Adventures in Patagonia

Thank you for sharing! This is really helpful. I have a 2+ week tour in early January and appreciate first- hand experience about the wind, in particular! Money advice, too :) I look forward to your trip report!

Also looking forward to a detailed report!

Day 1 and 2- These were travel days. I flew Air Canada from Halifax to Toronto and then flew Air Canada from Toronto to Buenos Aires with a short stop in Sao Paolo. I arrived in Buenos Aires around 3pm on day 2. I didn’t have any issues getting my bags or finding my transfer, I had prearranged a transfer through Daytrip.

Hotel: Principado Downtown - business type hotel in the downtown, close to the subte (subway) and the ferry terminal and well as the waterfront and a nature preserve.

As I had been travelling for many hours and had an early morning the next day, I didn’t feel like venturing far, I went for a steak at a restaurant down the street from the hotel.

Day 3 - I wanted to go to Uruguay and this is easily done as a day trip from Buenos Aires. I had ordered a ferry ticket from the website before I left home. I chose Buquebus but there is also Colonia Express. The ferry terminal was a short walk from the hotel. I chose the 8am ferry. They recommend getting there 2.5 hours ahead to deal with immigration formalities. I didn’t arrive that early. I got there about an hour and a half ahead. The lines are long, but because I already had my tickets I could at least bypass that line. You clear both Argentinian and Uruguayan immigration in Buenos Aires so you can just exit the ferry in Colonia.

Colonia is a fabulous place and very easy to walk around in. You can’t get lost. I spent hours wandering the streets taking it all in. I had lunch at a fantastic little bistro with a great view and tried some local wine and the local dish, chivito.

I picked up an amethyst ring to bring home as a souvenir from a lovely little shop on one of the streets. I don’t have anything like it and i love it.

There are lots of quirky little museums as well. All in all it was a great day, I got a stamp in my passport and checked off another country.

I took the 5pm ferry back and once again, you clear both Uruguayan and Argentinian immigration on the Uruguay side so you can just get off at destination.

As my lunch was so big, I didn’t bother with dinner and just enjoyed walking around the waterfront a bit before heading back to the hotel.

So happy to read your trip report! We are going next fall and I want to do the Uruguay day as well, was debating a tour vs independently. Looking forward to more of your report.

Day 4

I decided to hire a guide for this free day in Buenos Aires. My guide, Mariano, offered a fully customizable private tour, and the price was very reasonable. The following is what I chose to see:

The Basilica Maria Auxiliadora y San Carlos - I wanted to visit because I saw some photos online and as a person who loves photography, I knew this would be a great spot for photos. On a historical note, this is where Pope Francis was baptized. Mariano had called ahead to make sure we could get in and we went first thing before large numbers arrived and while all the light was shining through the stained glass. It was magnificent.

Plaza de Mayo - there was lots to see in this area and lots to learn about. One thing that is very noticeable here is the complete mishmash of architectural styles. Some important events in Argentina’s history took place here.

The Cathedral- I didn’t specifically have this on my list, but some soldiers marched by and I wanted a photo. It turned out they do a changing of the guard at the mausoleum of San Martin. He is one of the most important people in Argentinian history, he fought Napoleon and gained independence for Argentina from Spain. His tomb is guarded 24 hours a day.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid- This is the bookstore in the old theatre. It’s magnificent and there are loads of books, just not many in English, which is understandable. This is probably one of the most visited attractions in Buenos Aires and the crowds proved it. I did buy a book and a tote bag because I could store my luggage at my hotel while I travelled to Patagonia and because I am a book lover, so I had to.

Librería de Avila - This is the oldest bookstore in Buenos Aires with hard,y any crowds and it is very photogenic. No books purchased, but I enjoyed visiting very much.

Obelisco - Another popular site. This resembles the Washington Monument. Mariano knew where to get photos from to avoid standing in a long line with all the instagrammers.

Teatro Colon - We took the subway to a stop nearby to take a look at the outside and talk a little about the history of the area.

Galeria Guemos - I wanted to to quickly visit for the architecture and hoped to go to the top for the view of the city, but it was a Saturday and the viewing platform wasn’t open. It was still worth a few minutes for the unique ceiling.

Also to note, many businesses in Argentina are very happy for you to takes photos, unlike many in Europe. I always asked first though.

Confiteria La Ideal - This is a cafe with super friendly staff. The ceiling is a stained glass dome and it’s gorgeous. Everything is made in house and this is far less touristy then Cafe Tortoni. Mariano recommended this place and it did not disappoint.

Guerrin - Mariano also offered this place. It’s a pizza place and it may sound odd, but pizza is a huge staple in Argentina. This is also one of the most iconic pizzerias in Buenos Aires and the oven runs 24/7/365. I have not seen a pizzeria like this, even in Italy. Again, super friendly staff and a place locals go.

La Recoleta Cemetery - This is, of course, where Eva Peron is buried. There is a mixture of very elaborate tombs and tombs that have been abandoned. It’s also full of stunning architecture. There used to be a charge for the cemetery (not included in the tour price as not everyone wants to go). It was about 14,000 peso’s if I recall correctly. They accepted credit cards.

And that rounded out a very full day. I learned so much and there were no time limits at any place, which was great for me. This customizable tour was worth every penny.

