Ushuaia, the southern-most city of the South American continent, was a pleasant surprise with its excellent free camping, well-developed trails, and beautiful mountain scenery. But, by the time we left in our camper, Mark and Maya had been there for five weeks and I for over three, due to my 10-day trip to Antarctica.
Needless to say, Mark was more than ready to head north again, especially since the weather had turned rainy. So, from the moment I disembarked the MV Ushuaia, we topped up our propane tank, received copies of our dog paperwork from the friendly attendant after asking for this favor, and left. Mark had taken care of groceries, fuel, and drinking water during my absence.
(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)
We made decent progress that first day I was home, but I felt like I was thrown right back into our challenging lifestyle. Extremely strong headwinds made the drive dangerous and ruined our fuel economy. We lost an hour at a fuel station near the border with Chile, because they were out of gas. We waited for the tanker to supply the station and filled up our truck and a jerrycan. This container travelled at my feet and was leaking profusely, spilling liquid and fumes. At the border in Chile, officials took all our beans and lentils, which had never been a problem before. And, the next morning, we woke up to a flat tire!
Day two started with a tire repair kit that didn’t work, us installing the spare tire before the relentless wind picked up, and Mark discovering that the flat was caused by the car reversing onto a screw that had fallen off our own camper due to all the bumpy, gravel roads! Irony is ever a big part of our lives. We left Tierra del Fuego on a ferry and continued our journey north to the real Patagonia, covering a chunk of miles every day.
That day ended unexpectedly as well. We had parked at the only level spot, in front of a small, seemingly abandoned boat that rested on the grass, not on a trailer. At 10:30pm, commotion outside had us up and about. You guessed it. Exactly on this particular Sunday evening, someone needed to pick up this particular boat! So, we moved. This one had us laugh out loud…
A detour to Punta Arenas was necessary to get our tire fixed with the last local cash we had and to stock up on groceries, Chilean pesos, alcohol, and Maya’s dogfood. You have no idea how much Mark and I had been looking forward to visiting these decent, affordable stores. We could finally splurge on a few items that are unavailable or unaffordable in Argentina!
The next town in Chile, Puerto Natales, also required a stop for more errands. We dropped off our dirty sheets, towels, and jeans, made dentist appointments for teeth cleanings, topped up with potable water, took Maya for a walk, and did work and research while waiting for our laundry to be done. I started to feel sicker and realized I must have picked up a bug on the expedition ship.
One of the main attractions in this part of Patagonia is Torres del Paine National Park. We had found an amazing free camping spot in iOverlander, one that friends had recommended, and looked forward to resting up and working in this pretty location, across from a river and the incredible park.
We ended up staying in this location for almost a week and postponed our dentist appointment in the city, because our flu symptoms had worsened. The view was amazing and we managed to go for a few short walks, while enjoying the scenery.
On the worst days of our illness, we napped and took it easy, writing, working, or researching our trip. The nights were interrupted by Maya, who shivered when the camper shook in heavy winds or when birds decided to traipse on our roof. She was restless, tried to jump on our bed, and kept us awake.
Once, when the wind grew too extreme, we moved to a protected spot among trees. While the river foamed and the bushes flattened, we barely felt this force of nature and even did some hand laundry.
Mark and I decided to return to Puerto Natales a different way, through spectacular Torres del Paine National Park. When you arrive before 8am, you can drive in for free. We also kept Maya in the car and didn’t stop for walks.
It was a pity we couldn’t stay longer, but we were happy to brave the awfully bumpy dirt roads to immerse ourselves in the awe-inspiring scenery of this place. Within two hours, we exited the park and stopped by Paine Falls and a pretty lagoon, which were technically outside the park boundaries.
After our teeth cleanings (all good, our rigorous dental hygiene routines are paying off), we scooted north and crossed the border into Argentina again. This time, all the procedures went smoothly but I suffered from a massive migraine.
