Family waiting at the airport

At the Edge of the World

Patagonia occupies the southern tip of South America, straddling Chile and Argentina. Its landscapes are among the most dramatic on Earth — granite spires pierce the sky, condors circle overhead, and roads wind through valleys that feel completely untouched by time.

Essential Stops on the Carretera Austral

Chile's Carretera Austral is one of the world's greatest road trips — 1,240 kilometres of partially paved road passing through ancient temperate rainforest, fjords and glacial lakes. Allow at least three weeks to do it justice.

  • Pumalin National Park — ancient alerce trees and volcanic landscapes
  • Cerro Castillo — less-visited but arguably more dramatic than Torres del Paine
  • Cochrane and Lago Cochrane — remote, uncrowded and staggeringly beautiful
  • El Calafate, Argentina — base for Perito Moreno Glacier day trips