There’s no doubting the beauty of Patagonia as a region located between Chile and Argentina, all those who visit stand in admiration of the fjords, lakes, glaciers, Andes mountain range, and other stunning landscapes they see along the way. However, the whole region is vast and diverse, so where do you go? How do you plan? Here are some things you should know before taking a tour of this elegant part of the world.
Border Controls
If you plan to tour Patagonia by bus/coach, be aware that you will go through the border at some point. As mentioned, this is a region that straddles both Chile and Argentina. When getting back onto the coach after a long day of exploration, it’s easy to forget that you’re about to cross into another country.
With some tours, you’ll even pass back and forth a couple of times. While getting into Argentina is fairly simple, Chile is more protective of fauna and flora. With this in mind, there’s a screening process. You’ll probably have lots of food items with you for the long journeys, but it’s best to eat fruit, meat, and dairy products before the border checks to prevent issues. In the past, plenty of people have been hit with excessive fines just because of a forgotten piece of fruit in a bag.
Spacious Lands
If you haven’t yet looked at Patagonia on a map, open another tab and take a look (after finishing this article, of course!). Not only has Patagonia spread across land triple the size of Germany, but it also holds just two million people. To put this into perspective, Germany has a population of 83 million.
When travelling around, you will pass through great sections with no civilization. While this sounds like the dream to get away from the busy working world, it can make planning a nightmare. To get between key locations, you may need to spend the night on a bus.
Tour Services
Next up, there are tour services all over the world, and Patagonia is no different. One of the best for this region is Quasar since they have several services depending on what you need. With the Patagonia Untamed Safari, for example, you’ll head into the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile and track the majestic puma. With luxury tours of Patagonia for families, honeymoons, and all other occasions, it allows you to enjoy your break without worrying about the logistics of the trip.
Advanced Bookings
We mentioned the Torres del Paine National Park, and it’s almost easier to go through a touring company because this is one of the busiest attractions in the whole region. There’s plenty to do in this park including the O-circuit trek, which takes eight days to complete. If this takes your fancy, you’ll have to book the lodges or camping spots in advance. If you don’t have accommodation reserved, they won’t let you enter the trail.
Rest Days
You have all these amazing ideas to get the most out of your trip to this beautiful region, but don’t forget to take some time to relax. We all need to relax in this stressful world, and it becomes even more important when you’re covering lots of miles every day. After all the planning that’s going into your trip, it would be a shame if you didn’t stop to admire the beauty once there.
Equipment
Finally, Patagonia is all about the natural beauty…and this means A LOT OF HIKING. Have all the equipment you need to prevent injuries and soreness.
