Discovery Patagonia

Patagonia Overlanding

Day by day itinerary:

Day 1: Transfer from San Carlos de Bariloche to Steffen lake, this place will be our starting point for white water rafting in Manso river Inferior (Class II rapids). the first part of the rafting it is quite still so we have the chance to observe closely the vast biodiversity of this area, enjoying unique landscape. After crossing Villegas river we stop for our campsite. We sleep in tents by the riverside.

mountain biking - patagonia Day 2: After breakfast we get ready our mountain bikes. We cross a little swinging bridge that will take us directly to the starting point of our trail that we will bike for about 20 km(15 miles). On our way we stop by a place that looks like frozen in time, just a few inhabitants that live just like the first pioneers of the beginning of the 20th century. We cross streams, ancient forests, green pampas, we bike all the way on the riverside of the amazing Manso river, heading west. We sleep by the riverside in the camping area called "La Pasarela".

patagonia rafting Day 3: After breakfast we continue our rafting in Manso river to the border with Chile. In this part of the river we will be rafting through a canyon with the majestic Bastión mountain watching over us. The scenery here it is unbelievable and beautiful we raft for about 15 Km (10 miles) through funny and exiting rapids class III+. At the end of our rafting, on the Chilean border, we have lunch and then we continue our way driving on national route 258 to our lodging, a nearby to Bolsón inn.

Day 4: We take south bearing to the village of Trevelín, crossing Los Alerces National Park. On our way we stopover in El Bolsón, at the foot of the giant Piltriquitrón mountain. Just a few kilometers later we drive to El Hoyo, a small valley with a special climate that is great for growing all kind of berries. Our next stop is Cholila, famous town at the beginning of 20th century because it gave safe sheltering to the famous American robbers Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid. We get to Los Alerces National Park and we enjoy the great sightseeing panorama over Rivadavia, Verde and Futalaufquen lakes. Our day trip ends in Trevelín, a small town in a green valley funded by Welsh settlers that came from the Atlantic about 100 years ago. We sleep in an inn.

Aguila Mora Day 5: We take again Route 40 to discover the real Patagonia, the steppe. This is an harsh land with almost no vegetation, just low hard shrubs survive the hard climate conditions, there are just a few trees because there is almost no rain, the year average is less than 300 mm. a year. The attraction of this land is the wide variety of animals that we are able to find: Flame birds, ducks (Barcino and Anteojos), Jotes (kind of eagles), Chimangos, Caranchos, Aguila Mora (eagle), foxes, etc.. If we observe closely we are able to find a wide variety of plants and flowers At the end of the afternoon we arrive to Estancia "Los Toldos" just a few meters away of river Pinturas valley, where we stay for the night.

Day 6: After a good breakfast we start a short hike "Cueva de las Manos" on river Pinturas valley. This is a unique landscape, cut into the arid Patagonia steppe a small river flows thorough deep canyons and gives life to a wide variety of birds and animals that have their habits by the riverside. He we find one of the highlights of our trip, "De Las Manos" cave, with tehuelches paintings on its walls that are more than 9.000 years old. These caves or sheltered walls have lots of paintings in shape of hands, guanacos, geometric, drawings, lines and points also the figure of the sun. The colors of these paintings have a wide variety of tones depending on the minerals that may be find in the nearby mines. In the afternoon we continue our drive bearing south, to our next stop, Perito Moreno National Park. We stay overnight in Estancia Menelik.

Day 7: Estancia Menelik is at the foot of the great San Lorenzo mountain 3706 mts. tall, it's the tallest in Santa Cruz province. The Estancia is cut through by the patagonia ranch - estancia menelik Belgrano river and in the middle of nowhere. Its main house was finished in 1920 by an Englishman named Juan Brodner. After breakfast, we take a hike in the National park to Burmeister and Belgrano lakes. The surroundings are mainly inhabited by thousand of Guanacos, local mammals of the steppe. We also may find a red fox (zorro Colorado) or a bunch of Choiques that leave behind its quick run a cloud of dust when they pass along. In the late afternoon we return back to the comforts of Menelik where we stay for the night.

Day 8: We continue with our drive on route 40 heading south to El Chaltén, we drive thorough empty land, nothing disturbing our sight for hundred of kilometers. Then we change our bearing we head west to Fitz Roy and Torre peaks, the capital of the trekking. Late in the afternoon we arrive to this typical mountain town at the foot of the majestic Fitz Roy. We stay for the night in El Puma inn.

Day 9: After breakfast we go for a short hiking to Torre lagoon, base camp for climbers that intend to conquer the summit of this great granite tower. After getting Choique ready our ice equipment (crampons and pikes) we start our glacial trekking discovering a new world with the glacier moving under our feet. This activity will take us the whole day, in the evening we return to El Puma inn where we stay for the night.

Day 10: In the morning we take again route 40 bearing again to the south, arriving in the afternoon to El Calafate town. The landscape changes as we leave behind the cordillera mountains, entering again the steppe. Suddenly appears the huge Argentino lake and on it south shore the El Calafate town. We enjoy an afternoon in this town. We stay for the night in Mirador del Lago inn.

Day 11: We visit the world famous Perito Moreno glacier. This is maybe the most exiting day of our trip, facing this huge ice mass, it is really breath taking. It is 80 km (60 miles) land drive to get near this astonishing glacier. We do not take the normal excursion, we get a different view of the glacier and its surroundings with local guides we discover this amazing place ion the world. In the afternoon we return to the El Calafate town and stay for the night in the same inn.

Day 12: Ballena Franca Austral Transfer to El Calafate airport, we take a flight to Puerto Madryn; from there transfer to Valdés peninsula. We stay for the night at the Estancia Rincón Chico, on the same name peninsula.

Day 13: We drive across Valdés peninsula, watching the most important marine fauna reserve of the area: penguin, seals, morsels, etc. Then we take a boat to get near the giants of the south Atlantic: The Franca whale. We stay for the night in the same Estancia.

Day 14: Transfer to Puerto Madryn airport. End of our service.

Important:

Food:	All included.
Includes:	Transport in Mercedes Benz Sprinter. 2 guides that also cover the driving, cooking and camp mounting tasks. Complete equipment for each outdoor activity (rafting, mountain biking, glacier trekking) These activities also include a specific professional guide for each activity. Complete equipment for cooking, tents and camping gear. National park entry tickets.
Not Included:	International airfares. National airfare Buenos Aires to Bariloche neither El Calafate to Trelew.

Price per person (based on group of 8 pax)

US$1.300.-