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- Destinations
- South America
- Chile
- Chilean Patagonia
Chilean Patagonia
The fjords, glaciers and magnificent scenery of the Patagonian
region are what attract visitors to this vast wilderness territory.
The north, or Aisén region, can be likened to the Inside Passage of
Alaska or New Zealand's Fjordland on South Island with its dramatic
ice and waterway scenery. Southern Patagonia or Magallanes, is
rugged, mountainous and stormy.
It was nearly 500 years ago that Ferdinand Magellan guided four
ships through the treacherous passages that are still today thought
of as the End of the World. Today Patagonia is inhabited by nearly
2 million people, but is still almost entirely made up of pristine
and untouched nature.
The gravel highway known as the Camino Austral is the access
point to one of the world's last great expanses of wilderness that
makes up northern Patagonia. It begins at the port of Chaitén and
continues to the capital of the region, Coihaique, and both are
good bases for trips in the area. The most popular attraction in
this region, despite the difficulty and expense of getting here, is
the two million-hectare (four million-acre), glacier-filled Parque
Nacional Laguna San Rafael, which has some of the world's most
spectacular mountain and fjord scenery.
Magallanes features glacially sculpted mountains and harsh
landscapes with Torres del Paine National Park the most famous of
the southern region's protected areas. Further south is the town of
Puerto Natales, terminus of the extraordinary ferry trip through
the fjords from Puerto Montt, and exploration base for the region.
Beyond the continent lies the harsh and stormy archipelago of
Tierra del Fuego, stretching further south, and closer to
Antarctica, than any other inhabited place.
Information & Facts
Climate
The Chilean Patagonia experiences much less severe weather
conditions than one might think with the east slope featuring a
warmer climate than the west. In the extreme south of Chilean
Patagonia the weather is moderated by its proximity to the ocean
and small variety in temperature from season to season is
experienced. The months of April and May are the wettest with
reliable snowfall from June through until September. The depletion
of the ozone layer over the South Pole is a growing concern and is
thought to be the reason for blindness and skin cancer in sheep in
the Tierra del Fuego. Travellers visiting the Chilean Patagonia are
advised to bring plenty of sunscreen, regardless of the time of
year.
Language
The official language is Spanish.
Money
The local currency is the Chilean Peso (CLP), which is divided
into 100 centavos. Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and to a lesser
extent, American Express, are accepted in most large shops and
hotels. Travellers cheques, particularly in US Dollars, are welcome
in major towns, where there are banks and
cambiosoffering currency exchange services. ATMs are
widely available.
Time
Mainland is GMT -4 (GMT -3 from October to March). Easter
Island is GMT -6 (GMT -5 from October to March).