/* eslint-disable */
// Auto-generated destination data — patagonia
window.PATAGONIA_DATA = {
  "chrome": {
    "hero": {
      "kicker": "HowTo:Travel · Americas · Patagonia",
      "h1Lines": [
        "The bottom of the world",
        "where granite meets ice,",
        "and silence has weight."
      ],
      "issueLabel": "Issue Nº 47 · Patagonia guide · Updated April 2026",
      "lede": "Patagonia is not one region but two countries' claim to the same glaciated myth. It starts where Argentina's pampas flatten into steppes, and Chile's spine fractures into a thousand islands. The Fitz Roy massif. The Perito Moreno. Ushuaia at the edge of the map. Come in spring; come alone; come prepared to walk eight hours and see exactly no one.",
      "stats": "2 countries · 3 regions · 5 cities · 4 great drives",
      "metaRows": [
        {
          "k": "Currency",
          "v": "Argentine peso (ARS) · Chilean peso (CLP)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Plug type",
          "v": "Type C · Type I (Argentina has both)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Visa for US/UK",
          "v": "Not required (up to 180 / 90 days)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Best for first-timers",
          "v": "El Chaltén or Puerto Natales"
        },
        {
          "k": "Language",
          "v": "Spanish (Argentine/Chilean dialect)"
        }
      ],
      "frames": [
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506905925346-21bda4d32df4?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Fitz Roy, El Chaltén · 49°S"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1502062413888-a82efb992fba?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Perito Moreno Glacier, Santa Cruz · 50°S"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1507003211169-0a1dd7228f2d?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Torres del Paine, Chilean Patagonia · 51°S"
        }
      ]
    },
    "anchor": {
      "label": "In this guide",
      "items": [
        {
          "id": "intro",
          "label": "Letter"
        },
        {
          "id": "macros",
          "label": "The shape of it"
        },
        {
          "id": "regions",
          "label": "Three zones"
        },
        {
          "id": "drives",
          "label": "Four great drives"
        },
        {
          "id": "cities",
          "label": "Five towns"
        },
        {
          "id": "when",
          "label": "When to go"
        },
        {
          "id": "food",
          "label": "What to eat"
        },
        {
          "id": "language",
          "label": "Phrases"
        },
        {
          "id": "faq",
          "label": "Questions"
        }
      ]
    },
    "intro": {
      "lead": "Patagonia lives in the subjunctive. You see it only on good days. The wind erases it. The glaciers calve on their own schedule. You plan a four-day trek and finish in two because the weather won't negotiate. There are no queues here, no timetables that matter, no cell signal below 3,000 metres. The granite towers (called *fitz* by locals, after the ship) rise without warning from steppe. The ice speaks in groans. The southern beech forest ends abruptly at tree-line as if someone drew a pencil across a map. This is the place where the Earth's crust still moves, where the seasons reverse, where getting there is an act of devotion.",
      "side": "The Patagonian steppe is not a desert — it's a wind tunnel. Bring layers. The *viento* (wind) is not weather; it's a presence. Plan for four days of walking per city base. Distances are vast: Buenos Aires to El Chaltén is 20 hours by bus. The reward is solitude and granite you can touch. Come October–November (spring) or March–April (autumn). August is possible; December–February is peak but crowded.",
      "credit": "— The editors · El Chaltén · September 2025"
    },
    "signoff": {
      "h2": "The steppe teaches pace.",
      "body": "You will walk and speak little. The mountains care nothing for your ambitions. The ice grinds on its own time. The wind is your only conversation partner. When you return to cities with crowds and clocks, you'll move differently — slower, quieter, listening for what the room is not saying. That's the real Patagonia.",
      "credit": "— The editors"
    }
  },
  "macros": [
    {
      "id": "ar-pat",
      "name": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "tint": "#2c3e50",
      "blurb": "Granite spires, glacier calving, endless steppe. Fitz Roy and Perito Moreno."
    },
    {
      "id": "cl-pat",
      "name": "Chilean Patagonia",
      "tint": "#1a5f7a",
      "blurb": "Marble caves, fjords, ice fields. Torres del Paine. Impossible weather."
    },
    {
      "id": "tdf",
      "name": "Tierra del Fuego",
      "tint": "#0d3b43",
      "blurb": "The uttermost south. Ushuaia. Beagle Channel. Peat and penguin colonies."
