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15 Reasons Patagonia Should Be No. 1 On Your Bucket List

Journey to the end of the world.
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Associate Producer, The Huffington Post

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Want to get out of town? Then head to Patagonia.  

The vast region in the southern part of South America ranges across both Chile and Argentina. Its unique wildlife, diverse geography and climate give tourists a wide range of offerings -- whether that's trekking across glaciers, white-water rafting, admiring the wildlife or relaxing along the coast.

The best time to visit the region is during the spring or summer months, which occurs from the end of October through early March. Need some convincing? See for yourself:

1. You'll feel like you're on top of the world.
Ali Zaslav

Travel to see Perito Moreno Glacier, a stunning site in the southern part of Los Glaciares National Park.

2. The scenery is breathtaking.
Ali Zaslav

Los Glaciares National Park is one of Patagonia's most popular destinations. Beyond the beautiful glaciers, the park is also filled with mountain ranges, lakes and forests.

3. There are endless opportunities for exploration.
Ali Zaslav

Have an explorer take you on an incredible journey, mini-trekking across Perito Moreno.

4. Even the glacier water will blow your mind.
Ali Zaslav

Learn how to safely walk across the ice using crampons. Crampons are metal spikes that attach to the bottom of your shoes for optimized traction and mobility.

5. There is no better way to booze.
Ali Zaslav

Have some scotch or try Calafate liquor, which is made from Calafate berries.

6. Your hike will come with unreal views.
Ali Zaslav

Take in the remarkably diverse landscapes in Los Glaciares National Park.

7. You can completely change climates in just a few hours.
Ali Zaslav

Travel to Península Valdes, one of the wildlife highlights of Argentina and a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site.

8. The water landscapes are extraordinary.
Ali Zaslav

Patagonia offers some of the world's best whale-watching, fishing and snorkeling.

9. And are almost completely untouched.
Ali Zaslav

Take a boat or kayak around Golfo Nuevo. You can also dock and have lunch along the gulf, but bring an umbrella... there's no shade!

10. The Estancias (ranches) are phenomenal.
Ali Zaslav

Head out to the countryside and visit one of Argentina's beautiful and authentic Estancias.

11. Even the skies are picturesque.
Ali Zaslav

Drive to Estancia Loreto for an unforgettable experience. Learn all about Argentina's history, culture and traditions.

12. You can march with the penguins.
Ali Zaslav

Come face-to-face with Magellanic penguins, which arrive in the springtime and nest along the Valdes Peninsula.

13. Or hang out with the most adorable sea lions.
Ali Zaslav

Admire the Patagonian sea lions along the coast of Argentina.

14. Most importantly, you'll finally be able to unplug... good luck finding a signal.
Ali Zaslav

Because of the vast distances between towns, it's very difficult to find a signal in many areas, though you can always rent a satellite phone.

15. Let's be real, you'll never want to leave this place...
Ali Zaslav

Kick back and enjoy the view.

CLARIFICATION: Language has been updated to clarify that Patagonia is a region shared by Chile and Argentina, as opposed to a region located between the two countries.

Best Places To Travel In 2015
Fez, Morocco(01 of07)
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For more than a decade, Marrakesh has been the Moroccan destination on everyone’s list. Fez, about 240 miles northeast, was often an afterthought. But slowly, quietly, a sophisticated scene is taking root. It started with expats and locals restoring riads, and continues as hotels, restaurants, and galleries pop up. The biggest news is the Hotel Sahrai, with a hip rooftop bar and 50 rooms, many overlooking an infinity pool. Other notable places to stay include the medina’s Karawan Riad, whose seven renovated suites offer a modern alternative to more traditional riad hotels, and Palais Faraj, a 19th-century palace transformed by architect Jean-Baptiste Barian. On the culinary front, Restaurant No. 7 is making waves with a rotating series of acclaimed guest chefs. It’s the brainchild of British food writer Tara Stevens and American Stephen Di Renza, part of a group of expats who are encouraging experimentation. So far, overdevelopment isn’t an issue. Whether this will last—especially with the 2015 debut of an upgraded airport, set to accommodate 2.5 million passengers, five times the current volume—is anyone’s guess. Don’t wait to find out. This is the moment to see Fez. Find out more about T+L's top pick for 2015. —Richard Alleman

Photo: Céline Clanet
Catskills, NY(02 of07)
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The region that welcomed Jewish families in the ’50s, hippies in the ’60s, and soon, perhaps, casino gamblers is also making room for a new tribe: hip, design-crazed travelers. A string of stylish B&Bs have opened, many of them by transplants from Manhattan and Brooklyn (call them “hicksters”) who value buzzwords like local, authentic, and handmade. Among them are the bohemian-chic Hotel Dylan in Woodstock, the Arnold House in Livingston Manor, with its tavern and diminutive spa, and Phoenicia’s Graham & Co., where the retro amenities include Tivoli radios, bonfires, and a badminton court. Area farms provide the ingredients for inventive restaurants like Table on Ten, in Bloomville, which just added a trio of whitewashed rooms upstairs. The blackjack tables—and a few megaresort proposals that envision the return of the area’s Borscht Belt heyday—may be only a few years off, so now is the time to enjoy fly-fishing, hiking, antiquing, microbrewery-hopping, and other placid pursuits. —Peter J. Frank

