselves wallowing in self-doubt and pity. What was happening to us? Why couldn’t we get our normal hiking selves out of the cottage and onto these big Patagonia trails with major macro views? Was age calling its card?
Weather on the fifth day kept us cozied up in the cottage, sharing stories with our friends and making tacos. We had replenished some of our food at the local grocery, which surprising, wasn’t as expensive as we thought it’d be, but it certainly wasn’t a bargain. A can of tomato sauce cost $2. Our friends brought the local yummy dessert, alfajores, and we got to talking about age, fitness, health, and wellness.
One friend, a retired strength and conditioning coach, listening intently while Steve and I, exasperated at our bodies, taled our woes. And then he said the most beautiful and accepting thing I’ve ever heard said about age and bodies. He said this, “A 100 watt bulb burns at 100% to be a 100 watt bulb. So does an 80 watt bulb. It’s also burning at 100%.”
And, like a light bulb going, we both realized that if we’re working at 100%, we’re just as fit and healthy as everyone else doing the same thing.
“Comparison is the thief of joy,” I had to remind myself.
Hiking to See Condors for FREE
On our last day in El Chaltén we stopped looking jealously at the longer hikes. We realized we just wanted to hike, distance and difficulty didn’t matter. We found a moderate hike across the river up to the ridge across from town called the Canyon of the River of the Turns – El Paredón Viewpoint. Although we should have rented poles again, we took a chance and climbed to the viewpoint. Steep but on dirt rather than scree and gravel, we made our way to the viewpoint.
We sat. A condor flew right by at eye level.
The clouds parted, and we embraced yet another spectacular view of Mount Fitz Roy and its range along with a 360 view of the Santa Cruz valley. Granted, we weren’t right at the summit, but we did have the best view we’d had all week. Without the crowds, with each other, and our friendly condor hanging out to the right of us.
Getting from El Chaltén to Puerto Natales
After six days in El Chaltén, we returned to El Calafate and caught the bus to Puerto Natales, Chile, for the third of our three weeks in Patagonia. Instead of doing the 8-hour bus ride in one day, we broke it into 2, enjoying an overnight at the hostel near the bus station in El Calafate and had the worst Mexican food we’ve ever eaten at the cafe next door. The bus does make a stop at Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s Argentina hideaway!
What to Do in Puerto Natales, Chile, for One Week
Puerto Natales, Chile, a port city on the Señoret Channel in Chile’s southern Patagonia, is a livable city and the gateway to Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, or the door to Chile’s Patagonia. No stranger to the wind, either, it’s where people travel to start their O or W treks in the Torres del Paine National Park. We originally thought we’d start our Patagonia adventure here, but our cruise from Lisbon took us to Buenos Aires, and it made sense to start our Patagonia story from the east, traveling westward.
Hiking Laguna Sofia
While waiting for our weather window, we did the free walking tour of Puerto Natales. A long malecón along the water gave us great views. A day trip to Laguna Sofia had us climbing a moderate hill for views of the Torres del Paine without having to enter the park. An adventure to the lame and lackluster Milodon cave reminded us to check our tourism attitude at the door and just enjoy the right of locals to provide us with experiences. We found a warm, 3-course Menu del Dia at the “C. Deb Bories” local soccer club for $7 (555 Manuel Bulnes), which sat next to the Wild Restobar.
Renting a Car in Puerto Natales
After our experience with the Argentine side of Patagonia and its advanced treks, we knew trying to day-hike the long parts of the O or the W Trails would be unenjoyable. Fortunately, our strength-training coach and soccer-coach wife felt the same way. Instead, we rented a car from EuroCar for $140 for two days and planned a day into the park a few days after our arrival into Puerto Natales. We were timing the weather; 80 mph winds didn’t excite us, so we waited them out.
Finally, the day arrived for us to have our day in Torres del Paine. We bought our park passes online, bundled up in our warmest clothing, and started the drive to the park over 90 minutes away. Guanaco herds and flocks of flightless rheas kept our eyes open while the wind whipped by at 45 mph. In no time, we arrived at the park around 8 am, ready for a day of day hikes to various points Steve had mapped.
Hiking Torres del Paine
We took a different approach to Torres del Paine National Park since we had a car. We could avoid the tours and find out-of-the way treks to lesser known locations. We made our first stop at Laguna Azul, getting our first macro view of the astounding beauty we’d see throughout the day. A brief walk around the lagoon warmed up our legs. Off to Cascada Rio Paine for our first waterfall and a test of the wind.
The Mirador del Lago Sarmiento allowed ambles along the shore, then we journeyed to Mirador Lago Nordenskjold where we continued with brief jaunts to lookout points. We gasped at our first views of a glacier spilling down the mountain, and laughed at the ridiculous wind.
