Excursion Chart:
(Click on tour name in Excursion Chart for more details)
For more details about trek distance and walking time, click here to check out our
Trekking Chart.
Arrival, The Patagonian Adventure starts - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
The trip begins with you being picked up from your hotel in Punta Arenas or Punta Arenas airport in the morning and driven to EcoCamp Patagonia, located in the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. Alternatively you can start your trip in Calafate (see Prices and Facts section). En route we make a couple of stops - First in Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of "Seno de Ultima Esperanza", where we enjoy a hearty local lunch, and second at Cueva de Milodon, a massive prehistoric cave where the remains of a giant ground sloth were discovered in the 1890’s. The whole journey is very scenic, with plenty of wild birds and wonderful landscapes to be seen.
The day ends with our arrival and overnight stay at EcoCamp Patagonia, nestled in the heart of the park with a view of the Torres. During summer the sun sets around 11pm, so upon arrival there's plenty of light to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon.
E A S Y E X C U R S I O N S
Western Lakes and Grey Glacier*
We drive across the Park, admiring the view of Paine Grande and its snowy peaks, and Los Cuernos with its black, granite horn-like spires. Walking along the shores of the stunning Lake Pehoe, we see the furious Salto Grande waterfalls where the water from Lake Nordenskjold cascades down into Pehoe. The walk continues over the gentle Nordenskjold trail until until we reach its spectacular lookout point. Later, back at Lake Pehoe, we are driven south to a beach along the shores of glacial Lake Grey. Here we enjoy a tasty box-lunch by the lake before embarking on a boat ride across the icy waters to the towering blue walls of Glacier Grey. After this incredible sight of the glacier up close, we drive back to EcoCamp.
(*During Shoulder Season (October and April) the boat trip to Glacier Grey may be cancelled as the boat requires a minimum of 8 passengers to sail, which might not be reached in some cases. If this is the case we will plan an alternative excursion in the Park.)
Laguna Azul and Fauna Trail
We start the day driving to Laguna Azul, on the north-eastern side of the Park, stopping at various points en route to admire the local flora and fauna and the mighty Paine Waterfall. Once at Laguna Azul we hike to a sightseeing point with a panoramic view of both the lagoon and granite towers. We then drive down to the shores of Sarmiento lake, home to many limestone formations and herds of guanacos, and walk northwards along the Fauna Trail past the small Goic lagoon and various types of fauna. After around 5km we reach the Laguna Amarga ranger station from where we are driven back to EcoCamp to relax and enjoy the evening meal.
Mirador Condor
We drive towards Laguna Amarga Park Ranger point and then head southwest across the Park, with stunning views of Paine Grande and Los Cuernos. We stop at different points to admire the local landscape and hear from our wildlife expert guide. We arrive at Pehoe camping zone, the starting point of the Condor Trail, and begin walking through a small Lenga forest, climbing a soft slope up to the sightseeing point on the hill. During the spring it's possible we’ll experience strong winds in this zone, but there's nothing to worry about if we follow our guide's instructions on how to be safe and enjoy strong wind flows. When we reach the summit we have a spectacular sight of the Paine Massif's northern front, in all its splendor, with the beautiful Pehoe Lake at its feet. Then we make our way back down to Pehoe Camping and are driven back to EcoCamp.
Laguna Inge & Botanical Safari
We start our adventure in the Park with a pleasant walk through the curly Cuernos trail located beside beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this excursion we witness the park’s charming flora and fauna, its strong wind and the curious, fast-changing weather. As we walk along the trail we have magnificent views of the park’s central lakes and the Paine’s Horns, majestic black horn-like peaks of slate atop gray granite, crowning the center of the Massif. Once we reach Laguna Inge we enjoy the breathtaking view of Lake Nordenskjold, and then return to EcoCamp for lunch and a well-deserved rest.
A C T I V E E X C U R S I O N S
Western Lakes and Pingo Trail
We drive across the Park, admiring the view of Paine Grande and its snowy peaks, and Los Cuernos with its black granite horn-like spires. Walking along the shores of the stunning Lake Pehoe, we see the furious Salto Grande waterfalls where the water from Lake Nordenskjold cascades down into Pehoe. The walk continues over the gentle Nordenskjold trail until we reach its spectacular lookout point. Later, back at Lake Pehoe, we are driven south to a beach along the shores of glacial Lake Grey where we walk to reach the start of the beautiful Pingo Trail taking us through a fairytale Magellan forest full of local fauna and flora. As we walk, huge rock formations in nearby hills and the strong Patagonian wind give us a good idea of just how wild Patagonia is! We reach a small sightseeing point with splendid views of the Massif’s west face, and then walk back to Grey Beach to meet our fellow travelers coming back from the boat ride. Together, we all head to Ecocamp to enjoy dinner and relaxation time.
Trek Towers Base
We walk from Ecocamp towards Hostería Las Torres and join the uphill path to Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Dry mountain spots, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. Our big challenge comes as we climb the steep moraine, a mass of boulders leading us towards one of the world's most famous views overlooking the Towers. The famous Torres del Paine (2,900 m/ 9,400 ft) consist of three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After an uphill slog, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and our picnic, we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp.
Lake Pehoe and French ValleyAfter breakfast, we start our day driving towards Pudeto dock, located on the shores of Pehoe Lake. We board the catamaran that’ll take us to the north-western sector of the Lake where we’ll begin the challenging trek to Valle Frances (French Valley) along a steep trail that goes into the very heart of the Paine Massif. How deep we go depends on our groups’ rhythm - An active walk leads us to the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south-eastern face of the Massif, where there is a truly wonderful view. Then we continue up the trail to the upper section of the valley where we admire the valley's entire group of geological formations: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress). Here we picnic and rest for a while. An optional trek to Mirador Britanico is available as well, if the group isn't keen on resting. Then, we descend through a rippling terrain of grassland and light forest until reaching the Refugio Paine Grande, located on the peaceful shores of Lake Pehoe. From here the catamaran takes us back to Pudeto and we're driven back to EcoCamp.
*The excursion to French Valley varies throughout the season depending on the catamaran connecting Pudeto and Refugio Pehoe:
- September, October and Abril (shoulder season) the navigation will not operate and therefore the excursion will be replaced by another activity
- 1st to 15th of November: Hike is limited and only reaches camp Italiano
- 16th of November till 15th of March: excursion operates on a regular basis
- 16th of March till 31st of March: Hike is limited and only reaches camp Italiano.
Los Cuernos Pass or Puesto Seron
The Cuernos adventure starts with a trek through the curly Cuernos trail located beside beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this excursion we admire the park’s flora and fauna, its strong wind and curious, changable weather. As we walk along the trail we enjoy magnificent views of the park’s central lakes and the Paine’s Horns, majestic black horn-like peaks of slate atop gray granite which crown the center of the Massif. Depending on the group’s pace we might reach the Cuernos refuge, our trekking goal for today, before we start our return walk to EcoCamp.
The trek to Puesto Seron means doing the first part of the Paine circuit, bordering the eastern side of the Massif. The trail leads through plains home to Lenga forests and other flora, and with great views of Laguna Azul and Sierra Masle. Hopefully we encounter the park's animals that roam around this sector, in their quest to avoid the more populated areas of the Park. After a few hours trekking we reach Camp Seron where we enjoy a box lunch and admire the scenary before heading back to Ecocamp.
We board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas on time to catch the evening flight to Santiago. Those heading to Argentina board an earlier transfer heading to the border.
EcoCamp Suite Dome
EcoCamp Standard Dome