Patagonia by camper: lakes, coast, and ice
Three ways to travel Argentine Patagonia: the lake district, the Atlantic coast, and the southern glaciers.
General travel guide. It does not describe rental terms.
It is not one Patagonia
A single trip often mixes three landscapes: the northern lakes (Bariloche, Villa La Angostura, San Martín de los Andes), the Chubut coast, and the Santa Cruz glaciers. The distances between those hubs are long. Nahuel Huapi to the Perito Moreno Glacier is not a day trip.
Wind is part of the place, especially on the steppe and in the far south. Leave slack in the driving days.
Lakes
Bariloche, Villa La Angostura, and San Martín de los Andes are linked by the Seven Lakes Road, a stretch of Route 40 of about 110 km. The main line is paved. Several turnoffs to smaller lakes are gravel.
Most people go from December to March. April adds autumn color. In winter there is snow and some side roads get difficult.
Coast and glaciers
Puerto Madryn is the usual base for Península Valdés. The road to Puerto Pirámides, where the whale boats leave, is paved. The interior tracks toward Punta Norte, Caleta Valdés, and Punta Delgada are gravel. Southern right whales are mostly seen from June to December, with more activity in August and September.
El Calafate and El Chaltén sit in Los Glaciares National Park. The Perito Moreno boardwalks are a paved drive from El Calafate, and El Chaltén is reached by pavement from El Calafate. November to March is the usual season there.