Visit Torres del Paine National Park
Travel to Torres del Paine and Explore One of the Most Important Natural Reserves on the Planet!
Torres del Paine National Park is one of the icons of tourism in Chile and one of the most famous natural parks in the world. It is located in the Province of Ultima Esperanza, Magallanes Region and the Chilean Antarctic.
The park was created on May 13, 1959, as Lago Grey National Tourism Park and two years later it received its current name. It is part of the National System of Protected Wild Areas of the State of Chile. In 1978, it was named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, and the site, virtualtourist.com, of TripAdvisor Media Group, named it the eighth wonder of the world, after competing with 330 other tourist destinations, from more than 50 countries and contesting the voter preferences, for four months.
The park includes the Paine mountain range and its highest summit, the well-known Massif, which is 3050 meters above sea level. Torres del Paine’s climate is known to be unpredictable, since you can go from the sun to the torrential rain in minutes, or to the relentless cold wind, typical of this southern area. Its rich geography and diversity of ecosystems, allow to appreciate, imposing mountains, a large number of rivers, lagoons, lakes and glaciers.
As well as wildlife, unique to this park, and that will allow you to know the beautiful forests of Lenga, Coigüe, El Calafate and some beautiful flowering plants, such as capachitos and orchids. Guanacos families will be the first thing you will see when you arrive in Torres. Where you can also see foxes, black-necked swans, flamingos, chingues, the beautiful woodpeckers and the Condor, the imposing Chilean national bird. If you are lucky, since it blends very well with the vegetation of the area, you can see the Huemul, a species of deer in danger of extinction, which is safe under the protection of the park.
How to get to Torres del Paine National Park from Punta Arenas
Torres del Paine National Park, located 112 kms from Puerto Natales and its access by land, is possible at any time of the year.
Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine: To get to the Magallanes region, you can do it quickly, by plane, from Santiago de Chile to the city of Punta Arenas and then take a bus, which will take you to Puerto Natales, gateway to the national park. You also have the possibility of taking a direct flight of just over three hours, from Santiago to Puerto Natales.
Go from El Calafate to Torres del Paine Airport
From El Calafate to Torres del Paine: Unfortunately, from Buenos Aires, there are no direct flights to Punta Arenas, so if you are traveling from Argentina, the fastest option to get to the reserve is to take a plane from the Argentine capital to the city of El Calafate and then transfer by bus or rented vehicle to the city of Puerto Natales, a journey of 350 kilometers that can take approximately 4.5 hours.
Already in the cozy city of Puerto Natales, you must contemplate the two hours by car that will finally take you to Torres del Paine.
What to See and Do in Torres del Paine
The park has an infinity of ecosystems to travel and enjoy. The alternatives to explore are many: In a single day of visit, and with the help of one of our capable Torres del Paine tour operators, you can have the main panoramic views of the Park, and in a week or more you can participate in different tours of Torres del Paine, which mix Torres del Paine trek tour circuits and other activities, which allow being in contact with the hills, forests, waterfalls and wildlife, which delivers this generous nature.
Within a wide variety of excursions we offer in Antares Patagonia, we have an entertaining variety of tours in the Towers and our experienced tour agency can help you figure out an itinerary and help you get to Patagonia within your budget. Focused on people who love adventure and nature, with an important concern for safety and care for the environment.
Some of the main attractions of the park are: Base Torres and the Paine Massif, whose granite formations are tinged with solar tones, delivering an unforgettable show. On the “Paine circuit” tour, you can get to know these two spectacular areas and some other wonders such as the Dogs Glacier and the spectacular John Garner pass.
For those looking to make one of the famous circuits such as the W trek Patagonia or the O, the park has accommodations of all kinds to rest after a long day of excursion. On the tour “Paine circuit, full experience”, lasting 12 days, you will have the privilege of knowing the park, almost in its entirety and sharing in some of the main Torres del Paine Shelters: Like the Dickson, near the glacier of the same name, or the Grey refuge, where you can relax the day you travel through the forests of Lenga, Lake Grey and its huge glacier.
Also, you will have the possibility to explore exclusively the puma glacier and its surroundings, a place that very few tourists have access to. The Nordenskjold Viewpoint is another must-see in the area that is a typical part of our Torres del Paine hikes. To get there, start with a walk in the Pudeto sector, on the shore of Lake Pehoe and its great jump. To get to the Nordenskjold Viewpoint, where you get the best views of the Cuernos del Paine. And as if that were not enough, in one of the days we will venture into an unusual ice hike through the Grey Glacier.
When is the Best Time to Visit Torres del Paine
If you want to live a unique and different experience, we invite you to contact us. Together, we will evaluate the best options for Torres del Paine lodging according to your tastes, your time and budget. In Antares Patagonia, we invite you to build together with us the journey of your life.