A Fling With Torres del Paine

When somebody mentions Patagonia, chances are that they are referring to either Torres del Paine National Park in Chile or Mount Fitz Roy in Argentina. After finding out the astronomical cost of visiting Easter Island in the high season, we opted for a few days in Chilean Patagonia. Ironically, it did not take us long to discover that Patagonia is not exactly a budget option. Patagonia also requires significant time investments out of our limited vacation days due to its geographic location. Since it was a pretty long flight from Santiago, we had to check out Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales along the way.

Known for its dramatic granite peaks and turquoise-colored waters, Torres del Paine has attracted visitors since the publication of Across Patagonia by Lady Florence Dixie in 1880. Thanks to the commencement of regular flights from Santiago, this once-isolated region became relatively accessible compared to just ten years ago. Nowadays, the main obstacle to visiting Torres del Paine is not the physical distance but the exorbitant cost. Not only is the flight in and out of Puerto Natales unreasonably expensive, but the accommodation costs inside the park are particularly prohibitive for most travelers. I could not justify spending $250 for a bed in a glorified hostel.

LATAM, JetSmart, and SKY Airlies offer daily flights to Santiago during the summer season.

I initially hoped to partake in the fabled W-Trek, a multi-day hike that has been on my travel bucket list for ages. Our friends Ivy and Vince went on this trek two years ago and have been raving about it ever since. As much as I wanted to give that a go, we were woefully unprepared for it. Because it is such an iconic hike, hikers must book at least six months in advance for the high season by navigating the complex booking platform for the reserved campgrounds. After Brian’s debacle on the Inca Trail a few years ago, I was hesitant to commit to another costly and complex endeavor.

In the end, we decided to stay two nights at Hotel del Paine in Río Serrano, just outside of the southern entrance of the national park. The nightly rate was still ridiculously expensive, but it was still hundreds of dollars less than similar lodging options inside the park. To make the most out of our visit, we booked an extra night in Puerto Natales the evening before and after. In hindsight, Río Serrano was the best of both worlds. It was only a five-minute drive to the entrance, and we could get to the center of the park in half an hour. We were pleasantly surprised by the otherworldly scenery from the hotel.

The scenery from Río Serrano is unexpectedly beautiful.

Being a popular national park, Torres del Paine attracts a large number of visitors each day. Although an advanced reservation is not necessary, pre-purchasing tickets does speed up the process slightly. The three-day pass costs 32,400 CLP, which is beyond reasonable. Oddly enough, the park was not at all strict about access. Instead of having a staff member check the reservation at the entrance, visitors are required to check in and validate their reservation at the visitor center. It was an honor system. During our three-day visit, they only checked our reservation once. Ironically, the only time they checked our reservation was at the entrance to Laguna Azure, one of the least visited sections in the park.

With three and a half days, we had just enough time to explore the park without committing to any multi-day hikes. Do I wish we had gone on the W-Trek? Absolutely. But we were nevertheless grateful for all the little incredible hikes it has to offer. For casual hikers like ourselves, the series of half-day hikes made this visit a stress-free experience. The unpredictable weather of Patagonia makes flexibility invaluable. Although there is limited shuttle service available, I highly recommend self-driving to make the most out of your valuable time if the budget allows. Of course, hitchhiking is also a great option.

Grey Glacier

The weather on our first day was quite miserable, so we were inclined to have a more leisurely hike. Our first stop inside the park is Grey Glacier on the western side of the park. This glacier is the largest and is the second most popular attraction inside Torres del Paine. As such, this spot is also home to one of the most desirable hotels inside the park, Hotel Lago Grey. This understated yet elegant property sure made us jealous of the creature comforts at this prime location. It also happens to be the entrance to the trailheads for Grey Glacier.

The glacier is situated at the far end of a glacier lake and is only accessible through a multi-day hike, such as the W-Trek, or a glacier lake cruise. Unfortunately, we were too late to reserve a ticket on one of the four daily departures. Run by the same team as the hotel, the two-and-a-half-hour ferry costs a whopping 110,000 CLP per person. Visitors could also choose to explore the glacier’s edge by kayak. As much as I wanted to get up close to the glacier, we were secretly glad to save a little money. That would be a significant commitment of time and money, considering the inclement weather. I admit that I still felt a little jealous at the end of the day.

The rocky beach on th southern shore of Lago Grey.