This evening was the welcome meeting for the Patagonia tour. I chose Explore Worldwide and there would be twelve people altogether, myself included. Our guide was Andres from Argentina. After the meeting, we went for dinner at the same restaurant I went to in my first night.

Day 5

This was another city tour of Buenos Aires. Yesterday, I had purposely chosen things that I knew for the most part wouldn’t be included today. Of course the main square was today, but given the importance of the square, it was inevitable.

The main highlight was La Boca. This is the colourful neighborhood that you see in all the photos. This area must be visited before 5pm. It isn’t safe to visit afterwards. La Bombonera, the football (soccer) stadium is here as well. This was very, very crowded and perhaps that led to my not enjoying it as much. The buildings are certainly colourful and it’s worth a visit, but I personally wouldn’t race back to this area.

The other highlight was the San Telmo Market. It’s like a big street fair on Sundays (which this was). Way too many people for me, but there was lots on offer and if big markets are your thing, this would be the place for you.

We happened upon some busking tango dancers. Tibet weren’t in front of a restaurant or anything, they were just on a random corner and it was fascinating to watch.

We stopped in a cafe called La Puerto Rico, which has been around since 1887. I had a submarino, a traditional drink in Argentina and Uruguay. They bring you a mug of warm milk and two small dark chocolate bars. Essentially, you make you own hot chocolate.

One thing I noticed a lot of was people walking around with thermoses and mate cups and spoons. The spoon is like a filter and straw. It’s a great way to save money. But they share the spoons and my germophobe self cannot cope with that.

After I tried the cambio (the money change place) for the first time, just to have a few pesos. I only changed a $100 crisp USD bill. I mentioned earlier that these bills will give the best rate. This resulted in more than enough cash to do me for the entire rest of the trip (another 12 days).

Today was also Mother’s Day in Argentina so all the restaurants were packed for lunch. I broke off and went to a place on the waterfront and my meal was big enough that I didn’t bother with dinner.

In the evening, I packed my stuff. I brought a roller carryon size bag to store at the hotel until my return and a rolling duffel (checked) which I would be taking on the rest of the trip.

Wake up was schedule super early the next morning due to an early morning flight.

Note: Aerolineas Argentinas advertises a weight of 15kg for checked bags. Most of us were over and they didn’t bother with it. Not to say they wouldn’t, but they didn’t.

Also, there is a city tax. My hotel did not include this in the package, it had to be paid separately. It’s a couple of bucks per night. They took credit card for this.

Next up - Off to Ushuaia in Patagonia.

Day 6

An early morning wake up call today. 4am. Breakfast was boxed and we were off to EZE to catch our flight. It was a lengthy drive to the airport. The flights to Ushuaia leave early in the morning. EZE does not have the machines or automatic bag drops that many airports do. As a result, there were long lines to drop off bags. It is not at all efficient and that is why there was the need to arrive so early for a domestic flight.

Our flight departed at 7:50. They served drinks and a cookie. The flight was just shy of 4 hours. This is when you realize that Argentina is the 8th largest country in the world and when you realize how far south Ushuaia is. Nearing landing, the pilot announced that there would be some bumps due to the high winds and that this is normal for the area. I was on the right hand side of the plane in the window. The snow capped mountains started to appear and the camera came out. The landing was quite rough, I will say, but the views were just spectacular.

We deplaned picked up our luggage and headed to the hotel. This was where the temperature difference became very apparent. In Buenos Aires, it was warm enough for short sleeves. In Ushuaia a heavier jacket was a must.

Hotel: Los Naranjos

The rooms were ready even though it was just after noon. The first thing I did turn the heat off. Argentinians living in remote areas in Patagonia get a subsidy on their heating and so it is cranked. We noticed this everywhere and despite the frigid temps outside, the heat was just too much inside. The room and hotel were lovely. Sort of like a little ski chalet.

We headed down to the end of the world sign and took pictures, got our meeting point for the afternoon and everyone heard off for a couple of hours to explore and have lunch.

All of us were taking an excursion on a catamaran to see the penguins. I had wanted to do the excursion where you can walk on the island with the penguins, but only one company has the permits to do this, Piratour travel and they weren’t running trips either day we were in Ushuaia. I even went to their hut to inquire, but it was a no go. The excursion left at 3pm and there were several people on the boat, but it was small enough that everyone had a seat and everyone could go outside and take pics.

The first stop was the Les Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse in the Beagle Channel. This is a great photo opportunity not only with the lighthouse, but with the seals and birdlife on the little island as well. The boat got very close and turned so everyone on both side could get good views and photos. We had lots of time.

Then it was off to the penguins. We arrived just before Darlene’s and it started to rain a bit, it was windy and it was freezing. But we got to see all kinds of penguins frolicking in the water and waddling on land. We saw 3 species, including the King Penguin. The captain got right close to the shore and we spent a good bit of time there so everyone had ample opportunity to get photos and to just enjoy watching the penguins. It was a fantastic shared experience.

There were drinks and snacks on offer (for a fee) and after leaving the penguins everyone settled inside to get warm. We returned to Ushuaia around 9pm. It was a long day and no one had had dinner yet. There was a grocery store near the hotel still open and I got something to bring back to the hotel. One thing is that the supermarkets in Argentina don’t have ready made meal items like many places. They do have large sandwiches on buns with deli meat, but I know that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

This was a memorable day. If you have the opportunity, I definitely recommend a penguin excursion, even though it is expensive.