Patagonia without a car: from Perito Moreno (town) to Cochrane

Hi everyone, We’re heading to Patagonia for three weeks in November, starting from Coyhaique in Chile. We won’t have a car, and I’m struggling to find information about transportation options for a few parts of the itinerary we’d like to do:

1) From Perito Moreno (the town, near Los Antiguos), we’d like to travel down Ruta 40 to visit Perito Moreno National Park and then cross into Chile via the Paso Roballos (at the latitude of Bajo Caracoles) to reach the road to Cochrane. Without a car, it seems we’ll need to use private agencies to get to the national park—do you have any recommendations or suggestions? Also, does anyone know if it’s possible to cross into Chile via Paso Roballos (from Bajo Caracoles) without a rental car? That is, without having to go all the way down to El Chaltén or back up toward Perito Moreno/Los Antiguos, etc.?

2) The second stretch that seems a bit tricky (though still easier, in theory) is from Caleta Tortel to Villa O’Higgins on the Chilean side. Do we have to go back through Cochrane, or are there ways to get directly from Tortel to Villa O’Higgins?

3) Finally, we’d like to hike into Argentina (El Chaltén) from O’Higgins. Any recommendations for this? Do we need to go through an agency? What’s the estimated duration of the trek?

As you’ve probably gathered, we want to visit some off-the-beaten-path spots but don’t have a car, so we’re looking for the best possible compromises.

Thanks so much in advance for all your suggestions! Thomas

Hi,

Chaltentravel resumes its routes between Bariloche and El Chalten on November 15th, taking Route 40—worth checking if they pass nearby? http://www.chaltentravel.com/dest_info.php?wVarDestinos=R40

Apart from them and Taqsa/Marga, there aren’t many buses in the area... http://www.parquesnacionales.gob.ar/areas-protegidas/region-patagonia/pn-perito-moreno/

Hi Thomak! I don’t know the Argentine side at all...

But the Chilean side... Having been to that part of the country in January 2013, I can only recommend exploring the backcountry between El Chaltén and Villa O'Higgins... north-south or south-north, it doesn’t matter... It’s the most wonderful place I’ve ever been in my life... untouched Patagonia... and authentic...

For Tortel near Villa O'Higgins... I think you *have* to go through Cochrane... Transport is frequent from Cochrane to Tortel... less so from Tortel to O'Higgins... But like everywhere in this area, you should have a day or two in reserve in case of no availability or lack of space... The only transport "problem" we had was from Cochrane heading north (Puerto Tranquilo and Coyhaique... the bus we wanted to take was full... we would’ve had to wait 2 days in the Cochrane area... so we took a private ride... It’s very easy to get from Tortel to Villa O'Higgins... it’s the Carretera Austral, the main road. We used the services of... http://www.robinsoncrusoe.com/index.php/en/... for this section.

To get to O'Higgins from Argentina... I think they’ve opened Paso Mayer to cars... since the time we were there... you’ll want to check that... Cochrane... nothing to do there... :( except access to the surrounding parks... Tortel... 24 hours is enough to soak in this magnificent and surprising place... a great, cheap campsite at the end of the wooden walkways... several hospedajes and hostels, and a few restaurants... 2-3 basic grocery stores... like everywhere else... O'Higgins... there are beautiful trails to explore... which we didn’t do... otherwise, it’s a village at the end of the world...

North of Cochrane... Puerto Tranquillo... we loved it... El Puesto offers kayak excursions to the Capillas de Mármol (extraordinary in good weather...) and hikes to the Exploradores Glacier at the end of the valley of the same name... we spent a whole day there walking with crampons on our feet...

Back to the hike between O'Higgins and El Chaltén... it was extraordinary... the highlight of our trip... Very simple if you’re going north to south... When you arrive in O'Higgins, take the bus (Robinson Crusoé) to board the M/S Quetru boat to Candelario Mancilla... There’s a customs post there, and... Señor Ricardo offers camping, lodging, and meals if needed... from there, it’s a 20 km easy hike to the customs post on the northern shore of Lago del Desierto... camping is possible on-site... a boat comes twice a day in high season and takes you to the southern shore, where you can catch a bus to El Chaltén... all transport is coordinated with these schedules and routes...

We did it south to north... Left El Chaltén at 10:00 AM... boat from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM... camped on-site in the afternoon due to bad weather... the next day, 20 km hike in 5 hours... with our three kids aged 8, 10, and 13... relaxed in the afternoon... the following day, we waited because the wind prevented the boat from coming... Wonderful rainbow trout fishing session... (for fishing lovers... it’s paradise everywhere in Patagonia...)... the next day, boat in the afternoon... 4-5 hours... on a tumultuous lake... waves crashing over the upper deck... better than a roller coaster... and colder and wetter... unforgettable... arrived in O'Higgins around 8:00 PM... slept at the hostel... next day, bus to Tortel...

So for O'Higgins to El Chaltén... you *have* to go through Robinson Crusoé... (bus and boat)... but what a memorable section! If I ever return to Patagonia, it’ll be to go back to this place and explore the many trails toward the Chico and O'Higgins glaciers... you’re at the end of the world... the view of Fitz Roy adds to the spectacular... what a mountain...

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate... it’s a pleasure to relive this family trip we loved so much...

Patagonia... it should be done by bike... or on foot... at worst, by local bus... Not by car—cars are for vacationers!!! ;)

Cheers, David

Tortel is 20 km from the Cochrane–Villa O’Higgins road. You can head to the junction and try hitchhiking...

Thanks everyone for your great tips! I’ve started looking at the links you shared, and sure enough, the trickiest part seems to be the Argentine stretch between Perito Moreno and Paso Roballos. Apparently, there’s no public transport from Argentina to Chile via Paso Roballos. Maybe we could try hitchhiking? Otherwise, I think we’ll have to skip that part of Argentina and go straight from Chile Chico to Cochrane on the Chilean side, then continue toward Tortel/O’Higgins and connect to El Chaltén from there. If you have any recommendations for things to do/see or places to stay between Chile Chico and Cochrane, I’d love to hear them (e.g., Jenemeini National Reserve? Chacabuco Valley?). Maybe that could make up for "missing out" on Perito Moreno National Park, even if the landscapes look quite different (?)

Also, do you know if it’s possible to visit Perito Moreno Park from the town of Perito Moreno through a private agency that would arrange transport? Thanks again!

PN Jeneniemi is also really tough to get to without your own 4x4. I gave up. If you love hiking, you’ve got the excellent 3-day Cerro Castillo trek, or the much easier hike to Lago Leones. From Cochrane, you can also head to the base camp of Mount San Lorenzo. The Tamango Reserve right in Cochrane is great for a day trip too.

Not anymore with the new bridge....

http://www.eldivisadero.cl/noticia-1098

😐

Cerro Castillo...

What a stunning place it looks like... We only drove the paved road around it... but wow... If we'd had a bit more time... we definitely would've ventured into this area.... It looks as majestic as the massif itself...

Hi everyone, I just got back from a trip to Patagonia and recently visited the Perito Moreno Glacier. It’s definitely one of the places that left the biggest impression on me during the trip. For those planning a stop in El Calafate, I took the time to put together an article with the info that really helped me on the ground: * how to organize the visit * the different options (walkways, boat, trek) * a few practical tips to avoid mistakes I’m sharing it here in case it’s useful: https://www.sunsetanywhere.com/visiter-perito-moreno/ Feel free to ask if you have any questions—I’ll do my best to help! 👍