Photo: Alessandra Mattanza / The Hotel Dylan
Rotterdam, Netherlands(03 of07)
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If Amsterdam is a study in old-world elegance, then the scrappier port city of Rotterdam is all big, futuristic ambition—and its constantly unfolding city center has become one eye-popping explosion of style. The latest attraction, and reason enough to visit, is the MVRDV-designed Markthal, an igloo-like horseshoe that houses 96 stalls (Dutch cheeses to Moroccan spices, reflecting the polyglot city), 20 shops, nine restaurants, and 228 apartments. It also happens to feature Holland’s largest artwork: a trippy nimbus of mammoth, tumbling fruits and vegetables arching across the market ceiling on 4,500 aluminum panels. Other recent starchitect landmarks include the multipurpose Rotterdam Central Train Station and native son Rem Koolhaas’s nhow hotel, sitting like a pile of stacked metal boxes on the south bank of the Maas River, the city’s reigning cultural hub. After visiting the neighboring Netherlands Photo Museum and the lipstick-red New Luxor Theater, toast a trip well-taken with a Dutch Blossom cocktail in the hotel bar. —Raphael Kadushin

Photo: Stuart Forster / Alamy
Puerto Plata, D.R.(04 of07)
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Far from the resort-clogged beaches of Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic’s less-frequented northern shore has remained largely under the radar. But developments slated for 2015 in Puerto Plata are bound to lure well-heeled sun-seekers. First up is The Gansevoort, offering three-bedroom apartments with private pools and four-bedroom penthouses equipped with rooftop hot tubs. Later in 2015, Aman Villas will become the second Caribbean outpost from Singapore-based Amanresorts and the first golf-integrated Aman Resort. It’s the first phase of a development that aims to introduce some 400 residential villas, along with sports and equestrian facilities. Each is a welcome departure from the island’s cookie-cutter all-inclusives—and a promising sign of what’s to come in the luxury circuit. —Lindsey Olander

Photo: Gansevoort Hotel Group
Wasatch Mountains, Utah(05 of07)
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You can craft a linear story arc from the first edition of Robert Redford’s film festival in 1984 to the summer 2014 purchase of Park City Mountain Resort by Vail Resorts—the behemoth operator’s second recent foray into Park City (it bought the Canyons in 2013). Along the way a small mining town became a cauldron of Olympic athletes, Hollywood’s A-list, and luxury hotel brands like St. Regis and Waldorf Astoria. But a ski region blessed to have won the geographical lottery—seven world-class resorts span three parallel canyons in the rugged Wasatch Mountains, all within an hour’s drive—remained second fiddle to neighboring Colorado, whose star has shined brighter. That’s about to change. Where Vail’s vaunted Epic Pass goes, a legion of loyal snow junkies follows. The new year brings new restaurants, high-speed chairs, and lifts, including one that connects Canyons to PCMR, making it the largest ski resort in the U.S. And the industry is buzzing over a proposal that seems headed for approval called One Wasatch, which would link all seven ski areas in a European-style mega-network spanning 18,000 acres and 100 lifts. The project will have major tourism implications, introducing a new flock of riders to what locals proudly declare on their car license plates: the greatest snow on earth. —Nathan Storey

Photo courtesy of Canyons Resort
Istanbul(06 of07)
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You can’t walk through a neighborhood in Istanbul these days without stumbling upon a debutante hotel primping for its grand entrance. Political unrest hasn’t deterred visitors, with tourism numbers soaring to new highs and hotel groups rushing to meet growing demand. In September 2014, Raffles moved into the business district’s glitzy Zorlu Centre, one of many sleek additions to the ancient city’s sinuous skyline, featuring a mall, office space, and a $350 million performing arts center. Up next: St. Regis in tony Nisantasi and Soho House in trendy Beyoglu. The Vault Hotel debuted in March in Karaköy, Istanbul’s neighborhood du jour, with stately interiors befitting its provenance as an erstwhile bank: an ornate façade, an old-fashioned cagelike elevator, a steel vault–turned–liquor cabinet presiding over the bar. In November, the Morgans Hotel Group unveiled 10 Karaköy nearby, steps from a bevy of new restaurants (join the throngs of stylish locals grazing at Colonie). Even hallowed Old City isn’t immune: Morgans’ next venture, the Mondrian Istanbul, will glam up prime real estate amid Fatih’s Ottoman domes. —Sarah Khan

Photo courtesy of The House Hotel
Chengdu, China(07 of07)
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Famous for its 1,600 pandas, most of which still live in the wild, Chengdu has introduced a 72-hour no-visa policy that makes it easier for Americans to drop in on one of the city’s three major panda research facilities. (For seeing the black and white bears without turning blue, the best months are June to October.) But it’s worth sticking around longer to experience what’s doing in Chengdu, a city on the rise. One of the shiniest attractions is New Century Global Centre, the world’s largest building, complete with an artificial beach. And there’s a slew of new hotel addresses. London-based Make Architects wraps a three-dimensional woven façade of timber, brick, and step stones around The Temple House, which also incorporate a thousand-year-old Chinese Buddhist temple and restored Qing dynasty courtyard building. Swire’s third “House” hotel opens in January 2015 with 100 rooms, while Six Senses opens the sustainable timber doors at Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain, with 113 whitewashed suites, 30 minutes outside town in the still-unspoiled bamboo forest near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Qingcheng—the birthplace of Taoism and the Dujiangyan irrigation system, an ecological engineering feat dating back to around 256 B.C. —Cynthia Rosenfeld

Photo: An Qi / Alamy

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