Domain: tiger-web1.srvr.media3.us Mendoza vs Patagonia (chile) advice needed | Travel
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Mendoza vs Patagonia (chile) advice needed

Posted on 11/10/23 at 9:23 pm
Posted by kciDAtaE
Member since Apr 2017
17505 posts
Posted on 11/10/23 at 9:23 pm
Wife and I (no kids) will have 3 full days available to explore from Santiago, Chile.

We have narrowed it down to Patagonia or Mendoza but open to other suggestions.

Any experiences to share? The Vines Resort in Mendoza looks nice. Torres del Paine appears to be a target for Patagonia.

I realize those two options are vastly different experiences but we could go either way. Prior to, we will be spending 3 days in Cancun for a wedding, 3 days exploring Atacama desert, and some time in Santiago to recharge.

Please help make our decision. Thanks!
This post was edited on 11/10/23 at 9:52 pm
Posted by speckledawg
Somewhere Salty
Member since Nov 2016
4268 posts
Posted on 11/10/23 at 9:43 pm to
quote:

Torres del Paine


No experience there, but has been on the list for a while. This would be my plan.

quote:

we will be spending 3 days in Cancun for a wedding, 3 days exploring Atacama desert, and some time in Santiago to recharge.


Sounds like a great trip, regardless!
Posted by kciDAtaE
Member since Apr 2017
17505 posts
Posted on 11/10/23 at 9:52 pm to
Yes sir. I’m pumped.
Posted by Tshiz
Idaho
Member since Jul 2013
7974 posts
Posted on 11/10/23 at 9:53 pm to
Patagonia. You won’t be able to hike the full W trek but you can do both out and back legs on each side.
Posted by kciDAtaE
Member since Apr 2017
17505 posts
Posted on 11/10/23 at 9:55 pm to
We love to hike, so I’m intrigued but confused on the “full W trek” meaning.
Posted by VABuckeye
NOVA
Member since Dec 2007
38283 posts
Posted on 11/10/23 at 10:01 pm to
W Trek

It’s a 4-5 day hike to do the entire thing. He’s just saying you’d have to pick a portion of it.
Posted by GOP_Tiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2005
20863 posts
Posted on 11/10/23 at 10:15 pm to
I haven't been to Torres del Paine, but I've been hiking in the Argentinian Patagonia at El Chalten, and that was incredible. Torres is widely known as an elite hiking destination, but it normally takes four days to hike the W, if I remember right. I guess that you can still make some hikes there with less time.

But with your tight schedule, you might also consider the Lake District. Fly from Santiago to Puerto Montt and rent a car and drive to Lake Llanquihue. The Lake was originally settled by Germans. So, there's a German heritage center and museum with amazing gardens.



Volcan Osorno just dominates every view. It's often compared to Mt. Fuji.



The fact that Lake LLanquihue was settled originally by Germans means that you can still get good German chocolate cake and strudels in the area.



The falls of Petrohue are more dramatic than this photo conveys.



I didn't get the chance to take the trip (about 6 hours) over the Andes to Bariloche, but people say that the views are spectacular. I did enjoy a boat trip on nearby Lago Todos los Santos, but I don't have any great pics of it.

In short, the Chilean Lake District is very beautiful, but it's definitely a more laid-back destination than Torres. We were there for two full days, and that was perfect to see what we did. If we'd had another day, we would've crossed the Andes to Bariloche and back.
Posted by kciDAtaE
Member since Apr 2017
17505 posts
Posted on 11/11/23 at 7:36 am to
Looks amazing. I’ll check it out. We spent 4 days in Bariloche a few years back and hiked the lakes. Stay at Llao Llao which was an experience in itself.

Posted by Shaun176
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2008
3007 posts
Posted on 11/11/23 at 8:22 am to
Patagonia

Eat at Borago when you are in Santiago.
Posted by GOP_Tiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2005
20863 posts
Posted on 11/11/23 at 12:01 pm to
quote:

Looks amazing. I’ll check it out. We spent 4 days in Bariloche a few years back and hiked the lakes. Stay at Llao Llao which was an experience in itself.


Oh, I didn't know that you've been to Bariloche before. I've also been to Bariloche -- on another trip. The Lake District of Chile is very similar to the Bariloche area on the other side of the Andes. Both sides even have early German influences. I would say that the biggest difference is that the Chilean side seems to get more rain and was a lot greener. And, obviously, the mountains around Bariloche lakes are dramatic, and the Chilean side has Volcan Osorno towering over everything.
Posted by luvdatigahs
Alameda, CA
Member since Sep 2008
3105 posts
Posted on 11/12/23 at 11:26 am to
I’ve done the W trek, it was 4 days, but that included an out and back to las Torres. So it’s three days if you don’t do the out and back. Los Torres is the best hike though and what I would do if you had limited time. The scenery is outstanding and hard to describe





I didn’t add the Torres pic because unfortunately after the tough hike to get up there it was so foggy that you couldn’t even see the Torres behind the lake. Oh well, still an amazing hike
Posted by mmmmmbeeer
ATL
Member since Nov 2014
10189 posts
Posted on 11/12/23 at 4:20 pm to
quote:

Atacama desert


On my bucket list for stargazing. Enjoy!
Posted by MintBerry Crunch
Member since Nov 2010
5913 posts
Posted on 11/13/23 at 5:44 am to
Planning on the W for my 40th
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