Settlements, like this twinkling village built between the mountains and the sea, are few and far between in Patagonia. The 260,000-square-mile (673,000-square-kilometer) region is so sparsely settled that population density is as low as one person per square mile in some areas.
Stark, cold, wet, and windy, Patagonia is home to unique creatures with adaptations that help them thrive in an unforgiving region of climatic extremes.
Patagonia's landscapes of breathtaking peaks, towering glaciers, open pampas, and blue-green fjords invite the world's adventurous travelers to come and play.
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis calls Brazil a "land of the 10,000 senses." Find out what he means in this collection of photos of the largest nation in South America.