Wild, elegant, infinite
Patagonia is one of the privileged ends of the Earth . It covers more than one million square kilometers (yes, you read that right), of which 75.5 percent belongs to Argentina and 24.5 percent to Chile. The total population of the Patagonia exceeds two million inhabitants, that is, the same as a relatively small city in Europe. In this immensity fit I walked them yes, the big ones lakes, volcanoes, windswept plains, glaciers that keep the planet alive, and the embrace of the Pacific and the Atlantic south of Land of Fire , in that meeting of titanic seas that is the Cape Horn.
But much more interesting than this concatenation of amazing data is the very essence of this extreme earth , made by pioneers who arrived in the mid-nineteenth century. Men and women for whom the word surrender it was a death sentence. On both sides of the border patagonic wind acts as referee of a game for strong. Mapuche Indians , who are still fighting the wood industry that cuts down its lenga forests. Tehuelche Indians , with their guanaco skins, ona indians with their painted bodies, two ethnic groups that have disappeared today and are literary objects. Gauchos. English. Spanish people. Dutch. Croats. Germans. Creole . So different, united by a common adjective: irreducible.
In the nearby plains of the Eolo hotel
The technological advance of the 21st century has forced the inhabitants of many parts of the world to go against the foot; but here, keeping to the codes is more than a necessity, it's a lifestyle. The traveler must adapt to the environment . His heart must learn that here who rules is nature.
With this manual of style we arrive at El Calafate , one of the obligatory stops on the initiation journey. We would have liked to start it higher up, in the big lakes of Neuque n, north head of the Argentinian Patagonia , but time, that incorruptible tyrant, did not give us that pleasure.
El Calafate is not pretty, it is not elegant, it is nothing more than a rough, dry and undefined town from which some of the most imposing beauties in the world depart. Two or three long streets full of shops, restaurants, hotels, travel agencies that offer good excursions, a casino and many banks with ATMs that blink at the pass of the visitor. But El Calafate also has Lake Argentino , gateway to the great patagonic glaciers . And for that alone, El Calafate deserves my respect.
This trip, which began with an informal conversation, became a certainty thanks to Sofia Sanchez de Betak , whom many of you will know by Chufy . A fashion icon, an international influencer, a creative businesswoman . And, above all, an Argentine woman who grew up running around the prairies of Patagonia, who married in this land and who maintains her gaucho spirit with the immaterial elegance of those who do not need to show it.
She and her mother Maita Barrenechea , agency director May 10 , paved the way to make possible this exceptional experience that we share with you today.
** Eolo is much more than a hotel **. More than a stay. It's the dream of Rodrigo Braun and Alejandro Moyano, visionary talents who have invested ten years in turning their project into one of the emblematic places in this part of Patagonia. Geographically, Eolo is in the provincial route 11, kilometer 23 . But actually, it's in the middle of nowhere , a wonderful nothingness where the landscapes do not affect the senses; they enhance them, make them less vulnerable to the internal noise that weakens us so much. Meadows, horses, a sophisticated gastronomy –Eolo is a member of Relais & Châteaux – and travelers who have not mistakenly fallen into this exquisite point of the universe . Days in which the November sun, the southern spring , stands out eagerly; cold nights with the brightest stars, some with names like South Cross , pure magic. and wind . Because it is the currency of exchange and you accept it with pleasure: loving the wind is our way of feeling pioneers.
In Eolo there are times to ride, walk, eat, socialize with other travelers, read, adore silence, prepare an excursion to Perito Moreno , the jewel in the crown and one of the 49 tongues of ice that make up the Southern Patagonian Ice Field , more than 12,000 km2 and snow every day of the year. Snow that will fall on the argentinian lake in huge blocks; a luck that many pursue and a few get to see. The Perito Moreno it is the only glacier in the world 200 meters above sea level. And the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is the largest freshwater reserve on the planet, in a technical tie with Antarctica and Greenland.
