A common ritual for many young Argentines on the back of completing their secondary school examinations, is a trip to the south of Argentina with nothing more than a carpa (or tent), mochila (back-pack) and a group of buenos amigos! This pilgrimage to the camping sites of Patagonia is, of course, not exclusive to young people from Argentina and they are joined by a smaller crowd of overseas travellers with similar aspirations. That said, some people visiting Argentina arrive without a tent (perhaps favouring the reasonably-priced hostel accommodation), and leave wishing they’d packed their camping equipment in order to get that little bit closer to Argentina’s natural wilderness. If you have got space for your camping gear this is a great way to explore the south of Argentina in particular, which is generally more expensive than other regions in the country (in terms of accommodation, eating out and day-to-day expenses).

The camping sites in the northern regions of Patagonia (around the towns of Bariloche, El Bolson, San Martin de los Andes and those situated in the National Parks between towns) are numerous and vary in terms of the services offered to campers. Those located closer to towns in this region come equipped with bathrooms (including showers), a kiosk to buy food and essentials, bar/restaurant, electricity points and areas to cook (prices usually range from 5-8 Euros per person, per night). Generally, camping sites in more remote spots have very few facilities, if any (and are free as a result), but offer stunning views with the associated peace and tranquillity. The bus services which connect the main towns in the region are regular and make it fairly easy to move between different locations, although the luxury of car rental provides the traveller with much more liberty to go off the ‘beaten track’.

An excellent example of a campsite which is both isolated but accessible using public transport can be found in Parque Nacional Lanin (buses run from Junin de los Andes),alongside Lago Paimún. The camping site at Piedra Mala is breathtakingly beautiful, with the imposing peak of Volcán Laninvisiblein the distance and a distinctive beach with black sand, a stone’s throw from the entrance of your tent. The site provides campers with most services apart from electricity and this lack of light helps make the night sky, and its reflection in the lake, all the more impressive. Of course, basing yourself here (as opposed to hostels in Junin de los Andes 1-2 hours away) makes it much easier to undertake longer trekking routes, delving deeper into the National Park. A particular favourite in Parque Nacional Lanin is the route to the base of the volcano, which takes roughly 7-8 hours and is rewarded with unrivalled views of this natural giant. There are, as one might expect, hundreds of different trekking routes in this part of northern Patagonia, and the various tourist and National Park offices offer all necessary advice and information.

It’s certainly true that overseas visitors can take advantage of relatively cheap accommodation costs here in Argentina but if you want to do things on an even tighter budget and visit some of the more secluded sites along the way, think about packing that carpa!