Tuesday, November 5Sports. Travel. Events

Patagonia Park Argentina: the ultimate outdoor destination

Large-scale rewilding with brand new trails and facilities have transformed Patagonia Park Argentina into South America’s ultimate outdoor destination for 2023 and beyond. The park has been restored by private charitable organisation, Freyja Foundation, and its partner and grantee, Rewilding Argentina, in a bid to ignite greater connection with nature and passion for the outdoors. 

The park stretches across 180,000 hectares from Portal Cañadón Pinturas in Argentina to La Ascensión Portal on the border of Chile and, thanks to the rewilding efforts, is once again home to Patagonia’s top predator, the puma, and the region’s largest herbivore, the guanaco. Through world-class trails, hiking, camping, excursions and breath-taking scenic routes, travellers will encounter endangered species that are being re-established after years of displacement from ranching. 

Hiking

Adventure-seeking holidaymakers can tackle up to ten new state-of-the-art trails in Portal Cañadon Pinturas. The shortest is 2.6km and can be completed within one hour, while the longest is an 18km circuit and takes six hours to complete for experienced hikers. The park is open all year round, but the recommended time to visit is between November and March, during the summer and spring seasons, where temperatures range from 10C to 30C during the day. 

Camping and lodges 

Budget-friendly accommodation is available throughout the park for all traveller types. The park offers three new campsites within Portal Cañadón Pinturas for visitors to sleep under the stars, including La Confluencia which provides free accommodation inside of a canyon. For camping enthusiasts, visitors to La Señalada can stay for just AR$1,000 (£5) per person per night. El Mollar campground offers a stone fire pit for cooking and full shower facilities for just AR$2,000 (£10) per person per night.

Patagonia Park Argentina

The newly-refurbished solar-powered eco-lodge, La Posta de Los Toldos, offers nine rooms and a restaurant for guests to experience authentic Patagonian cuisine. Nearby, there is an outdoor observatory designed for stargazing, where the local team often share stories with guests and interpret the night sky. La Posta de Los Toldos closes in April every year for the winter season, but the campsites are open year round. 

Getting to the park  

There are three access points to Patagonia Park Argentina: Portal La Ascensión, Portal Cañadón Pinturas, and Portal El Sauco. By air, tourists should take a domestic flight from Buenos Aires to Comodoro Rivadavia. The park is five-and-a-half hours drive from Comodoro Rivadavia airport via car or bus on routes 26 and 40. 

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