Guanacos and Rheas are iconic animals of Patagonia, and a chance to watch and photograph them in their natural habitat is something one shouldn’t miss…

There is a very nice wildlife watching tour departing from El Calafate twice a day. We chose the afternoon ride that would likely give us better light for our photos. A private wildlife preserve up the hills to the south and a road that follows a stream for miles were the perfect place to draw wildlife at close range.

Most large animals were a bit shy though and I had to resort to long telephoto zoom lenses to show them at a good size in the frame. Most of my photos were taken at a 400-600 mm focal length (35 mm equivalent).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After having a few glasses of Argentinian Malbec wine, assorted cheese, and Patagonian style lamb stew at a former Estancia farmhouse. We headed back to the hills closest to town in order to watch the sunset over Lake Argentino: a fitting end for a great ride.