Patagonia: the Chilean side, the Argentine side, or both?

The Chilean side: towers, fjords and rain

For most travellers, Chilean Patagonia begins with Torres del Paine. The national park north of Puerto Natales is where you'll find the famous granite towers, the horns of the Cuernos above turquoise lakes and herds of guanaco at the edge of the steppe. It's home to the well-known W and O treks, but the park can be enjoyed perfectly well without a rucksack: from a comfortable stay on its edge, you set out on a different trail each day and return to a fire in the evening.

Further north lies a different Chile altogether: the Aysén region and the Carretera Austral. Heading south from Puerto Montt, the road passes hanging glaciers, rainforest, rivers and small towns, in places on gravel and by ferry. This is Patagonia as a journey rather than a base: slow, damp, green and very quiet.

The Chilean side generally suits travellers who want longer walks, water and forest, and don't mind the weather changing several times a day. A waterproof here isn't a spare layer; it's everyday wear.

The Argentine side: glaciers, steppe and a mountain village

Argentine Patagonia is a little drier, more open and, for many people, easier to plan. El Calafate, a town on the shore of the vast Lago Argentino, is the base for the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. You can watch the ice wall from walkways, approach it by boat or, with a guide and crampons, walk on the glacier itself. Few places make a great glacier so accessible.

A few hours' drive north is El Chaltén, a small village beneath the peaks of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. Its great advantage is that the trails start at the end of the street. Laguna de los Tres, Laguna Torre and shorter viewpoint walks are almost all day hikes, so you're back in a warm room each evening, and on a bad-weather day you simply choose a shorter route.

In between lie estancias, sheep farms on the steppe, some of which welcome guests to stay, ride or simply watch the evening light move across the grass. The Argentine side tends to appeal to those who want the great views without a multi-day trek, and to anyone who values a good dinner after a long day outside.

Why many people choose both

Torres del Paine and El Calafate aren't far apart: a few hours across the steppe and a border crossing. That's why the classic route links both sides: several days in Torres del Paine, a crossing into Argentina, the Perito Moreno Glacier and a finish in El Chaltén. The combination brings the towers and the ice, two different moods of Patagonia, and stays simple logistically: you arrive on one side and leave from the other, with no doubling back.

Twelve to fifteen days is usually enough for this route to breathe. The key is not to treat the border day as one on which you also need to achieve something. Better to think of it as a travel day with a good dinner at the end.

In Patagonia, a spare day for the weather isn't a luxury; it's part of the route.

When one side is the better choice

Both sides don't automatically make a better trip. One side is enough, and often better, in several cases:

• When you have around ten days, including the long flights. Better to know one park well than to spend half the trip on the road.
• When the W trek is the main goal. With some slack for the weather, it can easily fill a week around Torres del Paine alone.
• When you want glaciers and day hikes, not days with a heavy pack. The Argentine side, El Calafate and El Chaltén, suits that perfectly.
• When the road draws you more than the peaks. The Carretera Austral is a journey in its own right and shouldn't be squeezed between Torres del Paine and Fitz Roy.
• When you're pairing Patagonia with another region: Buenos Aires and the wine country, or Santiago and the Lake District. Then one side of Patagonia usually belongs naturally to the country where the trip begins.

The Carretera Austral: a third way

It's often forgotten that the Chilean side holds another, entirely different journey. The Carretera Austral runs through the Aysén region: the forests of Pumalín, the Queulat hanging glacier, the country around Coyhaique, the marble caves of General Carrera Lake and the Baker valley. Distances aren't huge, but the road is slow, with gravel, mountain passes and ferries on the northern section, so hours on the road often exceed what the kilometres suggest.

It suits travellers with some experience who enjoy driving, or travelling with a driver, and don't mind simpler stays in small towns. The reward is scenery you often share with only a handful of others, and a daily sense of being on the road rather than working through a list.

Season, wind and light

Patagonia's main season generally runs from around November to March, with October and April often quieter. For Lithuanian travellers this has a pleasant side effect: when the darkest weeks settle in at home, the southern days are long and the evening light in the mountains lasts late. Christmas and New Year are among the busiest weeks, so stays for that period, especially on the edge of the parks, are worth planning well ahead.

The wind is not a myth. It's often strongest in summer, can make some days hard going on the trail and can disrupt boat trips. Autumn, March and April, often brings calmer spells, warm colours in the lenga forests and fewer people, but also shorter days and colder mornings. In winter some lodges and services close. The weather is unpredictable in any season, so the best plan is one with a spare day in it.

How to shape the time

A few reference points we often start from. Around ten days: one side, Torres del Paine or El Calafate with El Chaltén. Twelve to fifteen days: both sides on the classic route from Puerto Natales to El Chaltén, with at least one spare day for the weather. Two to three weeks: add Tierra del Fuego and Ushuaia on the Beagle Channel, the Carretera Austral as a separate chapter, or Buenos Aires and the wine country of Mendoza.

Stay at least three nights in each place. In Patagonia the weather often decides which day you see the peaks and which day you see only cloud, and several days in one place give you more chances of a clear morning. One-night stops cost more here than in most countries.

If you're considering Patagonia, tell us what draws you most: long walks, glaciers, the road, or simply space and quiet. Together we'll work out which side, or both, suits you best.