The Argentinian side of Patagonia is equally as impressive as the Chilean side, yet distinctly more accessible and as such more child friendly. We spent a couple of days in El Calafate and then a week in El Chalten. Two days is adequate in El Calafate, enough time for a day trip (and hopefully get lucky with the weather) to the jaw dropping Perito Moreno Glacier. El Chalten is an outdoor haven offering a treasure trove of hikes of varying difficulty and varying lengths. This is child friendly Patagonia.

Following the success of the bus from Punta Arenas we ditched the pick up truck and opted for a cross border bus to El Calafate and later in the week bought a round trip to El Chalten. While our initial bus tickets were purchased online, we found it easier to secure our next tickets tickets upon each arrival, this also had the advantage of child discounts being applied. We used Turismo Zaahj on both trips and would thoroughly recommend. The kids loved sitting on the upper deck and we even managed to master the toilet stops which are certainly not designed for parent and small child. 

Cash is king in Argentina

To date on our travels money hasn’t been an issue. When we’ve needed cash an ATM has always been nearby to dispense cash at reasonable rates. In Argentina everything would change, with an economy suffering from hyper inflation it meant the US dollar was king. ATM withdrawals were ridiculously limited and charged eye watering commission. Instead we quickly discovered we had to find people who would cash dollars, often at a rate (the Dollar Blue rate) far in excess of the published interbank exchange.

In El Calafate, Western Union exchanged pesos for dollars, and by the time we had arrived in Buenos Aires I was making what felt like incredibly dodgy exchanges in restaurants and tucked away offices. We had heard counterfeit notes and theft were a major problem in these transactions, but we felt lucky to receive a recommendation of an exchange broker from our Airbnb host. It certainly pays to find a ‘reputable’ broker, but be careful…I took Rory whenever conducting an exchange…after all no one wants to deceive a blonde haired 3 year old. And if all went bad…he has an amazingly loud set of lungs.

Look at that mummy…it’s incredible!

The morning after an evening dining on a huge Argentinian steak and red wine, we felt acclimatised and ready to explore. Perito Moreno Glacier is without a doubt one of the most amazing natural wonders we’ve seen. We rented a car for one day which was a simple decision given the total cost was less than 5 bus tickets and it meant we could leave early to beat the bus tours. The timings of the visit had to factor in crowds vs weather vs likelihood of seeing ice sheer off the glacier. We opted for few people which happened to coincide with the forecasted sunshine, but with a much reduced chance of seeing and hearing the ice crack.

The 80km drive out to Perito Moreno is easy, taking the only road out of town we headed for 60 minutes down a decent tarmac road only interrupted with a stop to pay the National Park entrance fee. The moment we arrived at the visitor centre we were stuck by just how close we were to the face of the huge glacier, indeed this is one of the few glaciers in the world that isn’t retreating. Walking (or in the case of the kids running) down the well maintained walkways we continued to get closer to the face.

On this occasion we actually managed to keep the kids pretty quiet as they listened out for ice cracking. Although afternoons are apparently better we heard the continual sound of ice moving, and saw a number of large ice blocks crash into the water. It’s hard to imagine how getting a boat to Grey Glacier or even up to this glacier could offer a more impressive view than standing on land. The panorama mode on the phone definitely had a good workout. 

An amazing week in El Chaltén

Another day, and another 2.5 hour bus ride later, we arrived in El Chaltén. A town surrounded by some epic granite peaks including Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy – the inspiration for the Patagonia logo. The town immediately appealed to the kids, as a new wooden playground greeted them a short walk from the bus station. Overall the town had everything we needed for a week, with a well stocked, but expensive supermarket, some great restaurants and an amazing ice cream shop. The empendas from El Parador and the ice creams next door at Domo Blanco would both prove great incentives for tired kids to complete their walks.

As for the treks, in addition to short walks around the town and alongside the river, we put the kids through their paces. Over the course of a few days they walked further than ever before, and discovered a inner strength and perhaps enjoyment for their surroundings. The mains walks we completed were:

• Laguna Capri – with the sun beating down and temperatures in excess of 25C we baked on a steep walk up to the lake, which marks the halfway point to Mount Fitz Roy. At 5 hours for the round trip it was tough on Elise and Rory’s legs, but what must goes up must come down and they were entertained racing back. 
• Mirador Torre – a loop so good we completed the walk to the viewpoint twice. Or more precisely a walk so interrupted by inclement weather the first time, that upon arrival we were unable to see beyond 20 meters. Fortunately a day later the good weather returned and we could see Cerro Torre in the distance. What a difference 24 hours can make. 
• El Pilar to El Chaltén. In an effort to avoid a round trip, we took a 30 minute taxi to El Pilar and hiked a relatively flat route back to the town. The paths took us past the hanging Glacier Piedras Blancas and to Mirador Mount Fitz Roy, finally retracing some of descent from Laguna Capri from earlier in the week. At 3, 5 and 10 years of age, the kids were unbelievable, and walked upwards of 20km without too much whinging. Sadly this is the walk where Rory realised he had lost his imitation Fitbit. While he is yet to truly recognise numbers bigger than 20 he could tell if he had more steps than his sisters, so this was a major disappointment and for us the loss of a motivator when walking. 
• Los Condores – with everyone tired from their exertions over previous days, we tackled a relatively trivial 2 hour walk to the south of the town. The path was perhaps the busiest we encountered, but offered memorable views of the town, rivers and surrounding peaks. 

Our next stop would be a real change of scenery from the extremes and remoteness of Patagonia to the the intensity and blistering heat of Buenos Aires. While at the very southern tip of the world, we would encourage anyone to visit Patagonia, and certainly not let kids hold you back. Our 2+ week adventure whetted the appetite and we can’t wait to return.