Founder Trish Sare guides this singular 7-day expedition
Adventure travel industry leader, BikeHike Adventures, announces that the company's Founder, Trish Sare, will be personally kicking off the adventure company's Patagonia season by leading the company's first 2017/18 Argentina departure. By personally leading BikeHike Adventure's On the Trail of Argentina's Patagonia tour (October 21-27, 2017), Sare wishes to draw attention to how distinctive Argentina's Patagonia is as an adventure destination.
Patagonia offers up raw nature on an enormous scale and attracts travellers from around the globe. While Argentina's Patagonia shares some similarities with Chile's Patagonia, Sare points out that "it would be a crime to assume that both sides offer the exact same experience. The Argentina side of Patagonia provides an unmatched level of rugged adventure."
Overall, visitors to Argentina will note that its landscapes are much more raw and dramatic, the landscape filled with more stark contrasts, from desert steppes to lakes and ice. Argentina's Los Glaciares National Park is truly exceptional, often referred to as the "kingdom of glaciers," boasting over 2,600 square kilometers (1000 square miles) of ice fields.
"We always hear all of our Patagonia travellers tell us that our trips there were an experience of a lifetime, but our Argentina travellers especially tell us that they loved being able to experience Patagonia on a whole other level," Sare notes.
"You'll also encounter more local Argentines as well as other South American tourists. It is the preferred side for locals. So, Argentina's Patagonia is great place for getting in touch with the local culture through meeting locals as they'll be hiking alongside you. And connecting with locals is what BikeHike is all about too so I love that! In Chile, you'll quite often meet more international travellers. Whenever we speak with our local friends and colleagues, they always proudly declare that Argentina's Patagonia currently holds the most authentic experience of the region," Sare explains.
Argentina is also known for its strong European, particularly Italian, influences and sophistication. This influence is most notable in the country's refined cuisine and wine culture. "A popular trip extension before or after our Argentina hiking trips has become visiting Mendoza," Sare reveals. Mendoza is Argentina's famous wine region, most notable for its Malbec production.
BikeHike Adventure's On the Trail of Argentina's Patagonia begins in the small, mountain town of El Calafate and then continues onwards into Los Glaciares National Park. Trip highlights include hiking alongside the grandiose Viedma Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and cruising on Lake Argentine to view the Upsala Glacier, the largest in South America.
Spaces are still available for this special October 21 - 27, 2017 departure.
The 7 day On the Trail of Argentina's Patagonia adventure starts at $2,699 US (land only) and includes all accommodation (twin shared), meals, internal transportation, park entrance fees and veteran guides. The trip includes stays in locally owned and managed hotels and lodges. No single supplement fees are charged to solo travellers. Departures run from October to March.