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TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK – PATAGONIA CHILE

Location

The Magallanes region and Antarctic Chile, 400 km to the NE of Punta Arenas. Puerto Natales lies 112km to the south east.

How to get there

From Santiago to Punta Arenas, by air, then from Punta Arenas – Puerto Natales: overground. From Puerto Natales to the park (by private and public road).

When to go

All year round.

Other attractions nearby

Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, Cueva de Milodon.

Activities

Fishing, trekking, mountain climbing, rafting, sea kayak, observation of flora and fauna, photography. Activities Section

Climate

The park has a trans-Andean climate, and in the higher parts, an ice climate. The seasons with the best conditions are spring and summer. The average temperature in summer is 10-18 celsius, up to a maximum of 23-25 celsius. The minimum in summer is 0– 8 celsius.

Prices ( Entrance Fee )

Adults: national CLP $2.500 (USD dollar), foreigners CLP $6.500 (USD dollar).
Children: national and foreigners CLP $500 (USD dollar).

ABOUT TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK - SOUTH CHILEAN PATAGONIA

Declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1978, the Torres del Paine national park (situated in the Magallanes 12th region in Chile) is internationally recognized as one of the most beautiful, unique and uncontaminated places on the planet. It is aplace of lakes, rivers, waterfalls, glaciers, forests and incredible wildlife, all of which make it an exciting destination for wildlife servers and adventure sportsmen alike.
Some 2500 kilometres separate the park from Santiago, the capital of Chile. This, together with the geography and climate ofthe south of the country, has meant that Torres del Paine has been converted into a meeting point for those who love excitement and adventure.
Undoubtedly one of the main attractions of the park is the Macizo (Massif) of Paine, formed predominately from granite and whose origin dates back millions of years. The most famous peaks of the park are called the ‘Cuernos’ (horns) and ‘Torres’ (towers) of Paine. Both each have three peaks: the North, principal and East horns, and the south, central and north towers.
The vegetation of the Torres del Paine National park is different in each zone you visit. The most common species are the mata barrosa, the calafate,the estepa and the coiron, capachitos and orquideas. There are also small woods of lenga and coigue in the zones near the Pehoe Lake and the Lago de Grey trail.
The most common animals that habitat the Torres del Paine National Park are guanacos, nandues, condors, pumas, zorros grises and culpeos, and a huge variety of birds whose principal habitats are found around the lakes and lagoons.
The National Forestry Coporation (Conaf) has developed and maintains various trails to the most beautiful places in this
protected area, ideal for visitors who want just to walk, observe and photograph. And for the more daring, there adventure sports such as climbing, kayaking and rafting.

NATURAL HERITAGE

The landscape of the Torres del Paine national Park is owed to earth movements which occurred 12 million years ago, and gave birth to its incredible peaks such as el Monte Paine Grande (3.050msnm) Los Cuernos del Paine (2.600, 2.400, 2.200 msnm) Torres del Paine (2250, 2460 and 2500 msnm,) Fortaleza, (2800), Escudo (2700 msnm.) Some of these have with permanent glaciers.
Due to the vicinity of the southern ice sheet, the park has innumerable lakes, lagoons and rivers that owe their formation to the melting of the glaciers of which they are a part. Of the lakes stand out the Sarmiento, Nordenskjold, Pehoe de Grey, Paine and Dickson and there are also many lagoons of various sizes.

The biggest rivers are the Pingo, Paine, Serrano and Grey. The Paine is the most important (which originates in Lake Dickson,
extreme north) and borders the massif of the east, crossing various lakes, and finishing by flowing into the Toro lake, in the extreme south of the reserve. On its route, the river plunges down three spectacular waterfalls: Paine, Salto Grande and Salto Chico.
Inside the park at the Porteria Sarmiento we can find species that have their origin in desert environments, like the mata varrosa, the mata negra, the senecio and the calafate amongst the flowering plants, the estepa and coiron amongst the herbaceous. Now, inside the park, you can find small copses of lengua associated with herbaceous species like pasto ovillo, trebol and some flowering plants of great beauty like the capachitos and orchids which can be found again at the Laguna Azul and the Laguna Amarga.
Of the wildlife, it is the guanacos that receive most visitors and they are found in the vicinity of the Porteria Sarmiento.

However, it is also possible to see aquatic birds from the viewpoint in the Sede administration, where we see species such as cisne de cuello negro, pimpollo, tagua and huala, amongst others.
Lesser rhea (ñandues) with their young can be observed inside the park, around Laguna Azul and the Sede Adminstrativa, and condors, can be observed close to the Pehoe ranger station. Inside the forest (the Lago Grey trail) we can find catitas, woodpeckers, austral blackbirds, long tailed meadowlarks, great horned owl and cometocinos.

WHAT TO SEE

Grey Lake, Glacier Grey, Salto Grande (Big Fall), Salto Chico (Small Fall), Paine mountain range (‘Horns’ and Monte Almirante Nieto).

WHAT TO DO

Fishing, climbing, natural trail walking, river activities such as kayaking and rafting, environmental education, rambling and wildlife observation.

TRAILS

In general, the trails are suitable for all types of people with mountain clothes and equipment. There is a large network of trails with refuges that allow visitors to rest or stay the night.

Pingo Zapata Circuit: The path starts at the Administration Office and follows the vehicles road until arriving at Lake Grey ranger station (18km.) The path then follows low hills until arriving at the Pingo refuge, until you come to the Zapata glacier.

Paine Circuit: The paths goes around the Macizo Paine, first midway up a mountain and then rises up to 1.350 msnm, passing rivers, lakes and glaciers like the Grey, Dickson and Perros. Time required for route: 7 to 10 days walking.

Dickson Glacier Circuit: The trail begins in the laguna Amarga ranger station following the plain until the Seron camp, and after continuing over little hills, passes the Coiron camp and again follows the plain until the Dickson refuge, from where one can see the glacier.

Grey Glacier - Frances Glacier Circuit: The trail starts on an open plain which is highly exposed to the wind and then continues midway up the mountain until you arrive at the glaciers.

Las Torres Circuit: The trail starts in the Amarga lagoon ranger station, taking the vehicles road for 7 km until the Cerro Paine ranch, and after, climbing up to the Chilean camp until arriving at the base of Torres del Paine (600msnm.)

Paine Lake Circuit: The path starts in the Azul lagoon ranger station, until arriving at the laguna Cebolla and following to an old vehicular track until the Paine Lake refuge.

Laguna Verde Circuit: The path begins in the Administration Office and follows a vehicular track for 2.5 km, then take the turning to the right to start climbing Sierra del Toro (800 msnm) and continuing over little hills until laguna Verde ranger station.

WHERE YOU CAN STAY AT THE PARK

HOTEL EXPLORA EN PATAGONIA

Explora en Patagonia turns out to be the perfect place for everybody; couples and families, groups or lonely travelers. This
Hotel has been designed to bring its guests into intimate contact with the magnificent natural world of the remote Patagonia.
Located on the shores of Pehoe Lake, it was built to provide a convenient departure point for explorations.

More information…

HOSTERIA LAGO GREY

Located in Torres del Paine National Park with breathtaking spectacular scenery.