Travel information for Patagonia (Chile and Argentina):

Location:
Patagonia is a region located in the south of South America between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans covering both Chile and Argentina.

Patagonia by bike: geography and climate

Patagonia for a lot of foreigners is synonymous to a fantastic place. Patagonia is a name that is better known to adventurers and nature lovers than Argentina or Chile.! .

The summer months are the most recommendable, offering a better climate and more daylight time. As we go further down south in Tierra del Fuego we have only 5 hrs of night . Which is something to remember. The climate is moderate type with 4 very defined seasons with great temperature difference between summer and winter.

Toward the south the almost constant West winds which produce a strong unloading of humidity in the mountain range, dominate and cause the eastern Patagonia to have an extremely arid climate.
A very special phenomenon is the Northern and Southern Continental ice cap, from which a great amount of glaciers flows into the immense lakes of the Eastern foothills and toward the Chilean fjords in the West.

You should keep in mind:
The Andes is more verdant and rainy in the Esquel and Junin area where we find a strip of land known as the Valdivian forest where the highest rainfall marks have been registered. If you wish to ride the Chilean “Carretera Austral ”, one must be prepared for rain and it is important to find out about the correct gear to bring with you and how to use it..

As we approach the East, the land becomes drier turning into open desert steppes, If we are in Bariloche tired of the rain we can ride 25 km out of town and enjoy a diverse scenery and blue skies. The wind is an important factor that can frustrate our strongest wishes but when blowing on our back it is of a great advantage and can help us ride smoothly through Patagonia. The wind usually blows from the West and as we go south we encounter strong side winds that are sometimes stronger than the front winds so the lighter and less bulkier your cargo the better

The 900 km ride down route 40 that connects Perito Moreno to El Calafate is the hardest part of the road. The scenery is deserted with hardly any population. Sometimes the gravel road gets bad and the wind blows strong. Its important to know where to find water and the distances between one farm to another. Nowadays there are more Estancias (farms) that are open to tourism and have at least a minimum of hospitality services which is vital.

The driest part is about 100km long and it goes from Rio Mayo to Perito Moreno. On this stretch bridges and other such constructions are used as windbreakers during our resting breaks.

To cover the whole of Patagonia would take us months or even years so to enjoy the best of it in a few weeks its not necessary to cycle a lot. All you need to do is establish set goals and find out exactly what you are looking for!



A little history- the native population

Man's existence in America and Patagonia is contemporary compared to other places on Earth. The most ancient indicators of primitive cultures have been found in the Magellan region, Tierra del Fuego and the extreme south of the continent, which date back to over 10000 years BC Given the nomadic nature of the Patagonian cultures, no remains of dwelling places or of writings have been found, however paintings and engravings abound. Both the Tehuelches in the South and the Puelches of central Patagonia survived by hunting guanaco and ñandú and by collecting wild fruit. They sheltered in simple windshields and later in huts made from guanaco hides. Only upon white man's introduction of the horse in the XVII century, did they begin to use this animal for transport and as a supplement to their diet.
In northern Patagonia there dwelled another ethnic group known as the Pehuenches. Toward the end of the XVII century a clear advance of the Araucano or Mapuche Indian from Chile toward the east began and along with this, a profound peaceful ethnic transformation began to take shape in Eastern Patagonia. The Mapuches belonged to a more evolved, stronger and overbearing culture and upheld a very courageous attitude in light of the Spanish invaders. They produced weavings and ceramics of an excellent quality, as well as a rich array of silverware. Their language was very complete, characteristic of a people of orators. In 1879, indigenous rule was brought to an end with the Desert Campaign, with which the massive advance of the white man to northern Patagonia began.


Means of payment:

The local currency in Argentina is the Peso Argentino and in Chile the peso Chileno. It is convenient to change currency in Buenos Aires or Santiago, in order to get better value for the Dollar or the Euro. However, credit cards are also widely accepted, except in smaller and more isolated towns and villages. In Chile, (especially in hotels) tourists may be required to pay in dollars, in order to exempt them from the Value Added Tax (In Chile VAT is 18% in Argentina 21%). It is not advisable to carry travelers' checks as it is costly to use them. At the major cities in Patagonia you have several ATM available, which is a good option. A debit card used at an ATM avoids the interest payments of a credit card used at an ATM and you get a good exchange rate. Here is a currency converter where you can check the exchange rate into your local currency


Requirements to enter the country:

Argentina: Most countries are granted a 90 days permit to stay with no visa. Only a valid passport. Neighboring countries: passport not required. Only identity document.
You are not allowed to enter : plants, vegetables, fruit and other perishables ( jams, fresh food etc..)
If you bring a car or rent one you need an international drivers license.

Chile: Citizens of the Mercosur may enter Chile with their national ID and no visa. Other countries are required valid passports to enter Chile. The following countries do NOT need a visa: members of the European Union, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States , Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Marroq Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Dominican republic, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela. Other countries: ask at the consulate.
No fruit, vegetables, meat or other related products are allowed to enter the country .


Communications:
Both Argentina and Chile have an efficient telecommunication infrastructure and international phone calls are at an acceptable price. Public telephones use coins or phone cards. I.D.D. can be found even in small towns. International phone calls from hotels are not recommended they tend to charge an extra fee. Most of the commercial centres have call centres known in Argentina as "locutorios" where you can obtain information, make call back calls and also buy prepaid phone cards.
In Argentina and Chile there is a good Web system and Internet is well known. Some hotels offer these services. Cybercafés are found in most of cities and towns with an Internet connection via ADSL or phone.


How to get there?

Argentina and Chile have a good road system with modern buses for long distance transport. The railway system is slow and in many cases services are no longer provided. There are different buses or "colectivos" (in Argentina) with normal seats and others with leaning seats that become beds (coche supercama, servicio ejecutivo). Depending on the route there are different services and prices.
Patagonian cities in Argentina such as: San Carlos de Bariloche, El Calafate, Rio Gallegos and Ushuaia have modern international airports with daily flights from Buenos Aires and also connect with other airports although flights are not so frequent.. The airlines flying these routes are: (Aerolíneas Argentinas, Austral, American Falcon, SW y Línea Federal) For small towns the state company LADE. provides services, flights are less frequent and smaller planes are used. For international flights in Argentina a U$18 airport tax is charged which is not included in the airfare. (It can be paid cash or by credit card)

En Chile the national airline Lanchile has an important amount of flights and frequency that cover the country. It has discount fares and during winter it has direct flights from Santiago de Chile to Bariloche and from Bariloche to Puerto Montt. In South Chile the most important airports are Punta Arenas and Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales.


Cultural aspects:

Tips: In Argentina and Chile there is no fixed rules for tips. Usually a 10% is accepted at bars and restaurants. Taxi drivers are not tipped unless you feel you want to round up the fee or the taxi driver has helped you with the luggage. For other services tips are not required.

When meeting: Shaking hands is the norm although when people know each other they tend to kiss once on the cheek. In Argentina men also do so. When on visit it is always nice to bring a small gift.

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