Contemplating heading south on an adventure? Endless opportunities await in picturesque Patagonia. Home to glaciers, volcanoes, deserts, fjords, temperate rain forests, petrified forests, hot springs galore, and the amazing Andes mountain range, the expanse occupies approximately 402,000 square miles nestled between Chile and Argentina. This mass of land offers enjoyment, challenges and enchantment for all.

Get up close and personal to sheer jagged granite peaks in the heartland of the Andes. Reflect upon the deep blues of countless lakes.  Watch monumental glaciers shift and transfigure before your eyes. At night, settle in with a plethora of stars encompassing the silhouettes of megalithic peaks. Embrace the incredible vastness of a truly wild, remote, and rugged region.

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Unique PATAGONIA FACTS

• The name: Patagonia, derived from the word patagón (meaning “giant feet”) was given to the area in 1520 by explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew. The indigenous people were thought to have large statures, hence big feet.
• Dinosaurs roamed here: The area was once home to one of the world’s largest herbivore dinosaurs, the Argentinosaurus Huinculensis.
• Growing Glaciers: It features two of the few glaciers left in the world which are still ascending, the Bruggen and Perito Moreno glaciers.  Additionally, Perito Moreno is the 3rd largest freshwater reserve in the world.
• Collided worlds: Patagonia resides in both Chile and Argentina, and sits along two coastlines- The Atlantic and The Pacific oceans. It was once called the end of the known world. Many sea voyages  which attempted to reach the area unfortunately failed in doing so due to the dangerous and treacherous waters.
• It’s unexplored: Few settlements and minimal contact with outside civilizations since the early 1500’s make the region one of the most unexplored areas on earth.
• The residents: The graceful Andean Condor, the magnificent Magellenic Penguins, exquisite wild Guanaco (Llama), or one of the world’s largest rodents, the Patagonian Mara; these are among 500 species which reside in this spectacular region.
• It’s far South: The southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, sits at the very southern tip of Patagonia, which happens to be the gateway for many Antarctica expeditions.
• It’s wild: One of the last remaining wild horse herds roams freely in Cape Horn. The herd went for nearly over a century without any human contact.
• It’s remote: Getting to Patagonia is half the fun.

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