Dave is a sucker for a day out on a steam train and the La Trochita is no exception! Having crossed the border into Argentina from Chile, and having checked the weather forecast, we made a beeline for the regional town of Esquel via Trevelin, an attractive town with Welsh roots. This narrow gauge (75cm) railway, opened in 1935, used […]
From Portal Cañadón Pinturas we visited Perito Moreno. It’s a nice little town with some interesting shops. We bought cherries (it was the season), groceries, and a very nice lemon drizzle cake! Suitably equipped we drove to Portal La Ascensión National Park and camped at their excellent free campsite. The next day we hiked 26km up to a remote lake […]
Cueva De Las Manos is a UNESCO site in Argentina renowned for its cave paintings – over 5000 years old. The caves (more like rock overhangs) are situated in a maze of spectacular canyons. After donning our hard hats, we joined our tour to explore the paintings. These are mostly hands in negative, but with some animals (guanaco) and human […]
From El Chaltén, we headed north on the famous Argentine Ruta 40, leaving the tourists behind us – this is now overlanding territory! Our next stop, after topping up our diesel, water and shopping in Gobernador Gregores, was the Parque Nacional Perito Moreno. We were debating whether to visit this park as it involved a 180km return trip down a […]
Due northwest of El Calafate, El Chaltén is a town with hiking at its core. All of the trails start (and finish) at the town, so we did not have to move Big Bertha. We bumped into the Happy Family, who we last met in Torres del Paine, and weren’t so happy; their truck’s batteries were flat (listening to too […]
We arrived in the tourist town of El Calafate late afternoon on New Year’s Eve – and there was definitely a ‘buzz’ on the high street. We parked in town and wandered off to pick a restaurant to celebrate the occasion. Normally, Argentinian restaurants open around 8pm, far too late for us, but, because it was NYE, the restaurants were […]
Our Route South We were warned that the long drive down Ruta 3, along the eastern coast of Argentina from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, a distance of 6292km, would be long and tedious; highlights being the YPF garages with their coffee and stale croissants. It was anything but; the croissants weren’t stale! And it was so much fun, that we’ve […]
Forming the border between Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls are a sight to behold. We visited the Argentinian southern side first. The view from this side is from the top of the Falls. Three paths , Paseo Inferior, Paseo Superior and Paseo Garganta del Diablo lead us on a tour of the Argentinian side. The falls are very popular and […]
Having picked up Big Bertha from Zarate Port and spent four days or so getting her ready for travel again, we were ready to start exploring South America. We have arrived in winter and so we shall go north to warmer climes and then head south to Ushuaia, at the southern tip of South America for later in the year. […]
We arrived in Buenos Aries, Argentina, a week ahead of Big Bertha and stayed in a hotel in the centre so that we could explore this renowned city. Initial impressions are that it feels a lot like Paris – European architecture, cafés on every corner and pavements covered in dog s**t. The monetary system takes some getting used to: there […]