Patagonia Field Seminar

Meet seminar staff, the Stanford students, and fellow travelers on campus this evening during a special welcome reception, orientation, and dinner.

Join Professor Durham on campus for morning and afternoon lectures and discussions on the parks and peoples of Patagonia. Lunch will be enjoyed alongside the students in an on-campus residential dining hall. Dinner is on our own.

Today, transfer from campus to San Francisco International Airport for independent flights to Argentina, arriving in Buenos Aires the next day. Transfer to our hotel and rest for a bit before heading out to explore the city. See Plaza de Mayo and its neo-classical cathedral; the presidential palace and seat of the national government known as the Casa Rosada (or Pink House), La Boca neighborhood with its small colored houses. End with a stroll along the narrow, cobbled-stone streets of San Telmo, one of the oldest parts of the city. This evening, gather for presentations by the Stanford students, followed by cocktails, dinner, and a tango dance performance at our hotel.

Today, venture to Recoleta, the neighborhood where affluent families sought refuge after a yellow fever outbreak in the 19th century, erecting opulent mansions, designing big avenues and parks, and embracing a “Parisian” lifestyle. Visit Recoleta Cemetery, a breathtaking final resting place for influential figures in Argentina's history, including Eva Peron. We transfer to the airport late this afternoon for our flight to Puerto Madryn on the coast off Peninsula Valdés, an important area for marine conservation. Grab a late dinner at the hotel upon arrival.

Spend the morning on Peninsula Valdés, looking for southern elephant seals, southern sea lions, and right whales. Return to Puerto Madryn and board a catamaran chartered for our group to enjoy spectacular whale watching. We then travel to Estancia San Lorenzo, a local sheep farm, for lunch. Located on the coast of Golfo San Matias, San Lorenzo is home to a colony of Magellan Penguins. Walk among them on the beach and look for seals and sea birds. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant before returning to our hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for our flight to El Calafate. Located in the middle of the steppe and constantly exposed to the southern wind, El Calafate is one of the Argentina’s most visited destinations for its spectacular outlying attractions: the Perito Moreno Glacier and Glaciares National Park. Later this afternoon, gather for student presentations followed by dinner.

After an early-morning breakfast, transfer to Puerto Punta Bandera to board a boat for an all-day excursion to historic and remote Estancia Cristina. Weave through a labyrinth of icebergs with different hues of blue and navigate to the western front of Upsala Glacier. Continue along Cristina Channel into one of the most fascinating and remote Patagonian Valleys looking for Patagonian condors. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch and a visit to the small historical museum before continuing in 4 X 4 vehicles for a magnificent view of the Upsala Glacier and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Return to Puerto Punta Bandera for dinner, then return to our hotel.

Following breakfast, travel to the Perito Moreno Glacier for a full day visit. Walk along meandering boardwalks that lead to different viewpoints along the glacier while learning about the natural history of the area. Listen for sounds of the glacier moving and cracking and perhaps catch sight of a calving. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Depart for the drive to Puerto Natales, a small fishing town considered to be the gateway to Torres del Paine. When founded in the early 1900s, Puerto Natales was quite prosperous due to the sheep farming industry and boasted a bustling meat packing plant. Check in to our hotel and enjoy breathtaking views of Torres del Paine. Dinner is at the hotel this evening, following student presentations.

Towering above the immense Patagonian steppe, the spectacular granite pillars of Torres del Paine dominate the landscape. Torres del Paine National Park covers 181,000 hectares. There are many hiking paths that cross widely differing types of terrain, such as steppes and thick Magellanic subpolar forests, and run along lakes with huge glaciers and icebergs. For the next two days, explore Torres del Paine from our hotel, which offers a variety of hikes and excurions for a variety of activity levels.

This morning, travel across the Argentinian border back to El Calafate for our flight to Ushuaia, located on the southern coast of Tierra del Fuego, on the Beagle Channel. The town nestles at the base of the Martial Mountains on the north side of Ushuaia Bay, facing south toward a lovely view of rugged mountains and islands. After student presentations at our hotel, walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Spend the morning in Tierra del Fuego National Park. Spot a variety of sea birds as we hike along the bay. After lunch in the park, return to Ushuaia and board a local boat to cruise along the Beagle Channel. Pass Isla de los Lobos and Isla de los Pájaros, part of the Bridges Archipelago, and spot sea lions, cormorants, albatrosses, skuas, petrels, and seagulls. We also pass by the famous lighthouse, Les Eclaireurs, and the Estancia Túnel, a historic site on the northern shore. Return to our hotel and enjoy a festive farewell dinner.

Set out for a tour of Ushuaia this morning before heading to the airport. See the local Naval Base, the Marine Museum, and the Museum of the Prison of Ushuaia, which housed the most notorious criminals in Argentine history. Take a group flight to Buenos Aires, then connect to independent flights returning home.