Patagonia

Patagonia is a distinct geographical region, shared by Argentina and Chile, that lies within the cool temperate zone at the southernmost tip of South America. It encompasses 386,000 square miles, or one third of the land area of both countries, and has less than 5% of either nation's population. The region was originally inhabited by different tribes of the Mapuche Indians. There are between 250,000-500,000 Mapuches alive today with most living in Chile. In Argentina, Patagonia officially includes all the land south of the Colorado River and includes the Argentine Lake District in the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro as well as the provinces of Chubut and Santa Cruz and the territory of Tierra del Fuego. Since the Chilean Araucania and Argentine Lake District are fairly geographically homogeneous, many consider all of the territory south of the Bío-Bío River to be Chilean Patagonia.

Southern Chile's coast is a wet, wild, densely forested and mountainous country, while a broad, semi-arid plateau out of which rise eroded tablelands called mesetas is the characteristic feature on the Argentine side. It is only at the Andes where the continuity of the two countries becomes apparent. The Patagonian Andes are 1,243 miles in length but average less than 62 miles wide. The range lies mainly on the Chilean side and the mountains have an average height of 6,560'. Such a vast and diverse territory, Patagonia is typically divided into three principle sections.

Northern Patagonia:
The north is characterized by temperate rainforests, volcanic cones, alpine lakes, and snow-capped glaciated peaks. Here abundant rainfall and fertile, volcanic soils create a perpetually green, rich farming country and dense, moist Valdivian forests. Volcanos are the predominant mountain feature, with roughly one occurring every 18 miles. Most are found on the Chilean side of the range although the area's highest peaks, Lanín (12,390') and Tronador (11,352'), are found in Argentina. Chile's Osorno (8,700') is often called the Fuji of the Andes because of its perfect cone shape. The region's geothermal activity has produced hundreds of hot springs around which popular resorts like Puyehue have been built. Known as the Lake District, northern Patagonia is dotted with 20 great lakes including Nahuel Huapi and Llanquihue plus hundreds of smaller lakes. The overall climate is cool and temperate with the lakes and sea moderating temperatures. Parque Nacional Lanín and Nahuel Huapi are Argentina's two main preserves. The latter covers nearly 3,000 square miles and was South America's first national park. Chile's eight parks are smaller but offer complete protection versus the multi-use status of their counterparts. Vicente Peréz Rosales and Puyehue are the largest. Huerquehue and Villarica are located in the northern part of the region near Pucón, and Conguillio and Llaima are found east of Temuco.

Central Patagonia:
South of Puerto Montt the broad longitudinal valleys are gone. On the Chilean side, the Andes are briefly submerged beneath the sea and the land starts to break up. The Chonos Archipelago, rainy, windswept islands that shelter the inland sea passage, are formed by the crests of the submerged Coastal Range. Until recently this area was accessible only by sea or long overland drive from Argentina making it the most pristine and thinly inhabited part of Patagonia. Queulat and Isla Magdalena national parks spotlight the area's exquisite natural beauty while San Rafael, the closest glacier to the equator that reaches the sea, is becoming a popular destination. On the Argentine side two parks are the highlights: Los Alerces and Lago Puelo. Los Alerces includes about 1,000 square miles and conserves some of the most pristine stands of giant Alerce trees. Heading east across the Argentine plains to the Atlantic coast we find some of South America's most important marine wildlife reserves: Punta Tombo with its thousands of Magellanic penguins; and Península Valdés where sea elephants and southern right whales breed.

Southern Patagonia:
Below the 46°S parallel, volcanos occur only sporadically and the average height of the mountains is 6,600'. The Andes are covered by the most extensive area of glaciers outside of the poles: Hielo Norte, roughly 60 miles in length and encompassing 1,700 square miles; and Hielo Sur, about 200 miles long and covering nearly 5,500 square miles, which together make up the Continental Ice Cap. Monte San Valentin, considered the highest peak in Patagonia at 12,830', towers above the ice cap's northeastern flanks, and the most famous Patagonian mountains, Cerro Torre, Fitz Roy and the Paine Towers and Horns, all jut out from the edges of the ice. Large, low lying lakes such as Lago Buenos Aires, the second largest natural lake in South America, and Lagos Viedma and Argentino mark the Argentine side of the mountains. Glaciers Park outside of El Calafate boasts 2,300 square miles in total area. It includes 13 distinct, massive glaciers including Perito Moreno and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. Punta Arenas is the largest Chilean city south of Puerto Montt, and Río Gallegos is the most southerly city on the Argentina mainland. The climate of southern Patagonia is more extreme. On the Chilean side it is heavily influenced by the close proximity of the ocean. Antarctic currents with average temperatures of 40°F flow past the coast and violent westerlies bring the famous Patagonia wind along with staggering quantities of snow or rain. The Andes, however, are an effective barricade making the Chilean side of southern Patagonia moist and forested while the Argentine side is arid, and away from the mountains, quite barren. From Puerto Natales on the Last Hope Sound the dry steppes so typical of Patagonia extend eastward to the Atlantic Ocean.

A fourth region, often considered its own destination, is made up of the island of Tierra del Fuego, South America's largest island. Fairly equally divided between Argentina and Chile, the latter half is mostly uninhabited, nearly inaccessible wilderness while the Argentine side has a much larger population and roads have been built to all but its most remote corners. The Andes are submerged under sea at the Straits of Magellan and surface again to run west-to-east in what is known as the Cordillera Darwin. Peaks average about 6,000 feet or lower in elevation and glaciers reach the ocean in a landscape reminiscent of Alaska. Ushuaia, located on the Beagle Channel, is the largest city and the starting or ending port for most expeditions navigating the waters of Cape Horn to Antarctica (a portion of which belongs to Chile & Argentina among other nations).