The only glacier 200 meters above sea level
To get to Perito Moreno you only need a car and go around the argentinian lake , that immensity between blue and milky turquoise, which owes its color to the dust that the glacier gives off on its journey; here they call it limonite . A strange white building in the middle of the plain catches our attention. It is Glacier , a modern interpretation center for Patagonian ice and its glaciers , one of the few specialized in the world. A living space, with visual and sound shows, interactive and educational. Your president, Ignatius Jasminey , and its scientific director, Peter Skvarca , they have managed to make a very funny three hour visit that opens the floodgates of our minds to the exciting world of southern ice. A succulent aperitif on the way to the ever closer Perito Moreno.
We arrived! Its great two-kilometer-long wooden walkway winds through forests of lengas and arrayanes. It is a white giant with blue cavities that roars and moves like a mythological being. Its edges look like cathedrals that precede the frozen immensity that forms the glacier, with a length of 30 kilometers and an area of 257 km2. It is not the largest, but perhaps it is the most spectacular. The Viedma and Upsala glaciers They are four times older than Perito Moreno, but he gets the fame. deserved. We are facing a colossus that resists erosion, climate change, global warming. being here is a tidal wave of emotions ; an unanswered prayer for living that moment in which a mass of ice breaks off and collapses into Lake Argentino. Another day. Again. Our desire is also infinite.
Returning to the warmth of the Aeolus, our god of the wind, is cozy, with the living room lit by the logs that crackle in the fireplace, meeting center and anecdotes.
Walking on tongues of ice
It is interesting to be somewhat away from the downtown El Calafate and go down to the town to visit the handicraft shops, those of local sweets and a couple of restaurants where you can eat very well, be it the famous Whole Roast Patagonian Lamb , either international dishes with very Argentinian variations . Meat is the basic element of this diet that comes from far away, from when the gauchos wandered through this immensity on the back of their horses, dressed in their ponchos and drinking mate to alleviate the cold and the lack of vitamins in their protein diet. A century and a bit later, everything remains the same, except for some delicious sweets made with calafate jam –a bush of these places– and the omnipresent caramel sauce.
The time has come to say goodbye to the Eolo and start the road to Port of Punta Bandera , about two hours from El Calafate. It is eight o'clock on a cold and sunny morning and the boat is small, comfortable. Our destiny? Sailing through the now strangely still waters of Lake Argentino Y Navigate between floating icebergs until you reach the Cristina channel and the magnificent Estancia Cristina. In two and a half hours of crossing, the western front of the Upsala glacier and imposing landscapes parade before us. We learn that the depth of the lake, at this point, is almost 200 meters. The icebergs dance on the water, misleading. What we see is only one eighth of its total surface.
Cristina Stay
The history of Cristina Stay give to write a novel. Joseph Percival Masters , a pioneer of English origin who emigrated to Patagonia with his wife, Jessie Elisabeth Warring and his two sons, Percival and Cristina , he arrives in 1900 at a remote northern arm of Lake Argentino, which he baptizes Cristina. There, in those 22 thousand hectares bordered by glaciers, snow-capped peaks, lagoons and mountains, the family manages to establish their home. And a heroic saga begins . Estancia Cristina is today a lodge beautiful and isolated in which they converge memorable attractions . Their 20 rooms distributed in five cabins with views of the magnificent hills North, Pfifter and Moyano and its hanging glaciers they give a good idea of what is the good life in balance with nature.
Marisa Suppa She, the manageress, she is a perfect hostess. With her blunt sweetness, she tells us which excursions to do. Chufy wants to ride to the waterfall river of the dogs , arrive to Christina viewpoint and to the Laguna de la Pesca, wading through streams and rivers. She is a expert horsewoman and think in terms of emotions. Only she is capable of putting on boots and a poncho and leaving the world behind, defying the wind, which today has become tenacious. With it the team will go up to the Fossil Canyon to have the privilege of admiring the eastern front of the Upsala glacier, Lake Guillermo, the Patagonian ice mass and the Andes mountain range. I believe, without exaggeration, that it is one of the landscapes that is most worth traveling twelve thousand kilometres. In the Cristina Stay important things are learned; you get to one strange beauty introversion . That's what we tell ourselves when it's time to leave, while we make plans for a new trip. The same team, the same passion. But another story.
