The Great Patagonian Traverse

2024 marks 50 years since celebrated travel writer Bruce Chatwin arrived in Patagonia, on a six-month long trip that, half a century later, has established itself as one of the most classic reads in travel literature.

Beautifully written and full of intriguing tales, In Patagonia is an account of his travels to a remote country in search of a strange beast.

If you want to recapture the atmosphere of Bruce Chatwin’s travel classic, World Expeditions’ off the beaten track itinerary of the Great Patagonian Traverse is designed to appeal especially to seasoned trekkers who wish to experience a different side of South America’s southernmost frontier.

The trip utilises a little-known pass to cross from Chile to Argentina, between Lago O’ Higgins and Laguna del Desierto, and takes adventurers from the Southern Ice Cap to the Towers of Paine, in a traverse of Patagonia’s very best untouched National Parks. It is one of the most intimate ways to explore Patagonia, as accommodation limitations mean that it can only run with groups of up to 12 people maximum.