Patagonia

So I am going to cheat a little bit on this post. I am going to write about a region instead of just a specific place. Patagonia, however, is WELL worth it. If I could go backpacking anywhere in the world, this is where I would go in a heartbeat. Patagonia is a region in the southern part of South America and takes up parts or Chile and Argentina. It has one of the best varieties of geography that can be seen around the world.

There are seven regions within the larger geographic region of Patagonia. I am just going to highlight a few of them that represent the area well. The first is called Chubut and is located primarily in Argentina. This region is primarily used as farm land and is particularly known for the quality of wheat. But this is not the quality of the region that attracts the visitors. There are numerous lakes scattered throughout the region especially on the eastern side. These lakes are surrounded by small mountains, creating a most surreal environment. These lakes also attract 1000's of fly fisherman every year. There are a couple regions that are similar to this one.

Next is the Santa Cruz region. Most people are probably thinking about Santa Cruz in California, but this is just about the opposite. This area is also in Argentina and is a very cold region with some fantastic landscapes. Santa Cruz is the southern most region, closest to Antarctica. It is known for the pebble beaches and the deep water lakes. These lakes were formed by melted glaciers; there are actually still a lot of glaciers that can be seen and gawked at.

A third region is Magallanes and is located in Chile. This has some of the more well known spots to visit; for instance the strait of Magellan and Cape Horn. This region has a very low population and is extremely vast, which makes it great to see different plants and animals. In this region it is relatively easy to find penguins and condors as well as other animals in their natural habitat. What this region might be most known for is hosting the Patagonia Expedition Race, one of the world's most spectacular adventure races.

Patagonia has one of the best variations of geography in the world. From mountains, to plains, to lakes, to oceans, to glaciers this region has something for everyone. This is the place for any adventurest to have the time of their life.