    }
  ],
  "regions": [
    {
      "id": "ar-pat",
      "name": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "capital": "Río Gallegos",
      "macro": "ar-pat",
      "hue": "#2c3e50",
      "knownFor": "Fitz Roy, glaciers, steppe",
      "area": 243000,
      "pop": 0.33,
      "signature": "Granite towers rising from beech forest. The Perito Moreno calving on a schedule only it understands.",
      "best": "Oct–Nov · Mar–Apr"
    },
    {
      "id": "cl-pat",
      "name": "Chilean Patagonia",
      "capital": "Punta Arenas",
      "macro": "cl-pat",
      "hue": "#1a5f7a",
      "knownFor": "Marble lagoons, fjords, wind",
      "area": 406252,
      "pop": 0.23,
      "signature": "Impossible weather. Granite spires framed by storm clouds. Silence so absolute it rings.",
      "best": "Dec–Feb · Oct–Nov"
    },
    {
      "id": "tdf",
      "name": "Tierra del Fuego",
      "capital": "Ushuaia",
      "macro": "tdf",
      "hue": "#0d3b43",
      "knownFor": "Uttermost south, penguins, peat bogs",
      "area": 48430,
      "pop": 0.035,
      "signature": "The edge of the habitable world. Ushuaia's lights reflected in the Beagle Channel. Afternoon darkness at 3pm.",
      "best": "Dec–Feb"
    }
  ],
  "drives": [
    {
      "id": "ruta-9-norte",
      "num": "01",
      "name": "Ruta Nacional 9",
      "nameEm": "to El Chaltén",
      "region": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "regionId": "ar-pat",
      "from": "Río Gallegos",
      "to": "El Chaltén",
      "km": 320,
      "hours": 5,
      "elevMax": 520,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "Oct–Nov · Mar–Apr",
      "surface": "Ruta 9: paved. Gravel in final 40km.",
      "car": "Any vehicle. The last 40km will test your suspension.",
      "blurb": "Flat steppe that teaches you how enormous Patagonia is. Stop in Gobernador Gregores for coffee (seriously). The road enters forest and granite appears. Climb 300m in the final stretch and the towers appear at once—no warning, just Fitz Roy filling the windscreen.",
      "stops": [
        "Río Gallegos",
        "Gobernador Gregores",
        "Tres Lagos",
        "Laguna del Carbón",
        "El Chaltén"
      ],
      "tip": "Leave at dawn. The light hits the spires best at 9am from the Ruta. Stop at Laguna del Carbón for a photo; continue to El Chaltén to sleep.",
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    {
      "id": "ruta-5-paine",
      "num": "02",
      "name": "Carretera Austral",
      "nameEm": "Ruta 5 to Torres del Paine",
      "region": "Chilean Patagonia",
      "regionId": "cl-pat",
      "from": "Puerto Montt",
      "to": "Torres del Paine",
      "km": 1200,
      "hours": 18,
      "elevMax": 1200,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "Dec–Feb · Oct–Nov",
      "surface": "Ruta 5: paved. Unpaved sections south of Coyhaique.",
      "car": "High-clearance SUV for the full route. Consider flying Punta Arenas–El Calafate and doing the final 300km by road.",
      "blurb": "The longest scenic drive in the southern hemisphere. Fjord views, hanging glaciers, the Carretera Austral's famous unpaved sections where you'll see no cars for hours. Torres del Paine rises without fanfare at the end—massive granite spires in a landscape that feels planetary.",
      "stops": [
        "Puerto Montt",
        "Chaitén",
        "Coyhaique",
        "Villa Santa Lucía",
        "Perito Moreno Glacier",
        "Puerto Río Tranquilo",
        "Calafate",
        "Torres del Paine"
      ],
      "tip": "Break this into three legs (Puerto Montt–Coyhaique, Coyhaique–Calafate, Calafate–Paine). The Carretera Austral is legendary but slow. The payoff: glacier views and absolute solitude.",
      "profile": [
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    },
    {
      "id": "ruta-40-los-glaciares",
      "num": "03",
      "name": "Ruta Nacional 40",
      "nameEm": "Los Glaciares loop",
      "region": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "regionId": "ar-pat",
      "from": "El Chaltén",
      "to": "El Calafate",
      "km": 220,
      "hours": 3,
      "elevMax": 400,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "Oct–Nov · Mar–Apr",
      "surface": "Ruta 40: paved but famous for wind. Sudden gusts.",
      "car": "Any. But high-sided vehicles struggle; a low sedan is faster.",
      "blurb": "The most photographed 220 kilometres in Patagonia. Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre fade in the mirror as you descend to the Perito Moreno Glacier. The steppe opens. The wind orchestrates the sky. Arrive El Calafate at sunset; the glacier glows blue from the town.",
      "stops": [
        "El Chaltén",
        "Punta de las Vacas",