Just across the border in Argentina, we stumbled across a cute local park and decided to take Maya for a walk, so all of us could stretch our legs.
Progress was slow, because the roads weren’t great, but we reached a sufficient wild camping spot near El Calafate to visit a highlight in Glacier National Park the next morning. Unfortunately, the ground was covered with prickers, so walking Maya, as often in Patagonia, required carefulness along paths and cleaning her fur after each outing.
Camped between El Calafate and Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
A splendid sight awaited us the next morning. Dogs are generally not allowed in the national parks of Argentina and Chile, so we make sure to not let Maya out of the vehicle, which should be sufficient. Except, when the rules are this strict, we are stressed about her being discovered and us getting a fine, so visits to these kinds of parks are less enjoyable for us.
That being said, while we walked the boardwalks along famous Perito Moreno Glacier quite fast and stopped at the viewpoints briefly, it was still a fabulous stop. Mark decided to join Maya in the camper after an hour and suggested I’d take my time observing this spectacular glacier. I couldn’t stop taking photos and videos and returned home after an extra hour.
We drove from one highlight in El Calafate to the next in El Chalten, still in Argentina. It was another long day of errands and car time. When we were finally settled at a busy wild camping spot in this outdoorsy and super expensive city, I looked forward to a nice cocktail. I’d made a banana-rum-honey milkshake for myself and just as I was ready to take a sip outside, a massive wind gust knocked our bag of nuts against my cup, tipping it over and spilling the delicious contents on my jeans and left shoe. More laundry!
El Chalten is famous for its proximity to majestic Mount Fitz Roy and many high-quality hiking trails, on the northern edge of Glacier National Park. Since those routes are all quite long and steep, I stayed home for most of them and Mark set out alone as, again, dogs were not allowed. I spent my time walking Maya, running errands, and writing.
Mark’s first hike was called “Laguna Torres” and the photos underneath are ones he took. When you get on the trail before 7am, the entrance is free. Otherwise, like any national park in Argentina, the daily fee is US$45 per person. Unless you are a student. That makes it substantially cheaper.
The following day, the three of us set out on the only dog-friendly trail in the area. It brought us to the northern part of El Chalten, along the river, and then steep up to a viewpoint over the town and its surroundings. It sure was good exercise and I tried to drink plenty of water to prevent a migraine. It didn’t work.
El Chalten was the busiest place we had come across on this continent. The trails were packed and so was the free parking area. Locals weren’t friendly, stores didn’t have prices, and produce scales seemed rigged. After asking how much things cost and being appalled, we kept shopping to a minimum and never went out for dinner during our 5-day stay. We did find affordable laundry, though.
Every night, this camping spot was full!
Again, we didn’t sleep great since the place was so busy. Most overlanders and renters have vans with loud sliding doors and because they don’t have toilets, they have to go out at any hour in the night…
By the time we reached El Chalten, we had already been grossed out by all the toilet paper we found in the bushes. We wish they would have the same policy in these countries as in New Zealand, where free camping spots are designated for fully self-contained campers when there are no services available and for tent campers and vehicles without sanitary means when there are toilets present.
One evening, the sky cleared up and we had a gorgeous, unobstructed view of Mount Fitz Roy and his brothers.
The following day promised to be the perfect day for the most famous hike, so Mark tackled the long and strenuous 14-mile Laguna de Los Tres trail. We had another early start (arriving on the path before 7am) and I decided to climb a bit as well, until I reached a decent view. The following photos are my husband’s, taken with my Pixel 6a phone.
Mark was gone for most of the day, while I worked in the parking lot and took Maya for a walk along the river. Before returning to our busy spot for the night, we made a detour to a waterfall nearby, so I had something to look at and photograph as well.
The light by the waterfall was not great for photos.
After our time in El Chalten, we had a couple of long driving days in front of us. When we tried to fill up with fuel along the way, we had to wait, once more, until a YPF tanker supplied the station. This seems to be common in Argentina, based on our experiences. Then, their credit card machine was broken. Luckily, we had just enough Argentinian pesos left for the top up.
