Best of Southern Patagonia

Casa Braun-Menéndez (Museo Regional de Magallanes) [1]: Magallanes’s regional museum now occupies what was the mansion of Patagonia’s wool aristocracy.

Monumento Natural Los Pingüinos [2]: In the summer season, penguins occupy every square centimeter of Isla Magdalena, also home to a historic lighthouse.

The Fjords of Fuegia [3]: Even backpackers sometimes splurge for a leg of this unforgettable itinerary.

Torres del Paine [4]: The granite needles that rise above the Patagonian steppe are a beacon drawing travelers from around the world to Chile’s premier national park, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine.

Cuernos del Paine [5]: This jagged interface between igneous and metamorphic rock, also in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, comprises some of the world’s most breathtaking alpine scenery.

Glaciar Perito Moreno [6]: The constantly calving 60-meter face of groaning Glaciar Moreno, east of El Calafate in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, is one of the continent’s most awesome sights (and sounds).

Sector Fitz Roy [7]: Also in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Sector Fitz Roy, near the hamlet of El Chaltén, offers some of the Andes’ most exhilarating scenery, hiking, and climbing.

Museo Marítimo de Ushuaia [8]: Much more than its name suggests, Ushuaia’s best museum needs more than one visit to absorb its maritime heritage and appreciate the way in which one of the world’s most remote prisons affected the city’s development.

Estancia Harberton [9]: East of Ushuaia, this historic estancia is, arguably, the nucleus of the “uttermost part of the earth."

Glaciar Martial [10]: Whether entirely by foot or partly by chairlift, the climb to Ushuaia’s nearby glacier, part of Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, rewards visitors with panoramic views of the city and the storied Beagle Channel.