Riding to the river of the Dogs
JOURNEY NOTEBOOK
**Production: MAI 10 **. Maita Barrenechea is an authority on exclusive, personalized travel. She is the owner of the most emblematic agency in Argentina . To contact MAI 10 (Avenida Córdoba, 657, Buenos Aires; tel. +54 11 4314 3390; email. [email protected]) .
How to get: the companies ** Iberia and Aerolineas Argentinas ** have direct daily flights to Buenos Aires. From the Argentine capital to El Calafate airport, Aerolineas Argentinas operates with two daily flights. Once in El Calafate, it is advisable to contact the office of the Secretary of Tourism to obtain maps and useful information on the endless possibilities offered by the area _(Bajada de Palma, 44; tel. +54 (02902) 491090) _.
Where to sleep: ** Eolo ** _(Provincial Route 11, km 23, El Calafate-Santa Cruz; tel + 54 11 4700 00 75) _. Its owners, Rodrigo Braun and Alejandro Moyano, are in charge of personally designing the different excursions. The gastronomy, of the highest level, is of an international nature, with native Patagonian depth. Cristina Stay _(Glaciers National Park, El Calafate; tel. +54 11 5218 2333 and +54 2902 491 133; [email protected]) _. In the Arm Cristina of Lake Argentino. You arrive with private boat transfer, included in the price of the stay, transfer in/out from and to Punta Bandera. It offers navigation through the Upsala glacier, accommodation, full board that includes non-alcoholic beverages, and different activities in the estancia. The lodge operates from October 15 to April 15 . Resident Manager: Marisa Suppa ([email protected]) . Head of reservations: Marcela Pernas ([email protected]) .
Excursions: Sea Patag Cruises _(Avenida del Libertador, 1319, Local 7, El Calafate; tel. + 54 2902 492118) _. Probably the most sophisticated Patagonian cruise company. There are different options, from Full Day Gourmet Glaciers until the Expedition to the Glaciers of three days aboard the Santa Cruz, a ship 40 meters long and with capacity for 42 passengers in luxury cabins. The company's two ships are also available for private outings, with the possibility of designing a navigation route, timetables and experiences à la carte and according to the particular needs of the travellers. Glaciarum (Route 11, kilometer 6, on the way to the Perito Moreno glacier; tel. +54 (02902) 497 912). Very interesting interpretation center of the Patagonian ice. ** Ice and Adventure ** _(tel. + 54 (02902) 49 2094; email: [email protected]) _. Trekking through the Perito Moreno Glacier: Mil Out Door Adventure _(Avenida del Libertador San Martín, 1029, El Calafate; tel. +54 2902 49 1446) _. 4X4 experiences through the Patagonian steppe.
On the fossil rocks of the Cañadón
We talk to our guest creative director about emotions and sensations. Her words reveal to us a great traveler.
Whenever they ask you for a perfect moment, a perfect place, you talk about Patagonia. Why do you love her seamlessly?
I love the magnitude of it, it is eternal, and in each landscape you can see nature in its maximum extension, almost without seeing the passage of the human being . When you stop at the foot of a mountain or the edge of a lake, you feel tiny, but your lungs fill with such fresh air that you feel strong and big!
You are a very experienced and curious traveler, you have a very interesting blog and your comments always surprise and please. If you had to define your way of traveling, how would you do it? What type of traveler do you consider yourself?
A passionate traveler who always seeks to go a little further. I don't usually stay in 5 star hotels or go on a cruise with a predetermined itinerary, I like to do my own research and decide where to go, so I can then get lost and find my own way.
In your travels, how important is fashion? do you consider yourself a fashion traveler ?
No, I'm a good optimizer and I don't go too loaded, but I don't like being dressed as an American tourist either. I always try to find the middle ground between the practical and the aesthetic, either with good boots instead of sneakers, or with a nice poncho instead of a fluorescent jacket.
Do you prepare a lot for trips or do you leave room for improvisation?
Both. Over time I realized that research contributes a lot , but that the best of a trip cannot be planned or planned.
Do you choose them yourself or let yourself be advised by experts? (Tell me about your gurus).
I let myself be advised by people with whom I have aesthetic and lifestyle affinity . And it's not easy: I have close friends who like the opposite of me. My mother, Maita Barrenechea, is usually the first on my list of advisers.
