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Ruben & Family | October 2023

A dream trip through Patagonia

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Our trip to Patagonia was actually supposed to take place in 2021, but coronavirus put a spanner in the works. At the end of 2022, we started planning our trip, booked flights and accommodation and tried to customize our plans as much as possible. With the support of Aventura Austral, our travel package was given the finishing touches. The adventure could begin, a long dream was about to become reality.

Buenos Aires, our first stop, with its up-and-coming Palermo district, welcomed us with summery temperatures. The hotel booked by Christian was the ideal starting point for various explorations in the city, such as the Catedral Metropolitana, Plaza de Mayo with Casa Rosada or the San Telmo market (tango), but also for feasting in the Cafe Tortoni, which is well worth seeing ... Our excursions took us through a colorful city, through avenues of old trees. We saw monumental buildings and met mostly lively, friendly people.

San Carlos de Bariloche, the gateway to the Patagonian dream landscape, was our next stop. Hikes to Cerro Otto, towards Refugio Frey and with the chairlift to Cerro Campanario offered us magnificent scenery. Bright sunshine, snowstorms and an icy wind in succession gave us an impression of the dynamic Patagonian weather.
The absolute highlight was the joint hike with Marina through the Parque Municipal, where she introduced us to interesting flora and fauna. The ascent to Cerro Llao-Llao led by Christian gave us a magnificent view of the lake and mountain region around Lake Nahuel Huapi. The final stop at the Patagonia brewery was a must.

El Chalten, the small mountain village in Patagonia, was our next destination. The journey alone in a double-decker bus with seats at the glass front was a pleasure. In front of us was the Andes mountain range with the majestic Fitz Roy, with guanacos, nandus and flying condors close to the road.
We chose the hike to the Mirador de los Condores & Aguilas suggested by Christian as an introduction. An incredible number of flying condors and the view of Lago Viedma with its floating icebergs completed our introduction to the hiking paradise of El Chalten.
The very next day, in glorious sunshine, the hike to Laguna de los Tres was on the agenda with 1000 meters of altitude, which was a bit of a challenge for us seniors, Veronika and Günter. When we reached our destination, Ruben's comment about seeing a mirage filled us both with pride. Unfortunately, the weather had deteriorated and the Fitz Roy could only be glimpsed behind a wall of clouds. After a successful day, we treated ourselves to an excellent meal at the Resteraunt Parilla La Oveja Negra. The next day, we relaxed at the nearby Chorillo del Salto waterfall. Unfortunately, we had to abandon the hike to Laguna Cerro Torre early due to time constraints.
The charming El Chalten with its variety of hiking options, fantastic nature and the towering Fitz Roy will remain unforgettable.

El Calafate was the starting point for further Patagonia highlights. As soon as we arrived, we were able to observe numerous birds such as flamingos, black-necked swans, magellan geese, ibises and other species in the Laguna Nimez nature reserve. In the American-style city of El Calafate, we bought our first souvenirs and postcards.

The Perito Moreno Glacier spoiled us with fantastic weather, calving glaciers and Judith and Ruben with whiskey on glacier ice. During the guided day tour with our guide Isabella, we learned extensive and impressive information about Los Glaciares National Park. The boat trip up to the glacier wall and the hike on the glacier were exciting and indescribably beautiful.