Whether you are taking the ferry or not, all visitors must take a one-mile hike along the pebble beach. We soon got our first glimpse of the impressive glacier. At the end of the beach is the embarkation point for the ferry. Looking at the massive vessel, I can’t help wondering how it got here from the shipyard. For those of us less fortunate souls, it was a left turn onto a trail to the lookout. As this was our first hike in Patagonia, we were naturally fascinated by the flora and fauna all around us. The trail circumnavigates the small island, and it soon brought us to the main viewpoint facing the glacier.

From the observation platform, the glacier appeared like a tiny ice sheet and was hard to make out its majesty without binoculars. Due to climate change, Grey Glacier has been retreating for decades. We were quite surprised by the scarcity of icebergs floating in the lake. The most beautiful part of the scenery for us was the gorgeous rock formations and the turquoise water. The stunning colors derive from “glacial flour,” fine-grained powder of silt and clay created by the immense force of the glacier. These fine particles are light enough to suspend in the water and refract only the blue and green light to the human eyes. This unique color is particularly pronounced along the southern shore of the lake.

I secretly prefer the views away from the glacier.

Funny enough, the most memorable spot for me was Rio Pingo, a handy cafe at the trailhead. I had been quite worried about finding a place to eat in the national park, so I was pleasantly surprised by the food offerings and their price points. Although it may not be the cheapest option, the place offers the best value within the park. The 27,00 CLP buffet table was a godsend for those of us with big appetites. I had no shame in loading my tray high up to get my money’s worth.

Laguna Pehoé & Mirador Cóndor

On our second day in the park, we were blessed with glorious weather. I was practically giddy about how beautiful the landscape was under a crisp blue sky. From our hotel, it was only a thirty-minute drive to the heart of the national park. The traffic was shockingly light along the main road, and I felt compelled to pull over every few minutes to take pictures. Our first stop was Laguna Pehoé, a sprawling scenic lake that seems to weave in and out of the landscape. It is the ideal foreground for the jagged peaks of Torres del Paine. Oddly enough, we could not spot the three distinctive granite towers, the park’s namesakes.

The boardwalk by the Explora Lodge is one of the most iconic spots in the park.

The best open secret of Torres del Paine is a broadwalk around Explora Torres Del Paine, the most luxurious hotel inside the park. Not only is Explora the gold standard of hospitality in South America, but it is also the first luxury resort located within Torres del Paine. Being the first also means they snagged up the best location. The hotel is situated on the edge of Salto Chico waterfall, offering a commanding view of Laguna Pehoé. Most of us may not be able to shell out $1,600 a night for a room here, but the grounds around the hotels are easily accessible to the general public. Even though requiring some sprucing up, the beautiful boardwalks here are among the most photogenic spots in the country.

For most travelers, the most affordable hotel inside the park is Hosteria Pehoe. Situated on an island in the middle of Laguna Pehoé, this humble hotel’s rustic rooms come with epic views. At $350 a night during the peak holiday period, it is still considered the best value, except for staying at a campground. Unfortunately, I was too late in securing a reservation here. That said, the small island is fully open to all. The small pebble beach, facing the mountain, is an excellent spot for a picnic lunch or lounging. The hedonist within me can’t help wishing there were a cocktail lounge here.

As good as the views were from the island, we were ready for a little hike to Mirador Cóndor, a viewpoint high on a nearby bluff. The trailhead is located just off a small, popular roadside parking lot, and it served as a great warm-up hike to Torres del Paine. The ascent was surprisingly steep and grueling; it did not take long for me to get winded. Fortunately, the breathtaking scenery distracted us from the twists and turns. Amazingly, we could see the entire trail from start to finish. It was a confidence boost seeing how much elevation we gained in just fifteen minutes. The slope and loose gravel made the last five minutes of the trek very treacherous, but the views at the very top were well worth the effort.

From the moment we arrived at the summit, I understand why this viewpoint is named after condors. Not only did we have a commanding view of the valley, but the howling winds could easily lift a massive condor in the air. We had difficulty standing up straight and could hardly hear one another. The wind gust was strong enough to hold us in place while leaning forward at a forty-five-degree angle for a couple of minutes at a time. Some of our fellow hikers engaged in irresponsible behaviors by leaning over the cliff edge, all for the sake of a TikTok video. They even tried doing yoga up there.

Pictures could not communicate how windy this spot was.

We later learned that hurricane-speed wind posed the most significant risk in Torres del Paine. This part of Patagonia is known for unpredictable weather and strong winds. It was not uncommon to encounter gales of over a hundred miles per hour. Hikers sometimes have to take two steps forward and one step back. In the end, we could hardly stay there for more than five minutes. The contrast between the brutal conditions and the scenic beauty was jarring. I could only imagine how painful it would be to hike in this weather for multiple days.

