This operator can not only take you scuba diving but can also hook up snorkeling with sea lions. I took my three kids diving for the first time, and the guide handled all of their newbie questions and concerns well. Highly recommended for their professionalism.
This place is about an hour from Piramides down gravel roads, but worth it if you want to spend time with penguins up close in their natural habitat. At any given time there’s about 200,000 spread throughout hundreds of acres of estancia. The lunch offered at the estancia is solid Patagonian fare (the lamb is f-ing amazing), but pricey.
This is one of the biggest whale watching operations in town. What I like about them is they show utmost respect for the wildlife. The boats are bigger than some of the others out there, but that means lots of space and vantage points to move around. The guides offer English translations of everything.
This is a few hours outside of Ushuaia close to Cabo San Pablo. It’s a cargo ship made in Germany whose hull cracked…so all of the bags of cement it was carrying formed cement to keep this stationed right where it is for a long time to come. It’s sketchy to walk around inside because all of the metal floors are rusting and fragile, but definite go when the tide is out and walk around the ship.
These guys do horseback trips along the Beagle Channel. You can do a two hour, half day, full day or even a ten-day adventure on Peninsula Mitre. There’s no need to have any experience. If you are someone who avoids horse trips because of tired, sad horses, don’t worry…these horses are super safe but have a ton of energy.
This lake with a sand beach in spring, fall, and winter is empty — you just might have it to yourself. In summer, especially on the weekends, it gets crazy full of families and teens. You can canoe and kayak here. Also fun is jumping off some cliff rocks (just do the first and second you come to on the trail — the third is dangerous and every year some dumbasses get seriously hurt trying).
You’ll probably feel like you’re on shrooms in an enchanted wonderland. There are no right angles here. Rooms are small but comfortable. The surrounding hotels are big and touristy, but just stay holed up here and hike to the nearby waterfall. If you have kids, nieces, nephews, they deserve to go here at least once.
This ski resort is about 30km from Bolson, up gravel roads with more potholes than you can imagine. That keeps the crowds out. This is a ski center filled with locals, it’s super family friendly, and way cheaper than Catedral in Bariloche. The plateau at the very top gives you a killer view of the entire region.
So much less crowded than Cajon Del Azul, this is a decent hike from El Bolson – not too hard and not too easy. Either stay the night at the Hielo Azul refuge or at Natacion which is less than an hour hike away.
Kayak or take a boat ride out across the lake to get to the small caves. The waves on the lake can be choppy and count on wind. Once inside (you stay in the boat, there’s no way to walk around in there), there’s a ton of photo opps with the forms, colors, and light. The caves are smaller than what they look like in person but are worth the trip.
On Chiloe Island, stay here. Go to bed early, wake up and get in your kayak and paddle through the remains of a spooky forest that got submerged in salt water in the past. Watch the sun come up and hear some weird prehistoric looking birds sing you their version of good morning. You’ll feel like you’re in a Tim Burton movie. 