Patagonia in winter - possible/ advisable??
 

We are planning on spending 6 months in South America from Feb-March to Aug 2013. Our main focus will be on Ecuador where we will probably spend the first 3 months. from there we are thinking of travelling overland through Peru visiting some places we haven't been before and maybe returning to Cusco for a few days before crossing into Bolivia via Puno/Titicaca and maybe spending about a month there.

What I would really like to do is to visit some of the places in Southern Patagonia we regretted not visiting the last time we were in SA, notably Torres de Paine, Tierra del Fuego, Perito Moreno, Ushaia etc. However, as it is likely to be mid winter by the time we get there i.e. July/Aug is this a totally ridiculous idea or is it still possible to visit at this time of year?

I suppose, I could reverse our itinerary and leave Ecuador until last but flights from Europe seem to favour flying into Quito or Lima rather than Santiago in terms of cost. I am looking at One World Alliance flights with Iberia and LAN mainly because of the air pass I can purchase for internal flights (although this is still not a great bargain!).

Any thoughts, suggestion or opinions would be much appreciated.

I probably wouldn't, beside the weather I would imagine the daylight hours are very short. You would also want to look into which lodgings remain open year round.

Hopefully Huentetu chimes in!

Well, here I am! Patagonia is amazingly beautiful in winter but it takes a lot more planning as lodging options in TdP are fewer (and forget camping!) and transport less frequent. But if you don't have a rushed itinerary and do your homework there is no reason not to go. Although most of the refugios, shared accommodation, close a few stay open and you can find a good deal at some of the hotels. Hotel Las Torres closes half its rooms but offers good prices on the others. Hostería Grey is open. Fewer daylight hours is something you should take into consideration, of course, and will probably have to do shorter treks. The good news is that there is less wind in winter and fewer people, more wildlife around.

If you put "Torres del Paine in winter" into google, you will see tours offered and links to posts from people who have been independently. Most thought it was worth it. With the summers getting more and more crowded in the park, and even shoulder seasons becoming popular, a winter visit is worth looking at. June/July are probably better than August.

I was just in Calafate earlier this month and our guide was telling us that the park is rarely closed in winter due to high snowfalls - one day this past season only. We had snow flurries during the All Glaciers boat trip and again in Chalten. It just made the mountains even more beautiful!

There will be hotels and restaurants closed during winter, but with advance planning you should be fine.

Many thanks to all. I guess I need to do some further research into the logistics of getting down there as the cost of flights alone seems horrendous. I will certainly check out the accommodations you suggest Huentutu but when I tried a few days ago, all rooms had been booked for July/Aug! maybe they just hadn't been released yet.

They probably wouldn't have the bookings available yet. Let the summer go by, their busiest season.

Not an expert at all on the subject, but all I can say is that we visited El Calafate in MID-SUMMER 2011 and it was pretty cold, particularly when you do the boat trips which are the main part of the Perito Moreno experience.

Have a great time in our country, no matter what time of the year you come.

Sometimes you can get a response to a direct email. Try Pamela Osorio at Las Torres, I did a live chat with her when I went several years ago.

[email protected]

They also have links on the website.

I think Huentetu is right. They will not have thought about pricing for next year yet, and are extremely busy at the moment.