Salto Grande & Mirador Cuernos

After an exhilarating and intense hike to Mirador Cóndor, we were ready for a more relaxing afternoon. Our next stop is Salto Grande, Torres del Paine’s most iconic waterfall. A convenient cafe was located in the first parking lot, making it perfect for lunch. From the last parking area, it was only a five-minute stroll to Salto Grande. The waterfall connects Lago Nordenskjöld to Laguna Pehoé. This waterfall may not be the largest, but it was a refreshing spot to take a moment to slow down. The thundering torrents made a great contrast with the serenity of the scenery in the distance.

From the waterfall, a trail led us north toward Mirador Cuernos. This was our favorite trail in the park. We liked it so much that we hiked there in two consecutive days to experience it in different weather conditions. Ironically, the hike was far more enjoyable on the day with slight drizzle. The wind gust on the clear day was intense, so much so that Brian did not want to stay in any spot for more than a minute or two. At the trailhead is a signboard indicating that the day’s windspeed was only 50-80 km/hour. The ranger would have closed the trail if the wind was more than 80 km/hour. We can’t imagine how hikers managed to complete the trek in hurricane-speed winds.

Mirador Cuernos was my favorite hike in Torres del Paine.

This gentle trail took us over the ridges. Hikers are treated with a series of glacial lakes and varied views of the granite mountain peaks. The sheer beauty of the scenery is beyond description. The one real surprise was the landscape covered in a carpet of greenery. Instead of mature forest, the land is dotted with bare, white tree trunks. They stood out like pieces of contemporary art. It turned out that this section of the park had been scorched by a massive fire in December 2011. Like most fires in the area, this one was started by an irresponsible tourist. In this case, it was an Israeli tourist trying to burn off toilet paper.

This section of the park was scorched by a massive fire in 2011.

Due to the strong winds and semi-arid climate, fires in this region can easily get out of control. The 2011 blaze scorched over 40,000 acres of land, which accounts for over 7% of the national park. It raged for over a week. The economic loss from the loss of tourism and reconstruction costs exceeded $2 million. However, the most significant loss was the loss of vegetation. Many took over two centuries to mature and are difficult to replace due to the extreme climate here. This is a reminder that all regulations are in place for a reason. Curiously, the popularity of Torres del Paine and the high cost of accommodations lead many visitors to wild camp, which is explicitly prohibited within the park.

Is it weird that the view at the end was a little bit of a let-down?

After about an hour, we arrived at the viewpoint at last. Mirador Cuernos takes its name from the horn-like peaks of Torres del Paine. The color striation of these peaks is striking, and it shines in the beautiful summer light. Across from the lake is French Valley, which was only reachable as part of the W or O-trek. Those with binoculars could probably spot hikers and one of the refugios on the opposite shore of Lago Nordenskjöld. I can’t help wondering whether they would ever run a ferry service across the lake from here to make French Valley accessible for day hikers.

Cascada Rio Paine & Laguna Amarga

After making so many photo stops, Brian started to complain about how many pictures of the same mountain I needed. Having spent the majority of our time on the southern part of the national park, it suddenly dawned on me that we had yet to get a glimpse of the actual Torres del Paine, the three iconic granite peaks that are namesakes for the park. We have yet to explore the eastern side of the park, which is far less developed for tourism but arguably more scenic. We soon got our first peeks of the soaring granite towers. It was unfortunate that they were quite a distance away.

Our first glimpse of the famous granite towers of Torres del Paine.

Without any doubt, the most popular day hike in the park has got to be the so-called Base of Tower Hike. It is an integral element of both O and W-trek, providing hikers with the most iconic view of southern Chile. The nine-tour trek was challenging, but it is considered doable for anyone with decent fitness and preparation. I came here determined to do this hike, but after speaking with Brian, I knew our minds and bodies were just not in the right place. With no proper backpack and trekking poles, we felt unprepared. At the last minute, we thought, Why were we putting this pressure on ourselves? Let’s find a good spot to watch it from afar instead.

The traffic on the eastern part of the national park is relatively light. The roads were unpaved, and there were few tourist services offered. That said, several pull-off areas provide stunning vistas. Before we knew it, we exited the park via its eastern entrance. I was surprised by how busy this exit was. This appeared to be the transit hub for backpackers and serious hikers due to the proximity to the starting point of the W-trek. We even picked up two hitchhikers along the way. We later found out that this park entrance is connected to Puerto Natales by a brand-new, modern expressway.