We also “lost” a day when the weather forecast predicted winds of over 30 mph on the nose and we decided to stay put at a protected camping spot. During the day, we received the company of many other RVs, with sliding doors.
From here, we aimed for the border with Chile again to, finally, start journeying along the famous Carratera Austral (Ruta 7). Stay tuned for that adventure with mixed feelings. If we thought this part of Patagonia had been pretty, yet busy, slow, and littered…
Next up: The infamous Carretera Austral in Chile
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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March 19, 2025 at 16:41
You accomplish a lot while you do laundry.
Two other things: The scenery, especially of the mountains, is breathtaking; I hope you have fully recovered from headaches and flu.
Happy travels and good health! 😀
March 20, 2025 at 07:37
Hi Marian,
These days, it all seems to be about the laundry. Mark made a comment that I’ve been posting about our laundry set ups a lot on Facebook recently and our current camping neighbor who we became friends with, remarked yesterday that we are addicted to doing laundry!
Wel, we have water from the lake, sun, and wind at the moment, which is why we’ve been washing everything in our camper over the last six days, haha. And, we can do this at our own time schedule, without having to drop it off and then having to wait. So, yes, during those time spans, we take care of other errands and work. 🙂
March 19, 2025 at 16:57
Those mountains are astonishing!
March 20, 2025 at 07:38
Very special features those mountains and rocks have, Anabel. These sights were definite highlights so far.
March 19, 2025 at 18:03
What a challenging few weeks you’ve had. It must make the good times all that more special when they come. What are the odds that somebody would ask you to move your camper at 10:30 p.m.? Antarctica must have been a blast, (No pun intended) although it’s unfortunate you ended up with a bug.
March 20, 2025 at 19:30
Hi Pete,
I’d say we’ve had to move at night about 1% of the time on this South American trip. 🙂
Antarctica was one of those “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences. I can’t remember if you read that post, but if you’re interested – even if it’s just to watch the videos and photos, which are pretty awe-inspiring – here is the link: https://roamingabout.com/antarctica-a-taste-of-the-frozen-continent/
If I have to be honest, the last few months have been pretty challenging. So much so that we have thought about quitting our time down here. So, you are right, the good times are super special. We wish there were more of them. A lot had to do with the bad weather, so we will see what the coming weeks bring.
March 19, 2025 at 18:19
What a beautiful place to visit, in spite of the set-backs and challenges. I love the glacier photos. Marc was brave to take on a 14 mile strenous hike. Yikes. I couldn’t do 3 in those conditions. Obviously, well worth it. The photos are beautiful.
March 20, 2025 at 19:32
Hi Suzanne,
I’m so glad that we had sunny days for some of those visits and hikes. Yeah, I can’t do trails like that anymore (due to my migraines), but luckily Mark can and he takes photos for me (like I did for him in Antarctica). Even he said that the 14-mile hike wore him out, though. It was the longest one he’d ever done. 🙂
March 19, 2025 at 18:38
Amazing vistas! The mountains are truly breathtaking. It’s never fun to be sick – and especially challenging for both of you to be sick at the same time – but it sounds like you two did well to manage your way through it.
March 20, 2025 at 19:35
Hi Janis,
Luckily, we are not sick that often. Usually, it happens when we spent time in close proximity with others (like on plane rides or with friends who just arrived from a flight) which we usually avoid. 🙂 The thing in this past flu case was that Mark was quite mad and annoyed about me passing it on to him. Luckily, when that happens, he always has a much lighter case than me.
And, the good thing about being sick (I find) is that when I’m bed bound, I can try to catch up on some emails, diary writing, and social media posts.
March 19, 2025 at 19:35
Your photos are absolutely stunning, LIesbet. I hope that you and Mark are recovered fully!