Riding near the Eolo hotel
Let's go back to Patagonia . We know that you married Alex (Alexander de Betak) in Patagonia, a unique wedding that was a trending topic and a report in the North American edition of Vogue. How did you decide?
I always knew that I wanted to get married there, just as we did, on that date, in those landscapes. Poor Alex, he didn't have much decision-making power, but he loves Patagonia as much as I do and he loved the place. That area is full of landscapes that I have a lot of love for, like Green Creek , where we had the welcome lunch. When one marries someone from another continent and environment, it is important that in the marriage the different worlds mingle and meet And that applies to where you come from, not just the people. That's why it was so important for me to do it there, in a place where my person was formed.
Is Patagonia a geographical territory or is it also a state of mind? Is there really a Patagonian soul inside you?
Yes, definitely yes. extreme , with strong climatic changes (of mood!), reserved, explorer, multifaceted, wild...
This is a very large territory, can you explain to the readers of CN Traveler your favorite places in this vast world that encompasses the word Patagonia ?
Patagonia is very diverse, it is so big that it is home to all kinds of landscapes and destinations. In the north, for Bariloche , where I got married, there are the fabulous landscapes of the seven lakes, which are a feast for the eyes in any season . In summer, the blues and greens are magical, the wild flowers and the snowy hills... It's a road trip that opens your lungs.
On the coast, for Chubut, the right whale passes. When I was a child I went to see all the seasons, I even swam with several! And that's how I lost my fear of the sea. There are also penguins and sea elephants there. In the center, along the mountain range, are the glaciers, including the Perito Moreno and Upsala , where we took the photos for this report. I went to the glaciers for the first time after returning from a trip to Antarctica, and although I had just spent a week seeing ice, my jaw dropped in front of the Perito Moreno.
In the south is Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego , a desolate province. With the flag trees, which with their shape say it all, there, in Ushuaia, Patagonia is extreme, it is in every way.
Inhospitable and captivating
This time we have chosen El Calafate and the great Argentine glaciers as our destination. What sensations do you get from these places?
That there are no glaciers like ours . As I said, it impresses even those who went to Antarctica and Iceland. These are unique and unbeatable landscapes.
What have been the ones that have reached you the most? Can you name and describe them?
I loved Estancia Cristina, where you arrive after a boat trip of almost three hours. That same afternoon we went horseback riding, and the landscape changed with every step... We crossed the river, climbed mountains, galloped through the steppe. It was a unique day . And then there is the Perito Moreno, an unbeatable natural monument that leaves you speechless. Trekking on this huge mountain of ice is a moving experience.
Glaciers, mountains, lakes, canyons, fossils... Is Patagonia one of the last refuges in this collapsed world?
At least, it's mine!
You look comfortable riding horses and climbing cliffs. Do you have a gaucho heart?
I would like to believe so! I have always thought that Patagonia, with its unwavering honesty , its majestic silences, is one of the most elegant places in the world. It is in my parameters of elegance, yes. That's why we celebrated our wedding in the purest white tie style in the middle of nowhere!
And finally, if you had to define this Patagonia with one word: what would it be?
Majestic.
Sofia Sanchez de Betak
THEY MADE THIS REPORT
PHOTOS: Isaías Miciú
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Sofía Sánchez de Betak
STYLING: Camila Gassiebayle and Marti Arcucci
HAIR AND MAKEUP: Sofía Rubinstein for @Shoot- Management with Alfaparf Milano products
FASHION CREDITS
Spencer Vladimir, Alena Akhmadullina, Aux Charpentiers, Cardon, CosasNuestras, Compañía de Sombreros, Juan Hernández Daels, Aracano, Marcelo Toledo, Ferragamo, Draghi, Yarde Buller, Awanay, Equipment, Ralph Lauren, Hermès, Pablo Ramírez, Fagliano.
*This report was published in January 2017 (number 102) in Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Subscribe to the printed edition (**11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website**) and enjoy free access to the digital version of Condé Nast Traveler for iPad. The Condé Nast Traveler January issue is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device.
infinite elegance