Patagonia hiking and multiactivity tours
- Travelling to Patagonia
Getting around Southern Patagonia!
As you begin to plan a trip to Patagonia you might find that gathering information about the area is one of the most difficult parts! In this article I want to help you learn more about transportation in the southern most part of the continent.
First, if you can find a map of the area it will make this easier for you to visualize. Southern Chile and Argentina are connected to the rest of the continent by plane, vehicle and boat. Obviously plane is the most time efficient, but many of the small towns you will want to visit do not have an airport. The area is extremely interconnected by a network of public transportation. I think that using this system provides for a less stressful and more economic vacation, but first you must know a little about it.
Plane: By plane is the more time efficient method. There are two main airlines in Chile, LanChile and Sky Airlines. Both go to all major cities (Santiago, Puerto Montt, Balmaceda and Punta Arenas), however Sky is the only airline that will fly to a small airport in Puerto Natales. Argentina is controlled by one large airline called Aerolineas Argentinas, they fly to all major cities in Argentine Patagonia (Bariloche, Rio Gallegos, El Calafate and Ushuaia). Another very small airline in Argentina is LADE, they have a limited schedule but are more economical (you must buy a LADE ticket in cash while in Argentina, it is a small airline).
If you plan on flying to multiple cities I recommend checking out Lan's South America Air Pass, it will help you to get discounted fairs all over the continent.
Santiago (SCL) and Buenos Aires (EZE) are the only international airports in the two countries, so if you want to go from Chile to Argentina by plane you will always have to connect through their international airport and pay the entrance fees (approx. 140 USD in each country).
Boat: Historically the only way to arrive in Southern Chilean Patagonia was by boat. Even today the Southern Ice Field prevents anyone from traveling from Northern Chile to Southern Chile on land, you must either enter Argentina or navigate the fjords. The Chilean government subsidizes a weekly ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales, this boat is very economical and for a long time one of the only ways to arrive so far south. There are many cruise ships that leave from Valapariso and will take you to Punta Arenas.
If you want to go further south to see Cape Horn there are many small cruise ships that will take you from Punta Arenas in Chile all the way around the horn and back to Ushuaia in Argentina. Ushuaia is where most of the cruises leave to go to Antarctica. If you don't get seasick and enjoy spending some time on a ship, you will love the scenery that is unique to these fjords.
Roadways: Most of the major roads in Chile and Argentina are paved. You can rent a car and travel them independently, but sometimes this can prove to be stressful and complicated. I prefer to take a bus in-between the various cities. The network of buses throughout South America is amazing. The schedules are fairly convenient and extremely economical.
You can travel from Santiago south by bus for two days to reach Punta Arenas, but they have regular daily departures. If you want to travel from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia you can take a 10 hour bus, leaving in the morning and arriving later that night. You can also go from Bariloche to Rio Gallegos by bus and from there to El Calafate. Generally the schedules are convenient and sometimes the buses even pick you up from your accommodation.
If you are on a tight budget with lots of time, buses in South America are definitely the best way to get around. Below is a distance table for big towns in Southern Patagonia, to help you plan your trip a little easier.
Distances by time:
- El Calafate - Puerto Natales : 5 hours
- El Calafate - Torres del Paine : 5 hours
- El Calafate - Rio Gallegos : 4 hours
- El Calafate - El Chalten : 3 hours
- El Calafate - Ushuaia : 13 hours
- Puerto Natales - Punta Arenas : 3 hours
- Puerto Natales - Torres del Paine : 3 hours
- Puerto Natales - Ushuaia : 10 to 12 hours (depending on boarder crossing)
- Punta Arenas - Ushuaia : 10 hours
If you need more help with the bus schedule please don't hesitate to email me and I would love to help you work out your transportation schedule.
Happy Planning!