The most visited site outside the park entrance is probably Cascada Rio Paine, the largest waterfall in the region. The most interesting feature is the little island in the middle of the cascade. Thanks to the clear weather of the day, we were treated to the iconic peaks in the background. According to online information, this area is also a frequent stomping ground for pumas. We ended up spending quite a bit of time here looking for signs of these elusive creatures. I was surprised that Brian was so insistent on spotting them, as he actually lived in Colorado for several years.

The views near the Amarga Entrance was magnificent.

The most unexpected find during our entire visit was Laguna Amarga, an expansive glacial lake characterized by its milky blue water. For anyone not committing to the Base of Tower Hike, this is arguably the best spot to take a picture with Torres del Paine. It was surprising that Laguna Amaraga was not more famous. Best of all, the viewpoint here was only a thirty-second walk from the handy parking lot. I hate to admit that a lack of effort does detract from the beauty before us. I am sure those who finished the base of the tower trek felt the same.

Laguna Azule

Our last stop is Laguna Azule, at the northeastern corner of the park.. It was a twenty-five-minute drive from the park exit at Amarga. Along the way, we saw several vehicles by the road trying to spot pumas. By this point in the trip, I was concerned with running out of gas. Despite Torres del Paine’s immense popularity, the closest gas station to the park is Puerto Natales, a ninety-minute drive away. We specifically rented a large vehicle for this portion of the trip so that we would have a larger fuel tank to sustain a multi-day trip inside the park. I don’t even dare thinking about the possibility of running out of gas. I worried our little detour to Laguna Azure was pushing the limit a bit much.

Laguna Azul is one of the best spots to watch the sunrise.

As mentioned previously, this was the only time the park ranger checked our reservation during our four-day visit. I don’t believe Laguna Azule was on many travelers’ radar because of its location away from the rest of the park. What drew me here was the promise of another good view of Torres del Paine’s famous peaks. Due to its distance, this may be the best spot to see the silhouette of the entire mountain range, making it the ideal place to watch the sunrise. It came as no surprise that the campsite at Laguna Azure is very popular. Compared to the more popular campgrounds inside the park, this place felt a whole lot more laid-back and serene.

While the trail here could be a whole-day hike in itself, it only took twenty minutes to reach the first mirador. The deep blue water and Torres del Paine are a beautiful combination. The scenery may be breathtaking, but what I remember the most is how worried Brian was about a run-in with wild pumas. He actually fashioned a few pieces of stone weapons to carry with him; that was the most adorable thing I have ever seen. I honestly don’t know whether I was disappointed or disappointed by the non-encounter.

Torres del Paine At Sunset

The best benefits of visiting Torres del Paine in January are the long daylight hours. For any avid photographers, the best time to be out and about was the so-called “golden hour,” the period shortly before and after sunset. Unfortunately, the golden hour coincided with dinner time during our visit. Except for campers, most of us had dinners served at the hotel with specific seating times. As much as I enjoyed the dinner with a sunset view, I would much prefer spending my time inside the park and immersing myself in the beautiful colors.

On the second night, I decided to venture back into the park after the quick dinner. Brian thought I was nuts for heading back there after a busy day of hiking. He was also concerned about my safety while driving in the darkness. I was more worried about wasting too much of precious gasoline for my little outing. At this hour, the park is essentially abandoned. I was able to drive through the checkpoint, and there were barely any other cars on the road. It was an eerie feeling, and I constantly prepared myself for getting stopped by the police for illegal trespassing.

I could not believe I had this place all to myself.

With minimal time and a relatively long distance to travel, I had to decide where to spend the precious sunset. It forced me to pick out a favorite spot that is easily accessible. For me, that place would be Laguna Pehoé. With a panoramic view of the Torres del Paine and Hosteria Pehoe, this very spot was my happy place. Watching the landscape transform by the minute, I had to pinch myself to believe I had this place all to myself. During my thirty-minute visit, I did not see another soul and just two or three cars on the road. Where was everyone?

Our visit to Torres del Paine easily exceeded our already high expectations. While we are not experts on national parks around the world, the great fame of this national park is well deserved. Between the cost and disorganization, planning a trip here could be pretty stressful for most travelers. One does not need to commit to a multi-day trek to enjoy the park’s splendid scenery. Do I regret skipping the famous Base of Tower trek? Yes! But that means there is a reason to return when we are more prepared.

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