Few places in the world have captivated the imagination of explorers and travellers like Patagonia. Since Ferdinand Magellan sailed here many have settled, and yet this vast, remote region is still, for the most part, unexplored and largely uninhabited.
Patagonia's beautiful untamed landscape consists of narrow straits and steep-sided fjords rich in marine life, rugged mountains, harsh, windswept plateaux and glacial valleys. It is home to some of the most beautiful natural attractions in the world, from the granite towers of Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares national parks to the northern and southern ice fields with their enormous glaciers, the fiat pampa broken only by bluffs of multi-coloured sedimentary rocks and stunning emerald lakes and rivers.
Considering its size and variety of terrain, Patagonia is surprisingly easy to navigate. One of the most spectacular areas of Patagonia is the Lake District in Argentina which is broken into two regions; the Northern Lakes and the Southern Lakes.
The Northern Lakes, strung along the foot of the Andes, are bordered by both Chile and Argentina. Trekking is the best way to explore the area as this enables you to reach the sununit of many spectacular peaks in addition to seeing the wildfiower-strewn valleys and everything in between.
Within the Northern Lakes area lie a number of national parks – the Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, situated on the Chilean border and the oldest national park in Argentina, the Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes, which surrounds the picturesque port of La Villa, and the Parque Nacional Los Alerces, one of the least spoiled and most beautiful stretches of the Andes, named after its impressive and rare ancient alerce trees.
The Southern Lakes, stretching down to Los Glaciares National Park, also offer spectacular scenery, with the mighty Moreno and Upsala glaciers, and challenging trekking around Mount Fitzroy.
From dense woods to petrified forests, from deserts to shoreline, Patagonia offers something for everyone, literally from the heights of the Andes, down to what many consider to be the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia.
History
Indians were Patagonia's first human inhabitants, tribes that adapted their cultures to the staunch challenges of the land. Of all these tribes, the most formidable, the most legendary, were the Tehuelche -- allegedly, a a truculent, gargantuan Indian race. Of course, when the first Europeans encountered the Indians, the Tehuelche proved shorter and more amenable than reputation suggested.
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to reach Patagonia, stopping there briefly in 1520 during his voyage around the world. Dutch adventurers blazed Magellan's trail in the following years; in 1616, a Dutch navigator named the southernmost tip of Argentina Cape Horn after his hometown, Hoorn. But aside from a scant number of coastal settlers, few Europeans journeyed into Patagonia itself.
Finally, in 1850, a Welsh expedition ventured into the vast natural wealth and wasteland that comprise Patagonia. Members of this party were amazed at the extraordinary, almost otherworldly sights before them. The names the Welsh explorers gave to many of Patagonia's geographic locales -- the Island of Desolation, Anxious Point, Port Famine -- attest to their trepidations. The names they gave to animals, on the other hand, suggest the rapport that the Welsh formed with Patagonia. In particular, the Welsh had an affinity for small flightless birds, "Pen-gywns," that according to legend, were the resurrected souls of drowned sailors.
Today, Patagonia -- which occupies nearly a quarter of Argentina alone -- is home to a minute number of farmers and sheep ranchers. Most inhabitants live near the Colorado and Negro river valleys, where farmers grow alfalfa, pears, and apples. Still, sheep herds remain Patagonia's number one economic activity. Ranchers occupy wind-protected canyons, where their flocks of sheep have adequate room and food for grazing.
Patagonia's beautiful untamed landscape consists of narrow straits and steep-sided fjords rich in marine life, rugged mountains, harsh, windswept plateaux and glacial valleys. It is home to some of the most beautiful natural attractions in the world, from the granite towers of Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares national parks to the northern and southern ice fields with their enormous glaciers, the fiat pampa broken only by bluffs of multi-coloured sedimentary rocks and stunning emerald lakes and rivers.
Considering its size and variety of terrain, Patagonia is surprisingly easy to navigate. One of the most spectacular areas of Patagonia is the Lake District in Argentina which is broken into two regions; the Northern Lakes and the Southern Lakes.
The Northern Lakes, strung along the foot of the Andes, are bordered by both Chile and Argentina. Trekking is the best way to explore the area as this enables you to reach the sununit of many spectacular peaks in addition to seeing the wildfiower-strewn valleys and everything in between.
Within the Northern Lakes area lie a number of national parks – the Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, situated on the Chilean border and the oldest national park in Argentina, the Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes, which surrounds the picturesque port of La Villa, and the Parque Nacional Los Alerces, one of the least spoiled and most beautiful stretches of the Andes, named after its impressive and rare ancient alerce trees.
The Southern Lakes, stretching down to Los Glaciares National Park, also offer spectacular scenery, with the mighty Moreno and Upsala glaciers, and challenging trekking around Mount Fitzroy.
From dense woods to petrified forests, from deserts to shoreline, Patagonia offers something for everyone, literally from the heights of the Andes, down to what many consider to be the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia.
History
Patagonia is nature at its most pristine and desolate, a land of wonders at the end of the earth. This combination of opposites, of the inviting and the inaccessible, has both lured and deterred numerous peoples to and from the region.
Indians were Patagonia's first human inhabitants, tribes that adapted their cultures to the staunch challenges of the land. Of all these tribes, the most formidable, the most legendary, were the Tehuelche -- allegedly, a a truculent, gargantuan Indian race. Of course, when the first Europeans encountered the Indians, the Tehuelche proved shorter and more amenable than reputation suggested.
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to reach Patagonia, stopping there briefly in 1520 during his voyage around the world. Dutch adventurers blazed Magellan's trail in the following years; in 1616, a Dutch navigator named the southernmost tip of Argentina Cape Horn after his hometown, Hoorn. But aside from a scant number of coastal settlers, few Europeans journeyed into Patagonia itself.
Finally, in 1850, a Welsh expedition ventured into the vast natural wealth and wasteland that comprise Patagonia. Members of this party were amazed at the extraordinary, almost otherworldly sights before them. The names the Welsh explorers gave to many of Patagonia's geographic locales -- the Island of Desolation, Anxious Point, Port Famine -- attest to their trepidations. The names they gave to animals, on the other hand, suggest the rapport that the Welsh formed with Patagonia. In particular, the Welsh had an affinity for small flightless birds, "Pen-gywns," that according to legend, were the resurrected souls of drowned sailors.
Today, Patagonia -- which occupies nearly a quarter of Argentina alone -- is home to a minute number of farmers and sheep ranchers. Most inhabitants live near the Colorado and Negro river valleys, where farmers grow alfalfa, pears, and apples. Still, sheep herds remain Patagonia's number one economic activity. Ranchers occupy wind-protected canyons, where their flocks of sheep have adequate room and food for grazing.
No comments:
Post a Comment