EXPERIENCES

Every land has its own secrets but not everyone is chosen to know them: a lighthouse in a lonely cape, a mysterious sunken ship for 40 years and a distinguished antique “estancia” are some of the icons that reveal the unknown stories of Tierra del Fuego. Very early in the morning departure from Ushuaia following National Route 3 and crossing The Andes through the Garibaldi Pass. We stop by the little town of Tolhuin, heart of the island, to visit La Unión Bakery. This is a traditional meeting point for both, locals and visitors, and it is part of the charm of this village. By midday we come to the Provincial Route “A”, where we took a gravel road heading toward the Atlantic Ocean and the San Pablo Cape. At this point, we hiked up to an isolated mountain with an abandoned lighthouse at the end. Climbing to the top of this beacon we will appreciate “Desdemona”, an abandoned ship for almost 40 years ago which invites us to sail through time. It happened on a cold winter morning in1983 when this enormous craft ran aground on the shores of the Argentine Sea. After exploring this mysterious giant, we visit Estancia Rolito. This lovely ranch, that keeps the spirit of a family business based on sheep farming tradition, is the first ranch to open its gates to rural tourism.

• At 08.30 is the pick up from Hotel in a Van After that, it takes the route to Lodge El Pilar (18 km), where start the hiking to Fitz Roy. Taking the valley of Rio Blanco, we can see the first balcony to Piedras Blancas Glacier. From there we walk another 1.30 h until reaching Rio Blanco Camp site, another hour up the trail reaching Laguna de los Tres. From the lake, there are even better panoramic views of Cerro Fitz Roy! You can also see Laguna Sucia and Lago Viedma in the distance. After lunch (no included) we start the return to El Chaten taking the trail to Laguna Capri. • This tours finishes at about 6 pm. RECOMMENDED CLOTHING FOR ALL THE TOURS IN EL CHALTEN: gloves, sunscreen (facial and labial), cap fleece or wool coat, hat , scarf or neck coat, waterproof jacket, waterproof pants or synthetic fabric, appropriate footwear (preferably trekking boots covering the ankle), sunglasses. Tip: in Patagonia clothing layers should be taken to adapt to frequent changes in temperature.

This full day excursion in the steppe zone aims at all people who enjoy outdoor activities and adventure, ready to discover new places. The tour includes approximately 3 hours walking on discontinuous ground where wind and water were responsible for uncovering this place, which remained hidden for millions of years. Departure from El Calafate by Route 40, where we can see Argentino Lake, Santa Cruz and La Leona Rivers, a panoramic view of the majestic Andes mountains and Fitz Roy Mount. We will stop for about 15 minutes in La Leona hotel (historical site) and continue traveling along the southern shore of Viedma Lake to reach Cerro Los Hornos slopes (Estancia Santa Teresita). We will look for the first time the great depression of the land where the petrified logs are situated and will start our trekking exploration of fossils, which lasts about 3 hours, including the time for lunch. Throughout the walk we will see lots of petrified logs lying on the surface, some with a 1.2 meters diameter, testimony that during ancient times the climate was very different from today and allowed the existence of a full forest. There have also been uncovered fossils of different types of dinosaurs. This land is sheltered from the wind because it is a natural depression in the ground. This steppe area, therefore, is very dry and weather conditions are generally very nice. After the walk, we begin the journey back to El Calafate on the same path with another stop at La Leona hotel.