        "Tres Lagos",
        "Perito Moreno (viewpoint)",
        "El Calafate"
      ],
      "tip": "Drive with headlights on. Stop at Punta de las Vacas for the clearest Fitz Roy view. The Perito Moreno viewpoint is free and mandatory.",
      "profile": [
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    },
    {
      "id": "ruta-3-ushuaia",
      "num": "04",
      "name": "Ruta Nacional 3",
      "nameEm": "to Ushuaia",
      "region": "Tierra del Fuego",
      "regionId": "tdf",
      "from": "Río Gallegos",
      "to": "Ushuaia",
      "km": 570,
      "hours": 9,
      "elevMax": 600,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "Dec–Feb",
      "surface": "Ruta 3: paved, but ferry required (Punta Delgada–Porvenir crossing).",
      "car": "Any. The ferry accepts vehicles; book in advance in high season.",
      "blurb": "Into the uttermost south. The steppe gives way to peat bog. Penguin colonies appear. The Beagle Channel narrows the sky. Ushuaia emerges at the edge of the habitable world—brightly painted houses, the Andes falling into the sea, a sense of having driven off the edge of the map.",
      "stops": [
        "Río Gallegos",
        "Punta Delgada (ferry)",
        "Porvenir",
        "Puerto Almanza",
        "Ushuaia"
      ],
      "tip": "Book the Punta Delgada ferry (2 hours) ahead. Arrive Ushuaia in afternoon light. Walk the Beagle Channel at dusk.",
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  ],
  "cities": [
    {
      "name": "El Chaltén",
      "pop": 0.003,
      "region": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "regionId": "ar-pat",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506905925346-21bda4d32df4?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "3–4",
      "mood": "Granite towers, trekkers, isolation",
      "best": "Oct–Nov · Mar–Apr",
      "quote": "Sleep in a lodge with no cell signal. Walk Laguna de los Tres Picos at dawn. Come back hungry."
    },
    {
      "name": "El Calafate",
      "pop": 0.023,
      "region": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "regionId": "ar-pat",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1502062413888-a82efb992fba?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2",
      "mood": "Glacier town, tour hub, wind",
      "best": "Oct–Nov · Mar–Apr",
      "quote": "Perito Moreno at sunset. Then a *choripán* and red wine at Pura Vida. The glacier calves every afternoon at 4pm."
    },
    {
      "name": "Puerto Natales",
      "pop": 0.019,
      "region": "Chilean Patagonia",
      "regionId": "cl-pat",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1507003211169-0a1dd7228f2d?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2–3",
      "mood": "Torres gateway, Magellanic, windy",
      "best": "Dec–Feb · Oct–Nov",
      "quote": "Boat trip to Balmaceda Glacier. Then sleep in a converted estancia. The Torres base camp is 80km away."
    },
    {
      "name": "Ushuaia",
      "pop": 0.063,
      "region": "Tierra del Fuego",
      "regionId": "tdf",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1469854523086-cc02fe5d8800?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2",
      "mood": "Uttermost south, Beagle Channel, dusk",
      "best": "Dec–Feb",
      "quote": "Walk the Beagle Channel at 9pm—still light, still cold. End at Chez Manu for centolla (king crab) and pinot noir."
    },
    {
      "name": "Punta Arenas",
      "pop": 0.128,
      "region": "Chilean Patagonia",
      "regionId": "cl-pat",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506905925346-21bda4d32df4?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "1",
      "mood": "Port, pass-through, colonial",
      "best": "Oct–Feb",
      "quote": "A day-stop for penguin colonies or the Carretera Austral. Museo Regional is worth an hour."
    },
    {
      "name": "Coyhaique",
      "pop": 0.049,
      "region": "Chilean Patagonia",
      "regionId": "cl-pat",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1507003211169-0a1dd7228f2d?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "1",
      "mood": "Interior hub, Carretera midpoint, rainy",
      "best": "Dec–Feb · Oct–Nov",
      "quote": "Sleep here only if passing through. Rio Simpson valley views are the reason to stop."
    }
  ],
  "when": [
    {
      "m": "Jan",
      "n": "High summer. Warmest but crowded. 14–16°C. Book lodges months ahead.",
      "s": "Peak season. 10–14°C. Torres del Paine bases full. Wind omnipresent. Go if you must, but October is better."
    },
    {
      "m": "Feb",
      "n": "Still warm. Tourists thinning. 12–15°C. Last chance before autumn closes in.",
      "s": "Calmer than January. 8–13°C. Easier bookings. Marble caves accessible."