By the time we got to the Torres del Paine trailhead and visitors center for the W, we’d already walked 6-7 miles. Busses unloaded 50 trekkers at a time, all of them decked out in high-tech trekking gear and large packs stuffed with tents and food. The world’s best outfitted hikers appeared, ready for the Patagonia elements. Each person had at least $1000 worth of gear with them from their boots to their packs.
At this point in our drive through the park, we were still considering the thought of returning the next day to hike the Torres del Paine trek part of the W Trail. Here at the headquarters, we found trekkers gathered around the monitor displaying the wind speeds on the trail. From a low of 25 to a high of 65 mph, the prediction showed strong gusts and winds for the next four days. People who had come from all around the world stood at the monitors, second guessing if they were equipped and prepared for the conditions.
Ironically, at the visitor’s center, nary a breeze drafted. But busload after busload of people disembarked, many bypassing the monitor and heading out to the wind, determined to have the W trek they had come for. The four of us returned to the car with deep thoughts and big conversations on our minds about hiking a big 20k day in the wind the following day.
Our next stop found us at Salto Grande Lookout. Due to construction, we had to park on the street, walk past the cafe and marina and across a field where a wind meter sign told us to expect gusts up to 50 mph (and 80 mph on the way back.)
We laughed. Really, we thought? Yes, really! Even though the trek was maybe 5k from the car and back, it was like climbing uphill! Coming back with the wind in our backs was *not* easier. Although the dirt road and slate trail made for fairly easy walking, the wind made for difficult hiking.
Once we got to the waterfall, we continued on the trail to see our first view of the Cuernos. We had the view to ourselves once we past the interpretive signs at the end of the boardwalk where the trail continued through the tundra-like terrain. It felt great to be on the trail with our friends finally enjoying the macro views we thought we’d miss by not hiking the Torres del Paine Trail.
A guanaco graciously posed as we finished our hike to Cuernos.
Steve navigated us to our next stop at the Hotel Lago Grey. We should have continued a bit further to the trailhead parking lot, but we got excited and parked too early. The good news: bathrooms.
Ready to hit the trail, we walked around the back of the hotel to find the trail to the lake and glacier. Whereas the smarter decision would have been to stay on the protected, forested path, we, instead, went out to the shoreline of the lake to walk toward the glacier.
We got absolutely sandblasted. All of us hunkered down, zipped up coats and pulled down hat rims to cover mouths and eyes. At one point, we all just turned our backs to the wind and laughed. The blazing wind gusts, although very serious and could cause harm, literally blew us away. One step forward, two steps back. When we finally made it to the true trail head, we ducked into the trees and hiked to the beach to approach the glacier once again.
My friend and I had had enough. We found protection and told the fellas to have a fun time. Steve and our friend bundled up like Frosty to the North Pole and hiked into the wind to the lake’s edge to get a better look at the glacier. Sadly, the extra effort didn’t pay off. The shape of the shoreline kept them from approaching the glacier, having to resort to their better memories of the Perito Moreno Glacier weeks before.
By the end of the day, we’d hiked over 12 miles among the various shorter day hikes in Torres del Paine National Park. Despite not having done the W in full, but finding parts of it along the way, we felt satisfied we’d seen the beauty of the park without having done the advanced trails other hikers braved.
But the big question remained for the next day. Would we or would we not return to the park for a big 20k day? We voted. Despite being hikers who love the outdoors and good jaunts on great trails, we all unanimously voted a big no. The thought of braving the incredible winds for another 8 hours simply didn’t appeal to us.
Perhaps if we return to Torres del Paine or Mount Fitz Roy, our bulbs might be at 60 watts or maybe they’ll be 100 watts again. Who knows? Regardless, we feel very satisfied with the overall experience of enjoying Patagonia for three weeks.
What We’d Do Differently Next Time in Patagonia
What would we do differently? We’d stay in El Calafate 3 days, El Chaltén for 5, Puerto Natales for 5, and we’d then maybe add Puerto Arenas to hit up Penguin Island. As for the hikes, we might brave the longer hikes at Torres del Paine but only if the wind dropped below 20 mph.
The Ultimate 3 Week Itinerary for Hiking Patagonia
Week 1
Arrive El Calafate, Hike around the lake, Hike the local mountain steppes, Spend one day at Perito Moreno Glacier
Week 2
Arrive El Chaltén , Hike Tres Lagos, Hike Chorillo del Salto, Hike El Paredón
Week 3
Arrive Puerto Natales, Hike Laguna Sofia, Hike Mirador Lago Nordenskjold, Hike Salto Grande Lookout, Hike Grey Lake
Chris Englert, the Walking Traveler, believes walking is the platform for life. Wanderlusting since the age of 5, she’s since traveled all 50 US states and 62 countries. Chris shares her love of walking while traveling via blogs, books, and presentations. A natural storyteller, she invites you along as she explores the world, one walk at a time.
Currently, Chris and her husband, Steve, travel the world, full-time as nomads, with just their two carry-ons. They’ve been traveling since May, 2021.