Patagonia’s world-famous as an adventure-travel destination. It’s also well known for its weather: fitful, unruly, blustery, and sometimes all-out harsh.
But the wildness of Patatonia’s climate is part of its appeal, and proper preparation and planning allow you to enjoy this incredibly special, ridiculously scenic place in relative comfort. The weather alone, though, isn’t the only factor that should influence when you come to explore this beautiful southern reach of South America.
In this article, we’ll break down some of the basic considerations informing the best time to visit Patagonia, from its seasonal conditions to the patterns of wildlife and tourism itself. Let’s get started!
Let’s set the scene with a cliff-notes version of Patagonia’s climate and weather. Roughly taken to be South America below about 40 degrees South latitude and running down to the Tierra del Fuego archipelago at about 55 degrees South, Patagonia’s is a firmly midlatitude climate with its far southern fringe just edging into the subpolar zone.
Prevailing westerly airflow off the Southern Pacific Ocean in combination with the north-south barrier of the Patagonian Andes makes for a dramatic climatic contrast from west to east across Patagonia. That’s true even though this southernmost stretch of the incredibly lengthy Andes Mountains is narrower and lower in elevation than farther north (with a mean elevation of roughly 5,000 feet or so, though numerous peaks—including the burly stratovolcanoes of the northern Lakes Districts and such granitic Andean massifs as the Cordillera Paine and Fitz Roy/Cerro Torre groups—rise above 10,000 feet).
A comparatively narrow strip of western Patagonia, including the Pacific coastal zone and the western slopes of the Cordillera, is a wet, marine-influenced realm (a Marine West Coast climate type, to be exact). Annual rainfall here may exceed 200 inches per year in places, which explains the existence here of extensive temperate rainforest—a globally restricted biome. Plentiful marine-system precipitation induced by the steep rise of the Cordillera, plus the high-latitude location, is also reflected in the extensive glacial ice in the Patagonian Andes, including the major Northern and Southern Patagonia Icefields.
With the moist oceanic air wrung out in its passage over the Andes, the eastern foothills and extensive tableland of eastern/Argentine Patagonia are cast in a rainshadow that translates to a dramatically drier and significantly more continental climate. This region sees a greater annual range in temperature and more extreme heat and cold than the cooler, steadier marine zone west of the Andean crest. Much of Argentine Patagonia falls under a Midlatitude Steppe climate that also extends northward into the South American Pampas, but a significant portion of northeastern and east-central Patagonia, with even leaner rainfall, is classified as a Midlatitude Desert climate (though the resulting vegetation community would generally be called semi-arid or semi-desert steppe). Parts of the Patagonian Steppe, including the Atlantic coast, may receive on the order of five inches of average annual precipitation.
Partly because of the temperating influence of all the surrounding water, and partly because the Patagonia Cordillera decreases in height north to south, the climate of Tierra del Fuego is a moderated one. But its far southern islands in some classification schemes fall within a genuine Tundra climate—a reminder that this extreme southern point of South America is not all that far from Antarctica.
We’d be remiss not emphasizing perhaps the signature element of Patagonian weather: wind! The steppelands and Tierra del Fuego in particular are known for their gustiness, thanks to strong westerly and southwesterly winds that not uncommonly approach (or exceed) 100 miles per hour.
As the above primer on Patagonian climate indicates, weather can vary significantly across the region. But for simplicity’s sake, we’ll be sketching out the following breakdown of Patagonian seasons in broad strokes. Although the whole “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” line is overused in many parts of the world, it definitely applies in Patagonia, where even in summer—particularly in the high country or down in Tierra del Fuego—you may feel like you’re experiencing all four seasons within the span of a single day.
All the temperatures mentioned below are given in degrees Fahrenheit.
Early spring may come with snowfall and cloudy, cold days, but later in the season temperatures regularly edge into the 50s and 60s. Blooming wildflowers and lengthening days reward springtime visitors to Patagonia, though those trekking into the high country will likely still contend with snow.
This is (surprise, surprise) the warmest season in Patagonia, with temperatures typically getting into the 70s across much of the region (and sometimes exceeding 100 degrees in the highly continental, semi-desert northeast). But it’s also on average the windiest season in much of Patagonia, which adds a windchill factor to the perceived temperature.
