Geographical location of Patagonia in Argentina and Chile
Patagonia is a large area in Argentina and Chile that is not clearly delimited. It consists of several provinces and regions of the two South American states. Patagonia is divided into two major landscapes by the Andes mountain range: Eastern Patagonia and Western Patagonia. According to Behealthybytomorrow.com, Eastern Patagonia consists of Argentine provinces, Western Patagonia largely consists of Chilean regions. The Patagonia area extends from the northernmost point in the Argentine province of Neuquén to the southern part of Tierra del Fuego, the province of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. Many do not see the Tierra del Fuego archipelago as part of Patagonia as it is separated by the Strait of Magellan. Since this article is about the best travel time for the entire Patagonia region and Tierra del Fuego is directly adjacent to it – whether it belongs to it or not, the Argentine region is also discussed here. The following Google Maps map gives you an insight into the geographic location of Patagonia . Patagonia is formed from the marked five Argentine provinces and four Chilean regions.
The weather in western and eastern Patagonia
The weather in Patagonia is mostly cool with an average of 6.5 degrees Celsius per year. The winters are felt to be very long. The weather is – with exceptions – windy all year round. Depending on the location, however, the temperatures fluctuate enormously. In the north it is on average warmer than in the south of the region. The warmest month in Patagonia is January . It rains more west of the Andes than east of the mountain range. The moisture from the Pacific Ocean brings a lot of rainfall in Western Patagonia. The east is protected by the Andes. Therefore it is dry in Eastern Patagonia. The polar air can lead to frost in some parts of the east. In northern and central eastern Patagonia the continental climate produces highs of 30 degrees Celsius in the warmest months of January and February.
Best travel time for northern and central eastern Patagonia
If you want to travel to the north or the center of Eastern Patagonia , the best time to travel is from October to April . The most popular travel times are December, January and February, as it is the warmest here. For example, the Argentine provinces of Neuquén and Rio Negro are located in northern Eastern Patagonia. The average temperatures measured in the two regions can be found in the following two climate tables. The climate values show that it is warmer all year round in the northern region of Neuquén than in the province of Rio Negro below (measured values for the city of Bariloche).
Climate table for Neuquén (Northern Eastern Patagonia, Argentina)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Max. Temperature in ° C | 31 | 30 | 27 | 22 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 27 | 30 |
| Min. Temperature in ° C | 15 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 14 |
| Hours of sunshine per day | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Rainy days per month | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Climate table for San Carlos de Bariloche (Rio Negro Province, Central Eastern Patagonia, Argentina)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Max. Temperature in ° C | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 |
| Min. Temperature in ° C | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Hours of sunshine per day | 11 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 |
| Rainy days per month | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
Best travel time for central western Patagonia
In western Patagonia it rains on average more than east of the Andes. The best time to travel to Western Patagonia is from December to March . As you can see from the climate table for the XI. Region (Región de Aysén) in Chile, it rains the least on average in the Chilean summer months. The temperatures are the warmest at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. The region in southern Chile is the coldest in the country. So you should wrap up warm for your Patagonia vacation in the west of the region.
Climate table for Puerto Aysén (Región de Aysén, XI. Region, Chile)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Max. Temperature in ° C | 18 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 |
| Min. Temperature in ° C | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| Hours of sunshine per day | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Rainy days per month | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Best travel time for Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is one of the most popular regions in Argentina and a must for every nature lover. The archipelago at the southern tip of South America, which is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan, is characterized by an amazing, untouched nature. Mountain landscapes and picturesque lakes surround the islands. The climate in Tierra del Fuego is oceanic cool. In the south of the region in particular, there is frequent rainfall and often snow. The best time to travel to Tierra del Fuego are the summer months from December to mid-March. With an average of six hours of sunshine per day, the days are longer and the temperatures are milder. On average it is 13 to 14 degrees warm during the day, at night it cools down to five degrees in summer. The exact climate data can be found in the following climate table for Ushuaia , the liveliest city in Tierra del Fuego.
Climate table for Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Max. Temperature in ° C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| Min. Temperature in ° C | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Hours of sunshine per day | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Water temperature in ° C | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Rainy days per month | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 |