    },
    {
      "m": "Mar",
      "n": "Autumn arrives. Light softens. 10–13°C. Fewer trekkers. Excellent.",
      "s": "Ideal. 6–12°C. Beech forests turn. Torres del Paine less crowded."
    },
    {
      "m": "Apr",
      "n": "Spring ending. Weather unpredictable. 7–11°C. Some lodges close mid-month.",
      "s": "Cold. 3–10°C. Fjords still accessible. Coming south is harder; coming north is easier."
    },
    {
      "m": "May",
      "n": "Autumn deep. 5–9°C. Dark by 6pm. Many closures. For the hardy only.",
      "s": "Autumn peak. Solitude. 0–8°C. Light disappears fast. Glacier hikes require headlamps."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jun",
      "n": "Winter begins. -2–5°C. Fitz Roy base camps close. Not recommended.",
      "s": "Shortest day. Often closed. Heavy snow. Penguin colonies still accessible."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jul",
      "n": "Dead of winter. -1–4°C. Frozen. Roads sometimes impassable. Very hardy only.",
      "s": "Coldest. Unpredictable. Not advised unless you're serious about solitude."
    },
    {
      "m": "Aug",
      "n": "Winter easing. -1–6°C. Wind increases. Roads clearing. Still marginal for trekking.",
      "s": "Possible. 0–8°C. Wind extreme. Storm systems frequent. But cheaper."
    },
    {
      "m": "Sep",
      "n": "Spring begins. 4–10°C. Light returning. Some lodges reopen. Getting better daily.",
      "s": "Spring advances. 4–11°C. Carretera Austral opening. Wind settles. Excellent choice."
    },
    {
      "m": "Oct",
      "n": "Spring in full. 8–12°C. Wildflowers. Perfect trekking. Book everything now.",
      "s": "Peak spring. 8–13°C. Torres bloom. Prices rise but it's worth it. Ideal."
    },
    {
      "m": "Nov",
      "n": "Late spring. 11–14°C. Still excellent. Crowd building. December coming.",
      "s": "Spring peak. 10–15°C. Before summer crowds. Best window for road trips."
    },
    {
      "m": "Dec",
      "n": "Summer arriving. 13–16°C. Heat (relative). Holidays start. Crowd management begins.",
      "s": "Summer. 10–15°C. Ushuaia beckons. Good for short trips. Long days (17 hours light)."
    }
  ],
  "food": [
    {
      "dish": "Cordero a la cruz",
      "where": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "regionId": "ar-pat",
      "note": "Lamb split and grilled over open flame. Served with just salt and chimichurri—the smoke matters more than sauce.",
      "emoji": "🍖",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Centolla (King Crab)",
      "where": "Tierra del Fuego",
      "regionId": "tdf",
      "note": "Colossal Antarctic crab, split and grilled. Melting butter, white wine, the Beagle Channel outside. Ushuaia's only reason to linger.",
      "emoji": "🦀",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Asado",
      "where": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "regionId": "ar-pat",
      "note": "Grilled beef ribs, chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage). The steppe taught gauchos to cook slowly over coals. This is their grammar.",
      "emoji": "🔥",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Merluza Patagónica",
      "where": "Chilean Patagonia",
      "regionId": "cl-pat",
      "note": "Southern hake, firm and delicate. Grilled whole with just lemon. Puerto Natales and Coyhaique serve it fresh daily.",
      "emoji": "🐟",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Choripán",
      "where": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "regionId": "ar-pat",
      "note": "Grilled chorizo in bread with chimichurri. Street food that tastes better after a 6-hour trek. Every panadería sells them.",
      "emoji": "🥪",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Curanto en tiesto",
      "where": "Chilean Patagonia",
      "regionId": "cl-pat",
      "note": "Clay-pot stew: mussels, clams, cured pork, potatoes. The Magellanic version of cassoulet. Steamed, earthy, warming.",
      "emoji": "🍲",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Tortas de rescoldo",
      "where": "Argentine Patagonia",
      "regionId": "ar-pat",
      "note": "Flatbread buried in embers. Pulled out crispy, served with fresh butter and jam. The taste of the gaucho campfire.",
      "emoji": "🍞",
      "span": 2
    },
    {
      "dish": "Pilcantén",
      "where": "Chilean Patagonia",
      "regionId": "cl-pat",
      "note": "Wild mushroom ragout with cream. Autumn forests turned into a bowl. Pricey; rare; Carretera Austral estancias serve it.",
      "emoji": "🍄",
      "span": 1
    }
  ],
  "language": [
    {
      "lc": "¿Cuándo cierra?",
      "tr": "When do you close?",
      "note": "Essential. Many lodges, cafés, and attractions keep irregular hours. Ask before you commit."
