The natural beauty and purity of Patagonia Chile ensures it remains a top tourist destination for many visitors. This region offers the best of hiking, kayaking, rafting, horseback riding and photographic opportunities to be found anywhere. In the winter, northern Patagonia is a great destination for skiers and glacier climbs. There are also a multitude of national parks, rivers and lakes to explore. Travel to southern Patagonia South America and you will be confronted by unsurpassed natural beauty. Extending out to the Antarctic, the snow capped mountain ranges and mirror image waters around Torres del Paine will give you a sense of privilege and immense respect for this stunning region.

For Patagonia travel, the best time to visit varies according to the type of activities you intend on doing. Summer runs between November-April and temperatures are relatively high. Perfect for hiking, climbing and kayaking the peaks and lakes of Tierra del Fuego. While a year round destination, this is also peak vacation period and it is recommended that transport and accommodation is booked well in advance. The peak ski season runs between June-September and generally see’s blanket snow cover of the region, meaning hiking trails etc are closed. Reaching Patagonia Chile for many is flying first to the capital Santiago and then undertaking a well serviced but lengthy overland route to southern Chile using the road Carretera Austral. LanChile however does operate internal flights to Patagonia from Santiago and other South America destinations.

Undoubtedly the best option to explore the archipelagos, fjords and glaciers of the Chilean-Antarctic waters is to take a Patagonia cruise. Tours are served by a number of passenger cruise operators offering cruises from 4-7 days and longer. This type of Patagonia travel is a fantastic way to explore the Patagonia waters which is rich with marine wildlife including dolphins, killer whales, penguins and sea lions. More water borne activities can be sought by a white water rafting expedition at Rio Futaleufu. Over a number of days you can adventure down this adrenaline fuelled river stopping off each night to camp on the riverbanks. The river is renowned among rafting enthusiasts and is best not tackled by the faint hearted.

Chile Map

Open year round, a popular destination especially for hikers is the Torres del Paine National Park. Packed with roaring rivers, turquoise lakes and fringed with dense forests and glaciers it offers a wilderness paradise. Looking over the park is the challenging mountain peaks of Torres del Paine and Paine Grande reaching up to 3000 meters high. March-April is the best time to visit where the temperatures are steady and the autumn colors make a beautiful spectacle. A great way to experience the nature is to camp and proves a very cheap option. As you would expect there is a host of outdoor activities to do here including Patagonia fishing. Famed among some circles, Patagonia fishing attracts avid anglers keen to bag some of the biggest fresh water salmon ever recorded. Visiting Torres de Paine is not as straightforward as you might expect. It’s fairly isolated and not as accessible as Argentinean Patagonia. You can fly into Puerto Natales or take the overland Route 40 that weaves over into Argentina. Heading further south into Patagonia Chile is Tierra del Fuego presenting spectacular glacier climbing. Part of a series of small islands, Tierra del Fuego retains much cultural heritage in ancient artifacts and more recent immigrant history.