Wild Patagonia - Tierra del Fuego

Wild Tracks run this one at the very bottom of the continent, and the shape of it is simple: ride south until the road runs out, then turn round and ride north into the mountains.

It starts in Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan and crosses the water by ferry into Tierra del Fuego. The island section is the remote part, taking in Route J and the empty coast road, with Porvenir on the Chilean side before the route works its way down to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. There is an optional ride on the Southern Fuegian Railway part way through. From Ushuaia the route turns back north through Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales, finishing in Torres del Paine National Park among the glaciers and the granite towers.

The bikes are what make this different from almost every other Patagonian tour. These are vintage Royal Enfield Classic 500s, so you are riding a slow, simple, carburettor-era single through terrain usually tackled on a modern adventure bike. Wild Tracks rate the tour advanced, and the Patagonian wind is a real factor rather than a detail in the small print.

Groups are capped at seven riders, which keeps it close to private. A mechanic and a support vehicle travel with the group throughout, and the guides work in English, German and Spanish. Accommodation is in private rooms, and local meals, airport and terminal transfers and all the activities in the itinerary are included. An extension to El Calafate and El Chalten is available separately for anyone not ready to stop at Torres del Paine.