Temperatures often still reach the 50s or low 60s in the first part of fall, with colder weather, including snow, to be expected later on. Lovely autumn colors tend to be well underway by April.
Plentiful snow falls in the Patagonia Cordillera in winter, especially on the western high slopes and the crest, with the southern steppes and Tierra del Fuego also seeing the white stuff. In the mountains and the tableland interior of Patagonia, temperatures this time of year can be cold indeed—even outright frigid.
The often-harsh conditions, reduced road and sea access, and limited or nonexistent services in many parts of Patagonia during the winter make this season a generally challenging one for tourism. But there are exceptions: Travelers flock to the Chilean Lakes District in winter to take advantage of the plentiful snowpack at the Cerro Catedral ski resort. And many high-profile national parks such as Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares remain open. The allure of very few fellow visitors may be enough to draw you to experience Patagonia’s winterscape, but plenty of preparation is needed.
Spring and fall, the “shoulder seasons,” can be marvelous times to visit Patagonia if you’re prepared for highly changeable weather and a more limited selection of accommodations, tour offerings, and other services. As we’ve mentioned, spring wildflowers and fall foliage can both be quite lovely in Patagonia, and you can also check out big-name attractions with fewer crowds.
Summer is prime tourism season in Patagonia, and for good reason: The friendlier temperatures, long days, maximum access, and peak hospitality operations make this the all-around best time of year to visit for your average globehopper. This also, naturally, means you’ll be dealing with the most crowds. But if you can schedule your trip for earlier in the summer, you can often avoid the biggest crush, given Chilean and Argentine summer vacations don’t kick in until January and February.
In this section, bearing the above in mind, we’ll run through some of the most popular activities in Patagonia and how they’re influenced by the calendar.
For all but the hardiest outdoorspeople, the best time to trek Patagonia is late spring through early fall. This window gives you the fullest access to the alpine country, the balmiest weather (if plenty windy), and expansive daylight for packing in adventures. But if you’re headed for such popular hiking routes as Torres del Paine National Park’s W Trek, expect plenty of company in summer. The first half of fall can be a wonderful time for Patagonian hiking, given the lesser crowds, often amenable weather, and the spectacle of fall color sweeping over the mountainous landscape.
Here again, summer’s best for most climbers looking to take advantage of Patagonia’s lauded pitches and alpine routes. But shoulder-season or even winter climbing is possible for those willing to make the effort (and deal with what may be ferocious conditions).
Except for migrating birds and the complicating factor of access/ease of travel, Patagonia’s most sought-after terrestrial wildlife can generally speaking be seen year-round. The calendar is more significant when you talk about marine life, though here again you’ve got great wildlife-watching opportunities throughout the seasons.
You can see pinnipeds year-round off Patagonian shores—namely South American sea lions and fur seals and southern elephant seals—but peak viewing comes via the breeding colonies and associated activity that generally go down from spring into summer.
Cetaceans, including both baleen whales and dolphins, can also be seen anytime of year in coastal Patagonia. That said, best viewing of humpbacks is September to March, southern right whales off the Valdes Peninsula from June to December, and pygmy blue whales in the vicinity of Chiloé Island from December to February. Orcas, hungry for sea lions, are particularly evident off the Valdes Peninsula in August and September.
A number of species of penguins are present year-round in Patagonian waters, though easiest viewing comes at major rookeries. Magellanic penguins breed along the Patagonian seacoast from September through March. Summer visitors to Tierra del Fuego can see, in addition to Magellanics in their colonies, uniquely accessible breeding colonies of king and gentoo penguins.
Here at Rainforest Cruises, we can set you up with a wide variety of top-quality tours and accommodations in Patagonia in multiple seasons. We hope to help introduce you to its magnificent land- and seascapes soon!
While Rainforest Cruises aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, we make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information herein or found by following any link on this site. Rainforest Cruises cannot and will not accept responsibility for any omissions or inaccuracies, or for any consequences arising therefrom, including any losses, injuries, or damages resulting from the display or use of this information.
