Riding in Patagonia: Argentina and Chile compared
Riding in Patagonia means: two countries, two kinds of weather, and wind as a travelling companion.
El Calafate, Tierra del Fuego, Cerro Castillo, Puerto Natales: what the providers name, how cold it gets and what you should ask.
Argentina
In Los Glaciares National Park, according to UNESCO 600,000 hectares in Santa Cruz province, glaciers cover about half; according to UNESCO the Perito Moreno glacier blocks a narrow channel in Lake Argentino. Near Bariloche cards name rides at Lake Gutiérrez and inland.
Chile
Near Pucón rides to waterfalls and a two-day ride with camping.
The weather in numbers
| Station | Source | January max / min | July max / min | Rain per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Calafate (2001 to 2010) | WMO, SMN | 18.9 / 7.0 °C | 4.7 / minus 5.4 °C | 159.6 mm |
| Bariloche (1981 to 2010) | WMO, SMN | 22.6 / 6.6 °C | 6.7 / minus 1.6 °C | 811.4 mm, 170.1 in June |
| Punta Arenas (1981 to 2010) | WMO, DMC | 15.2 / 6.9 °C | 4.1 / minus 0.9 °C | 406.9 mm |
| Puerto Montt (1981 to 2010) | WMO, DMC | 19.8 / 9.3 °C | 10.2 / 3.5 °C | 1,613.1 mm, 219.6 in June |
Read from the table (our own calculation): in January the maxima lie between 15.2 and 22.6 degrees, in July between 4.1 and 10.2 degrees; the nights in July are frosty in El Calafate (minus 5.4) and Bariloche (minus 1.6). Rain: El Calafate and Punta Arenas are dry, Bariloche and Puerto Montt wet. Wind and terrain are not in the numbers.
Questions for the provider
- Which season suits the ride, and how cold is it at the start time?
- What is provided (windproof clothing, helmet), and what do you bring?
- How long are you really in the saddle, and how long is the journey?
- What level is required, and is there a weight limit in kilograms?
- Do you ride in winter, and in which conditions not?
- Are there river crossings, and how deep?
What we could not confirm
Weather values from the WMO page, not from the SMN and DMC directly; El Calafate only 10 years. No wind values. No riding rule for national parks found. No source names a best time to travel.
Sources (read on 12 October 2026)
- UNESCO, Los Glaciares National Park, whc.unesco.org/en/list/145.
- WMO World Weather Information Service, climate information El Calafate, Bariloche (data of the SMN), Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt (data of the DMC), worldweather.wmo.int.
- Offers: Viator pool and GetYourGuide hand cards, as of 11 October 2026.