It was another easy border crossing at the Paso Rio Jeinemeni border point – it’s a lot easier to get out of Chile than into it! We’d cross various borders between these two countries five times in the coming weeks.
Our first stop was a supermarket to get our first lot of Argentinian steak and a bottle or two of Malbec. Thankfully the supermarket accepted cards as we were unable to get cash anywhere in the town of Perito Moreno.
With our next fixed diary date over a week away we had some time to spare so spent three nights in Parque Patagonia Argentina surrounded by nature and wildlife. The guanacos wandered by the van from time to time without a care in the world!
Whilst there we drove to the other side of the park to do the Sendero La Guanaca hike. It’s not a long trail at 6km there and back, but from the top of the outcrop you get amazing views over the park.
Having managed to exchange US dollars for Argentinian pesos at the fuel station in Gobernador Gregores, our next stop was La Leona Hotel and Restaurant, a place where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are supposed to have hidden out after they robbed the Londres and Tarapaca Bank in Rio Gallegos. Our reason for stopping here was to recreate a photo we took back in 2017 when we said that if we came back we’d do it under our own steam – and we did!
Our stay in El Calafate was, for us, very busy. The town is bustling with tourists and hikers who explore the nearby Parque National Perito Moreno and its glaciers but we were there to surprise June’s best friend who was on holiday there. The whole week had been plotted with her daughter who was travelling South America with her partner, and we were there waiting at Lucinda Casa Campo, an Argentinian BBQ with amazing food and free flowing Malbec (cost US$80 each) when Sarah, Becca, Chris and Pauline arrived. There were a few tears!
We also visited the Reserva Laguna Niniez (cost ARS12,000 each), a large wetland area on the edge of the town where you can walk around the lakes and spot birds from the various hides and view points.
We all met up again for dinner at Parrilla Don Pichon which has great views over the town and also offers a free taxi service to and from the restaurant. For us it was close enough to walk from the campsite.
And now for something completely different – horse riding! Becca had booked a sunset ride for us at Cerro Fria, a short drive out of town. After being matched with an appropriate sized horse, we did a 90 minute circular ride up to a viewpoint to watch the sun set before heading back to the restaurant for dinner. This worked out at about £112 each and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
Having said our goodbyes as we all left in different directions, we crossed the country to Rio Gallegos on the Atlantic coast to spend a couple of nights by the shipwreck of the Marjory Glen, a coal carrier built at Grangemouth Dockyard, Scotland in 1892 which sank in 1911 after catching fire.
During the Falklands War in 1982, Argentinian pilots used the wreck for target practice.
It was then our final push south as we re-entered Chile, took a ferry across the Magellan Straits (about £36 for the van) on to the island of Tierra del Fuego, crossed back into Argentina before making it to Ushuaia,El Fin del Mundo, the End of the World and the end of the Pan American Highway.
We had done it – one long drive from Tuktoyaktuk in northern Canada to Ushuaia in southern Argentina, a journey of 30,484 miles or 49,059 km in new money.
But this isn’t really the end of our journey, nor the end of going south as from Ushuaia we then took an Antarctic cruise with the hope of crossing the Antarctic Circle but more of that in the next post!
General information
As British travellers, entering Argentina it can be quite intimidating, especially in the south, as every town has a board stating that Las Malvinas (the Falklands) were, are and always will be Argentinian. However we found everyone to be friendly and helpful even when we were there on Las Malvinas Day. We had one incident where a young boy threw a stone at the van but we don’t know if it was because he was just being a yob or if it was because we were British (although we have removed the GB/UK stickers and reverted to our old number plates with the EU stars on them!).
Having arranged it in advance via WhatsApp (the main method of communication in the whole of Central and South America), the van went in for an A service at Mercedes-Benz Mario Bonetto Rodados y Servicios SA in Ushuaia. The work was quick and efficient and they even picked up on a recall item.
Fuel prices varied between ARS1732 and ARS2031 (roughly 90p to £1.07) a litre, with fuel stations everywhere and surprisingly cheap as we headed further south. Food seemed to be more expensive than in Chile and we didn’t always find a wide selection in the supermarkets.
As mentioned in the previous post LPG to fill our gas tank wasn’t easy to find. We went to one place in Rio Gallegos that could only give us 8kg but it was enough to keep us going for a few weeks.
Water was easy to find as most fuel stations had a potable water tap.
It’s fair to say that the roads are not in good condition! As we were driving between the buildings at the border you could tell when the responsibility for road maintenance changed from Chile to Argentina and where there was tarmac it was full of potholes!
The exchange rate averaged around ARS1900 to £1 during our visit. We initially struggled to find cash but after exchanging dollars in a fuel station we did eventually find a cash machine which would accept one of our cards but the local withdrawal fees are high (none of our UK cards charge for cash withdrawals up to a limit).
Campsites used
Camping El Mollar, Parque Patagonia Argentina: USD20 per night plus ARP6000 each one off park entrance (cards accepted). There are a couple of campsites within the national park and we found ourselves on the quieter one. You park in wooden stockades to keep out of the wind and we only found one site we fitted in and it took a few locks to get level. There was a toilet/shower block with a kitchen and communal area. Roads in the park are gravel and mud.
Camping El Niriguao, El Calafate: ARP17,000pppn plus ARP5,000 one off for van. They tried to charge us a different price to what we were quoted on WhatsApp but when we showed them the messages they backed down. Camping on grass in almost defined pitches each with electric. Tired looking shower/toilet block. Surprisingly there was a chemical toilet disposal point. Easy walk into town.
Moto Posada Cielos Rojos, Río Gallegos: ARP20,000 per night. This was a last minute stop as we needed to get out of the wind! Rafael, the really friendly owner, caters mostly for motorcyclists but has an area at the rear of the property where we could stop for the night. It’s a bit like a junk yard out back and we didn’t ask about facilities as we just wanted somewhere to sleep!
Other overnight stops
YPF Fuel Station, Gobernador Gregores: typical truck stop which has toilets and showers plus a small cafeteria. Having not been able to get any pesos up to now, it said on iOverlander that they will exchange US dollars here and they did! We also topped up on water here. Surprisingly quiet.
Opposite La Leona: there’s a small spot in the trees on the river bank opposite the famous restaurant/hotel. We fitted in quite easily and there was plenty of room for another vehicle. There was a bit of a slope off the road but we managed it without a problem. No services.
Marjory Glen Shipwreck: free parking in the car park. Very open so potentially windy. We found a flat area. No services. Gravel road to get there.
Argentina/Chile border: large tarmac parking area on the Chilean side where trucks pull up before crossing the border. We had a quiet night here. No services.
Ushuaia viewpoint: there are various roadside park ups along the headland on the eastern side of the city. The road is very quiet at night.
