Into Patagonia

Of earth’s 37 billion acres, very few are as stunning as those we savor on this trip, where the Andes explode upward into one of the world’s most spectacular mountain clusters. After a look at bustling Buenos Aires, we fly south to El Calafate, located beside a huge glacial lake. We enjoy a day in the company of the mammoth Moreno Glacier, watching it slowly calve into the turquoise Lago Argentino. Onward by boat to Estancia Cristina, set against the ice-draped mountains of remotest Patagonia. Isolated, unreachable by road, a wilderness within a wilderness, the estancia is a remarkable destination, a glorious place to wander, fish, ride horses, and revel in views of the massive peaks guarding the Patagonian Ice Cap and its runaway glaciers.

Then it’s on to the iconic Fitz Roys. Based from El Chaltén, a charmingly scruffy little town graced with fine hotels and restaurants, we spend a few days hiking in these stupendous, almost unearthly mountains, returning in the evening for festive dinners—and to pinch each other in confirmation this isn’t a dream.

Can’t imagine leaving Patagonia without setting foot in jaw-dropping Torres del Paine National Park? We’ve got a five-day extension to cap off your mountain explorations.