EXPLORING PATAGONIA

JAN 21 – Punta Tombo, Puerto Madryn : Breakfast. Flight to Trelew, a city 1,200 kms south of Buenos Aires, and welcome to Patagonia! Our bus and local naturalist guide will be meeting us at the airport. We will drive Punta Tombo, the biggest continental breeding ground of Magellan penguins. There, we will have the opportunity to meander along the park trails, which bisect the breeding ground themselves, and see over 200 thousand live nests, and more than 500 thousand penguins. Picnic lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit Gaiman. This is a picturesque small town that was settled by Welsh immigrants in the 1870s, and still maintains much of its original architecture. We may savor a delicious Welsh tea with pastries at one of the traditional teahouses of Gaiman. In the evening we will drive to Puerto Madryn. Lodging. (B,L)

JAN 22 – Península Valdés : After breakfast, we will drive to Peninsula Valdes Nature Reserve, a paradise for wildlife lovers. Peninsula Valdes is like an island united to the continent by a 35 km long strip of land called Ameghino Isthmus. From some sections of the road that takes us into the reserve, we will be able to view both gulfs: "San Jose" and "Nuevo". The distance between them is only 7 km. at the narrowest part. We will spend some time at Puerto Piramide, a village on the south side of the Peninsula, on the Nuevo Gulf. . Lunch included. In the afternoon, we will likely observe more of the region’s native fauna which includes foxes, maras, peludos and piches (similar to armadillos), lesser rheas (or choiques) and guanacos. The places we’ll be visiting will be: Punta Norte, with the largest sea elephant colony on the Peninsula or Caleta Valdes, a natural canal with great variety of marine and terrestrial wildlife; a sea lion colony, and the Salinas "Chica" and "Grande" that are the biggest depressions in South America. Late in the evening we will return to our hotel in Puerto Madryn. (B,L)

JAN 23 - Los Glaciares National Park. El Calafate : Breakfast. Flight to El Calafate, a small town located along the shores of Argentino Lake. The landscape of the region is a combination of arid steppes to the east, where eagles, falcons, lesser rheas, guanacos, hares, foxes and pumas live, and woods of lengas and ñires near the West Andes, that are the natural habitat of Condors, eagles, Magellan woodpeckers, and the Huemul (Andean deer). Hotel accommodation and dinner. (B,D)

JAN 24 - Los Glaciares National Park. El Calafate : After breakfast we will depart to visit Los Glaciares National Park. This park of 600.000 hectares (2,300 square miles) has thirteen glaciers that flow into the Argentino and Viedma lakes. Perito Moreno Glacier, is one of the few glaciers in the world that is still progressing. It is only 500 ft above sea level, which makes it very accessible, allowing one to stand in front of a mountain of ice that measures 60 m (180 ft) by 5 km (2.5 miles). The constant fall of huge towers of ice from its walls and into the lake is an unforgettable spectacle. Trekking Expedition: We will board a boat to cross Argentino Lake with spectacular close views of the Glaciar Perito Moreno. We will land on an isolated beach and hike on the glacier. (no additional equipment, or previous experience required). Lunch in the park, and dinner at the hotel. (B, L,D)

JAN 25 – El Calafate : Day at leisure to enjoy optional excursions or relax. Dinner. (B,D)

JAN 26 – Torres del Paine – Chile : Today we will cross the border towards the Republic of Chile. Our destination is the renowned Torres del Paine National Park. Torres del Paine is a large park (450,000 acres) declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. We will visit Sarmiento, Nordenskjold and Pehoe Lakes. The park is particularly rich in fauna, and we’ll be likely to see guanacos, lesser rheas, black-necked swans, geese, flamingos, Magellanic woodpeckers, and peregrine falcons and condors on the mountain slopes. Lodging and Dinner in the park. (B,L,D)

JAN 27- Torres del Paine National Park. Chile : Breakfast. Full day to enjoy the park. (B,L,D)

JAN 28 - Torres del Paine National Park. Chile : After breakfast, we will depart in Zodiac boats down Serrano River. We’ll enjoy a short hike to Glaciar Serrano. Then we’ll sail through Ultima Esperanza Fjord to a comfortable guest ranch overlooking Seno Ultima Esperanza.  Dinner and lodging at the estancia (B,D)

JAN 29 - Puerto Natales/ Punta Arenas : Breakfast. Today we will travel to Punta Arenas, a picturesque town overlooking the Strait of Magellan. Lodging. (B)

JAN 31 – Ushuaia/ Tierra del Fuego : Today we will go west for a private sightseeing excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park, visiting Rio Pippo, Bahia Ensenada, Lago Roca,(a large lake surrounded by mountains and shared by Argentina and Chile). Laguna Verde, Laguna Negra and Bahía Lapataia which is the very end of the Pan American Highway. Lunch in the park. Dinner. (B,L,D)

FEB 01 – Ushuaia/Tierra del Fuego : Day at leisure to take optional boat excursions or relax enjoying the beautiful landscapes surrounding our hotel. Farewell dinner to say goodbye to our travel companions and friends. (B,D) SEE CRUISE TO ANTARCTICA TRIP EXTENSION

FEB 02– Buenos Aires / USA : Breakfast. Flight to Buenos Aires. Arrival and transfer to Ezeiza airport to take your international flights. (B)

INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE

*Single Supplement: $500.-

SERVICES NOT INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE

CRUISE TO ANTARCTICA Trip Extension aboard the LYUBOV ORLOVA (Exploring Patagonia 20 January, 2009 departure):

11 days/10 nights (9 nights aboard)

FEB 01: Ushuaia

FEB 02: Embark in Ushuaia

FEB 03,04,05: Drake Passage & South Shetland Islands

FEB 06,07, & 08: Antarctic Peninsula

FEB 09, 10: Drake Passage

FEB 11: Disembark in Ushuaia (transfer to the airport and flight to Buenos Aires included in the tour + 1 night in Ushuaia OR Buenos Aires)

Please, contact us for more detailed information of the ANTARCTIC cruise & AUSTRALIS cruise itinerary and costs.

Please email us at tours@patagoniaadventures.com

Some photos of our Tour Exploring Patagonia, November 2004