    },
    {
      "lc": "El viento es increíble.",
      "tr": "The wind is incredible.",
      "note": "A conversational opener. Every Patagonian will agree. Sympathy is universal."
    },
    {
      "lc": "¿Dónde puedo cargar agua?",
      "tr": "Where can I fill my water bottle?",
      "note": "Trekkers ask this constantly. Most lodges offer spigots; ask before you assume."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Un choripán y cerveza Stella.",
      "tr": "One chorizo sandwich and a Stella beer.",
      "note": "The Patagonian trekker's refuel. Said with certainty, never hesitation."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Qué hermoso.",
      "tr": "How beautiful.",
      "note": "Patagonian Spanish doesn't overstep with adjectives. This quiet phrase does the work."
    },
    {
      "lc": "¿Hay reservas?",
      "tr": "Do you have availability?",
      "note": "High season (Oct–Nov, Dec–Feb) requires this asked weeks ahead. Do not assume walk-ins work."
    },
    {
      "lc": "El glaciar está calving.",
      "tr": "The glacier is calving.",
      "note": "Perito Moreno speaks regularly—4pm, most days. Locals use *calving* in Spanish too; it's universal."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Mañana es otro día.",
      "tr": "Tomorrow is another day.",
      "note": "When weather closes your trek. Patagonian wisdom: you can't negotiate with ice."
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Do I need a 4WD vehicle?",
      "a": "No, unless you're driving the full Carretera Austral unpaved sections. The Ruta 9 to El Chaltén, Ruta 40, and Ruta 3 are all paved. A standard sedan works. High winds affect tall vehicles more; low cars are actually faster. Rent locally if possible—Argentine and Chilean rental companies know their roads."
    },
    {
      "q": "How much time do I actually need?",
      "a": "Minimum: 10 days (El Chaltén 3 nights, El Calafate 2 nights, Puerto Natales 3 nights). Better: 2 weeks. Ideal: 3 weeks. This isn't a place you skim. A single 8-hour trek teaches you how much time you don't have. The Carretera Austral alone takes 4–5 days if you do it properly."
    },
    {
      "q": "When is it too windy to trek?",
      "a": "Sustained winds above 60 km/h close trails. In Patagonia, that happens often—sometimes for days. Expect one or two days per week in spring to be marginal. October is more stable; February less so. Guides cancel walks when visibility drops below 50 metres or gusts threaten balance. Weather apps are useful but unreliable below 48°S. Ask locals the morning of."
    },
    {
      "q": "Can I see the glacier without a trek?",
      "a": "Yes. Perito Moreno has a free viewpoint accessible by car and a 30-minute walk. Torres del Paine has viewpoints without the full W trek. Balmaceda Glacier (Chilean side) is reachable by boat from Puerto Natales. Laguna del Carbón requires only a drive and short walk from the Ruta. You'll see plenty without a guide, but a trek changes your relationship to the landscape."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is it safe to travel alone?",
      "a": "Yes. Patagonia attracts solo trekkers constantly. Lodges are safe. The risk is weather, not crime. Tell someone where you're sleeping. Carry a charged phone (though signal is patchy). In summer, trails have other walkers; in shoulder seasons, you're truly alone—which is the point. Trust your fitness and instincts."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should I hire a guide?",
      "a": "For technical climbs (Cerro Torre, Fitz Roy summits), yes—guides are required and transformative. For day treks in established areas (Laguna de los Tres Picos, Mirador de los Cóndores), no—marked trails, decent signage. For the W Trek (Torres del Paine), guides help with weather reading and remove route-finding anxiety. Budget $150–300 USD per guide per day."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's the best month, truly?",
      "a": "October or March–April. October: spring in full bloom, wildflowers, 8–12°C, still manageable crowds. March–April: autumn light is softer, fewer people, cooling temperatures (10–4°C at night). November gets crowded; December–February is peak-season chaos with long daylight but high prices. September and May work if you're flexible and hardy. August is possible but marginal."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I need hiking boots?",
      "a": "Yes. Terrain is rocky, wet, and steep. Ankle support matters. Bring waterproof gaiters—streams and bogs are unavoidable. Two pairs of socks (merino, not cotton). Your feet will be cold regardless. Boots broken in before arrival are non-negotiable. Lodges have boot-drying facilities; use them."
    }
  ]
};