Things To Do In Patagonia
This trip was the single most pivotal experience I think I have had, and so I couldn’t not share it with you all and give you my top things to do in Patagonia.
It was so short, only 4 days off the back of a work trip to Buenos Aires.
I really wanted to get out and explore, having always felt a calling to South America, I asked around friends where was best to go, and Patagonia came out on top.
So without a second thought, I booked my flights to El Calafate.
In true Lara-fashion, I didn’t book my accommodation until the day I was flying, (clearly I love to live on the edge! haha).
I just needed something super cheap, and clean, essentially just a bed as I wanted to force myself to get out and about and not have the luxury of being somewhere comfortable enough that it was tempting to stay.
Baring in mind this was actually my first ever solo travel experience as I never did a gap year, so even though I’d travelled a lot and caught flights by myself, I’d always had the security of being with friends or family or a partner.
I arrived at El Calafate airport and the driver from my bed and breakfast picked me up.
We drove through huge expanses of rolling hills, past vast lakes, with a backdrop of incredibly humbling mountains, I felt immediately at peace, almost like coming home.
I remember my soundtrack for this trip was a collection of kundalini chants that I played, pretty much on repeat the whole trip, and they were the perfect accompaniment to the surroundings and what I needed at that time.
On arriving at the hotel, I googled things to do in Patagonia, as I’d not done any further research other than my location and was happy to go with the flow.
The three things that I booked across the three days I had to play with were, kayaking on Lago De Argentina for day one, glacier hike on Perito Moreno day two, then horse riding day three.
I was so excited!
I looked up my nearest Vegan friendly restaurant and took myself for dinner.
Sat alone, with my glass of Malbec, and the most amazing hot bread, that I kind of filled myself up before I even got to my main course!
El Calafate felt very safe, I actually walked everywhere alone.
It was full of backpackers and people on hiking holidays that I didn’t feel threatened.
I booked Perito Moreno with Viatour and the bus came to collect me in the morning to embark on the journey.
It took us through the entrance to the park where we had to bring cash for entry to the park which was not included in the ticket price, then up to a viewing point of the glacier where we had our packed lunch.
I’d stocked up on vegan sandwiches and snacks from a local vegan place (there are a surprising amount of vegan friendly places in El Calafate, who knew!?)
We took photos and looked on at the glacier in all of its glory!
It was BREATHTAKING!
Our guide explained that due to global warming the glacier had receded significantly, which was swiftly followed with a huge mass of ice cracking and falling from the front of the glacier and plunging into the icy blue waters below.
Then we got on a short boat ride to take us over to the glacier for the hike, passing the glacier as we went.
The scale and beauty of it was even more breathtaking than before.
I am aware im not being particularly diverse with my descriptive words here but it truly took my breath away so its very apt!
Anyway, we strapped on our cramp-ons and set off on our hike.
It was like being on another planet!
The multitude of shades of blue of the ice and the crevasses were mind-blowing!
It was so surreal to be hiking in an icy fortress!
Our guide all the while ensuring that we assumed the correct positions and hiking techniques to assure our safety.
The end of the hike, we were handed ice-glasses filled with warming whiskey and a delicious nutty chocolate treat while we just sat in wonder at our surroundings.
It was a pretty exhausting day so I grabbed some easy food and called it a night.
I had so much to share from this trip that I thought best to do a Things to Do in Patagonia part 2 – so stay tuned & keep your eyes peeled for that coming very soon!
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Until next time!
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