March 20, 2025 at 19:37
Hi Donna,
We feel super healthy at the moment! Thank you for your concern. It’s been an interesting ride through nature and towns, these last few months. I’m glad the sun cooperated for some of our visits and photos. 🙂
March 19, 2025 at 20:39
Sorry you were sick, but great photos as always. Maybe a trip through a more developed country is in order soon?
March 20, 2025 at 19:37
Hi Alex,
It seems like you know what we are thinking! 🙂
March 19, 2025 at 21:19
Those mountains were gorgeous–The Torres and Mount Fitz Roy. The tail end of the Rockies I presume?
March 20, 2025 at 19:39
Hi Jacqui,
No Rockies in South America, but both those mountain ranges are part of the Andes Mountains, like most of the high areas on the continent. The southern end of those is in Ushuaia.
March 19, 2025 at 22:12
Loved seeing that Mark did the Laguna de los Tres hike and in such splendid weather! We did it years ago with our kids, and though we found the trail and its lenga trees very picturesque, we never saw any of the lagoons as the day was super rainy and misty. All of your views in Torres del Paine and los Glaciares exceeded anything we saw for our whole trip – lucky you with that incredible weather!
March 20, 2025 at 19:43
Hi Lexie!
I’m glad that you experienced these incredible national parks in Argentina and Chile, but I’m sad you didn’t have better weather. I guess, tiring as it may be by now for us, having an indefinite amount of time on this continent means we can wait for better weather to see the highlights, which we have done a lot in the last four months, despite it being summer here. Yeah, if you only have a week or two to visit these attractions, you’re stuck with the weather. 🙁
March 20, 2025 at 04:07
Such a stunning part of the world , and your photos are amazing. Such a shame you both got ill at the same time, but at least you had Maya watching over you. Sounds like the high winds are a bit of a problem in Patagonia. We can’t wait to travel with our motorhome again, but first we are doing a two week trip to Namibia.
March 20, 2025 at 19:47
Hi Gilda,
When we are sick, it gives us an excuse to sit behind our computers or devices instead of having to run errands. 🙂
Patagonia is known for its high winds and we were “warned” about that by many overlanding friends visiting before us, but it is always different when you experience such things yourself.
At the moment, the weather is gorgeous – finally summer! – so we are happy with our lifestyle again, haha. I hope you’ll be enjoying your motor home soon as well, although Namibia sounds even more fascinating!
March 20, 2025 at 10:39
Ouch!!! head wind, bad fuel economy, unavailable gas, stinky leaky gas can in the front seat, flat tire and useless repair kit, AND they took your lentils and beans!!!!!!! Not the ideal beginning to a journey north. The boat being moved late a night reminds of your funny stories of being surrounded with party goes at places that you were sure would be a quiet spot for the night. You can’t make this stuff up… reality is just too funny. Glad you had enough cash on hand for the important stuff…. alcohol. 🤪 The photos of Torres del Paine National Park are beautiful! Sorry to hear about the flu. The photos of Perito Moreno Glacier are awesome! El Chalten sounds like a place Carmen and I want to avoid, even with some beautiful places to see. Liesbet, I love your honesty about your experiences. You never sugar coat what is happening in your life. As always, thank you for sharing. Jim
March 20, 2025 at 19:53
Hi Jim,
You are taking the words out of my mouth… So many times on this particular journey, I’ve mumbled “You can’t make this up!” I guess, one day, it might make for a suspenseful memoir again, haha.
We are switching between the Argentinian and Chilean borders so often, that it has happened I have the wrong pesos in my pocket, haha. And, sometimes, we try to spend most of our cash, due to the fluctuating exchange rate in Argentina. Then, we realize we are in the other country again and there is no city for hundreds of miles to get more cash. It becomes tricky…
I’m glad you enjoy my honesty and story telling! I’m not a fan of the glorification of this lifestyle, whether it’s on YouTube or Instagram. 🙂