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.
Click on image to enlarge map of Torres del Paine National Park - Open and closed areas.
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Day 1: Ecocamp Arrival.
Day 2: Trekking French Valley & Lake Pehoe (11km). Night at Los Cuernos refugio.
Day 3: Trekking along Los Cuernos & Bader Valley (18km). Night at Laguna Azul campsite.
Day 4: Trekking from Laguna Azul to Cañadón Macho (7km). Night at EcoCamp.
Day 5: Towers base viewpoint (22km round trip). Night at EcoCamp.
Day 6: Trekking Pingo trail (10km round trip) & Grey Glacier. Night at EcoCamp.
Day 7: EcoCamp Departure.
Day 1, Monday, 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.
Day 2, Tuesday, French Valley - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
After breakfast we drive to Pudeto dock and cross Pehoe Lake to start trekking to the beautiful Valle Frances (French Valley), on a picturesque trail that heads into the heart of the Paine Massif. We pass by the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south east face of the Massif, and continue up the trail walking to Italian Camp. The entire group of geological formations of the valley can be admired here: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress). Here we enjoy our picnic and recover from the walk, soaking up the surrounding views. After lunch we descend through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest until we reach the base of valley, from where we head east to Refugio Los Cuernos, a small and cozy mountain refuge located by the shores of Lake Nordenskjold, to spend the night.
Day 2, Tuesday, Los Cuernos - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
We make our way back to EcoCamp along the beautiful Cuernos trail located beside beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this walk we admire the park’s exquisite flora and fauna, its strong wind and the curious, rapidly-changing 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. We enter Bader Valley which is very steep and lined with scrubland leading up to a spectacular view of Lake Nordenskjold. A beautiful river runs along the steep ravine and its banks are lined with vegetation. The trek ends at Las Torres, next to EcoCamp, from where we are driven to Laguna Azul campsite to spend the night.
EcoCamp trek accommodation in Laguna Azul is cozy and well-positioned with a beautiful view of the surrounding park vegetation. There are 15 tents which comfortably sleep two people and one storage dome to keep equipment. Trekkers dine in a ‘quincho’ (a roofed outdoor eating area) and enjoy the view of Las Torres and the lagoon over an evening cocktail and a hearty meal. The campsite has two bathrooms (one men’s, one women’s) exclusively for EcoCamp’s use, with two showers and two toilets in each. Both bathrooms have hot water and mirrors.
Day 4, Thursday, Cañadón Macho - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
After breakfast we hike south approximately 7km to Cañadón Macho, home to a rich fauna including guanacos and ñandúes. This relaxed walk gives us the opportunity to chat with our guide about the flora and fauna we’re seeing, as well as enjoying views of the Patagonian steppe and the towers from a different angle. From Cañadon Macho we’re driven back to EcoCamp to enjoy our evening meal and prepare for tomorrow’s big challenge.
Day 5, Friday, Las Torres base trek - 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.
Day 6, Saturday, Pingo Trail & Grey glacier - Torres del Paine NP, Chile
Today we breakfast at EcoCamp and then are driven west to a beach on 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 remind us 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 the lake's shore where 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.
Day 7, Sunday, Adios Torres del Paine - Punta Arenas, Chile
We board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas in time to catch the evening flight to Santiago. Or, alternatively, we board an early morning vehicle to the border to continue our journey to El Calafate.