EcoCamp Patagonia Wildlife Safari - Temporary Modified Itinerary

Our new, temporary itineraries following the fire in Torres del Paine. We have modified our itineraries to avoid areas of the park which remain closed, giving hikers the opportunity to get to know lesser known but equally beautiful areas of the park.
 
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Safari map

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Pat SD - EcoCamp Patagonia Wildlife Safari - Excursion Chart
Level Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
easy Fauna Trail & Grey Glacier

Laguna Azul & 

Cañadon Macho

 Seron Fauna Trail & Grey Glacier

 

Laguna Azul & 
 
Cañadon Macho
 Seron Laguna Inge
active Fauna Trail & Pingo Trail

Tower Base Trek

Pehoe Lake Crossing &

French Valley

 Fauna Trail & Pingo Trail Tower Base Trek

Pehoe Lake Crossing &

French Valley

 Los Cuernos
 
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
 
Fauna Trail and Grey Glacier - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
We start the day walking to Laguna Blanquillos south of EcoCamp where we begin the Fauna trail leading south to the edge of Sarmiento Lake. Along the way we see lots of guanaco herds roaming through the plains and hopefully ñandú running in the distance. After reaching the lake shore we board the van and are driven west 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 Grey glacier, passing by the floating calved icebergs. After this incredible sight of the glacier up close, we drive back to EcoCamp for our evening meal.
N.B. 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 & Cañadón Macho - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
After breakfast we drive to Laguna Azul and walk to the lagoon’s viewpoint and also along its beach where there are many different bird species. In the afternoon we walk in the Cañadón Macho area located between Paine waterfall and Laguna Azul. Here we do some hiking through Patagonian steppe with typical regional fauna and abundant fauna including guanacos ñandúes. We also appreciate the different view of the Paine massif before heading back to EcoCamp for the evening. 
 

Serón - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
Today we trek north along Paine river towards Serón (12km round trip) through diverse vegetation including an ancient Magellanic forest with many birds. We eat lunch on the shore of Paine river with a view of Laguna Azul and Laguna Amarga. After soaking up the view we head back to EcoCamp to enjoy dinner. 

Laguna Inge - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
After breakfast we head to Laguna Inge, located 4km south-west of Ecocamp on Los Cuernos Trail just above Nordenskjold lake. There is a wonderful viewpoint of rainwater and glacial water side by side. On the way along Los Cuernos there is a variety of fauna and hopefully we’ll see Andean condors flying overhead. We walk back leisurely to EcoCamp to enjoy our evening.

 

A C T I V E    E X C U R S I O N S

Fauna Trail and Pingo Trail - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
We start the day walking to Laguna Blanquillos south of EcoCamp where we begin the Fauna trail leading south to the edge of Sarmiento Lake. Along the way we see lots of guanaco herds roaming through the plains and hopefully ñandú running in the distance. After reaching the lake shore we board the van and are driven west to a beach along the shores of glacial Lake Grey. Here we walk to reach the start of the beautiful Pingo Trail taking us westwards 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 travellers coming back from the boat ride. Together, we all head to Ecocamp to enjoy dinner and relaxation time.

 

Towers base viewpoint (22km round trip) - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
Time for a big breakfast and lots of enthusiasm - Our goal today is to complete the most famous trekking trail in Torres del Paine NP! We walk from the camp site 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.
(*During Shoulder Season (October and April) the Towers Trek excursion might be cancelled because of weather conditions and safety considerations.)

French Valley - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
After 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.
 
N.B. 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 - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
Today we trek along Los Cuernos (18km round trip) leading to a view of Los Cuernos del Paine and a panoramic view of Nordenskjold lake. The curly Cuernos trail located beside beautiful Lake Nordenskjold and during this walk we admire the view of the lake and the park’s exquisite flora and fauna. There are also magnificent views of the Los Cuernos, majestic black horn-like peaks of slate atop gray granite which crown the center of the Massif. We walk along the path and back, hopefully with Andean Condors soaring overhead, and return to EcoCamp in time for dinner. 

 

Departure Day - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
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.

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