Patagonia & chilean Fjords

The Chilean Patagonia covers just under half of the country, so the climate can vary from one
part of the region to another. It is famous for its ever-changing and unpredictable daily
weather. Winter temperatures can reach freezing with an average of 34.3° – 42.4°F (5.8° – 1.3°C)
and can be harsh for travel with snow and strong wind. We travel through Patagonia during the
austral fall and spring. During spring and fall, temperatures can range from 36° – 52.3°F (2.3° –
11.2°C). Wind from the southwest is dry, cold, and strong, and the windchill can make
temperatures feel even colder.

The name Patagonia is said to be derived from Patagones, the native people, and the region’s
original inhabitants. They called themselves Tehuelches, but the 16th-century Spanish explorers
called them Patagones. This term is speculated to be coined by Ferdinand Magellan, the
Portuguese navigator who led the first European expedition into the area. It is believed that the
Tehuelche natives reminded him of Patagon, a dog-headed monster in the 16th century
Spanish romance novel Amadís of Gaul.

The Tehuelches were one of several native peoples that lived in the extreme Patagonia region,
practiced agriculture, hunting, and gathering, and traveled by foot and canoes through the
fjords and channels.

Patagonia is a vast region of 260,000 square miles (673,000 square kilometers) sprawled across
Chile and Argentina. It extends south from latitude 37° to 51° S. From about 39° S to 43° S,
Patagonia can be divided between north and south, with the south having a more cold, dry
climate, with temperatures that are higher along the coast but with strong winds.

The region comprises the Andes Mountains and is sprinkled with lakes, fjords, glaciers, and
temperate rainforests. On the Chilean side, the Pacific Ocean is to the west, and the Argentine
Patagonia and the Atlantic Ocean are to the east. To the south, you find the Strait of Magellan,
the Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage.

Antarctica has the coldest and harshest climate in the world. Average temperatures in the interior of Antarctica vary between -70°C and -40°C (-94°F and -40°F) during the coldest month of August. Contrastingly, during the warmest month of February, it ranges between -45°C and -15°C (-49°F and 5°F).Coastal temperatures are higher, from -32°C to -15°C (-25.6°F to 5°F) in winter. On the other hand, during the summer months, it is between -5°C and 5°C (23°F and 41°F), these being the highest temperatures registered in the Antarctic Peninsula.