Top Things to do in Torres del Paine National Park
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The 10 Best Things to do in Torres del Paine National Park, Magallanes Region
Torres Del Paine National Park’s beauty lies in its diversity. Located in Chile’s Patagonia region, the area is home to sparkling ice fields, blue-green lagoons, golden pampa grasslands, and quiet river villages. One such village, the pueblito Serrano, is known as the gateway to the park and is where travelers gather to fish and immerse themselves in the tranquility of everyday local life. Those looking to kick things up a notch can sail on Lake Grey or hike towards the horn-shaped peaks of the Mirador Cuernos.
Restaurants in Torres del Paine National Park
1. Torres del Paine National Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 6,038 reviews
A hiker's dream, this national park contains huge granite mountains surrounded by clear lakes and a series of well-maintained trails that vary in degree of difficulty.
Reviewed By TEBlaise - Ilion, United States
I have been to many beautiful places from Alaska to Iceland, but this place is a world apart. It's label as the 8th wonder of the world is spot on. I drove around this park with my wife and son and had to stop around every corner to take a photo, and the views just kept getting better. The best view by far was from the top of Mirador Condor (which is where the photo was taken), The air is the freshest I have ever breathed and the views are something out of a painting. We rented a car and winged it, enabling us to go wherever we wanted.This place should be on everyone's bucket list.
2. W-Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 386 reviews
Reviewed By sandtrap629 - Birmingham, United States
My wife and I hiked the W trail for our 40th anniversary at age 63 & 64. We brought along our two children and their spouses telling them they would be our packmules, but in reality we all had a minimal backpacks as we stayed at refugios - less than 20 pounds. We did not use a guide as they are much more expensive and not needed as the trails are well marked. However, you have to be willing to put in some effort to figure out the logistics of lodging and transportation as that can be fairly complicated. The refugios are owned by different companies and have limited availability so you have to get things reserved well in advance - at least 9 months for peak season IMO. The Puerto Natales airport only has flights a few days a week so when to arrive and leave is more challenging unless you want to take a 3 hour bus ride from Puntas Arenas. Then you have to figure out how to get to the park and in which direction you will hike. What fit our schedule best was arranging for private transportation to take our party of 6 from Puerto Natales to the Lagos Grey Hotel to catch the boat across Lagos Grey and hike to the Paine Grande refugio. From there we hiked to Cuernos refugio seeing the French Valley on the way (hardest day we hiked). Day 3 was a hike to refugio Chileno. The final day was a hike up to Mirador Torres then down to Hotel Torres to catch a bus back to town. You will also find the wether forecasts confusing. You can go to two different web sites for Torres del Paine weather and one will say it will be a high in the 60s and another say the 30s for the same day high. We packed for extremes. For the most part it was nice and in the 50s and 60s for us (late February), but when we hiked up to Mirador Torres the temperature dropped into the 30s with 30 MPH winds gusting to 50 MPH. I would recommend wearing light fast drying long pants rather than shorts as it was never that hot and there are lots of prickly plants you will be encountering. If you enjoy hiking with mountain scenery this is a trip you have to take.
3. Circuito grande Torres del Paine
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 148 reviews
Reviewed By stephensJ5747LY - Antofagasta, Chile
Decided to take on this epic nine day hike not knowing what to expect both physically and visually. A great decision to say the least. Physically it was extremely demanding but the rewards presented visually more than made up for it, melting away all phytigue. Camp sites offered spectacular views as well as access to side trips such as glacier hiking and kayaking. Camping facilities were more than adequate equiped with stores, cafes and even the Chileon camp had a full restaurant. Staff was knowledgeable and bilingual. A couple of the camps also had lodging (bunkbed) options. Each section of the hike was challenging in different ways but never did I feel in any danger. Park Rangers patrol sections offering a feeling of assurance. A must do for all hiking enthusiest.
4. MIrador Las Torres
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 259 reviews
Reviewed By darkbluesparkles - Oxford, United Kingdom
We did this hike with our 11-month-old baby in a hiking backpack. I would say this hike pushed us right up to our very limits and I wouldn't want to do anything tougher than this. That said, I would do the hike again if it was our first time. There were a lot of people on the trail when we went, and we were never alone. It is imperative to wear STURDY WATERPROOF shoes that go over your ankles, as you will be hiking IN a stream (not along, I do mean IN the flowing water) for about 15% of the total distance. The last scramble was not as bad as I'd anticipated, but obviously very tiring. The most dangerous part, in my opinion, is the first part of the descent over the rocks - GO SLOWLY. It took us 9 hours round-trip, including lunch, photos at the viewpoint, and two nappy changes (once at the camp right before the final ascent, and once at Refugio Chileno on the way down). The view at the top was amazing and there's lots of space to sit for lunch. It wasn't that windy, though there were a few snowflakes on the way up. For those with babies going up, you can use the bathrooms for free for nappy changes, just ask the staff (who speak English). We opted to do it on a picnic table outside for space reasons, and it wasn't that cold.
5. Nordenskjold Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 515 reviews
Formed by a melting glacier, this beautiful lake is a milky turquoise color, produced by the algae at the bottom.
Reviewed By Stephen47 - Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom
We visited the Parque Nacional Torres del Paine last November staying at the excellent Hotel Lago Grey. The view from the window of our very comfortable room looked out across the Lago Grey to the mountains with the Glacier Grey to our left. The hotel's restaurant was very good and the staff pleasantly attentive. The journey to the National Park is very long - we came up from Punta Arenas - but it is well worth while. The turquoise of lakes and the blue and white of the mountains are awesome.
6. Lago Sarmiento
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 90 reviews
Reviewed By 716sachink - Plainview, United States
This lake is gateway to Torres Del Paine National Park when approaching from Puerto Natales. It is an awesome lake not to be missed when visiting the park. Spotted several guanacos around this lake.
7. Laguna Azul
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 289 reviews
Reviewed By feil675 - Houston, United States
The drive from Hotel Las Torres Patagonia to Azul was incredible: we saw a lot of Guanacos with three towers in the back. It was truly lovely walk/drive around .
8. Navigation of Lago Grey
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 402 reviews
Reviewed By SophiaK - Athens, Greece
It is a lovely boat ride to see the Glacier Grey. After leaving the parking area you have to walk approximately 40 minutes, through a rope bridge, a forested area and then approximately 2 kilometers of sand in order to get to the boat. As the wind was very strong during the day we visited, it was not an easy task to do. But viewing the glacier paid us off. Although it is not as grand as Perito Moreno, the backdrop of the jagged mountain tops creates a unique scenery. The deep blue colors of the glacier contrast the black of the volcanic rock and the milky color of the water creating a one of its kind landscape. The crew of the catamaran was very helpful, obsessed with safety as everyone HAD to wear life jackets once stepped outside and they offered exceptional pisco sours! Yes, it is a bit overpriced but the whole experience is unforgettable.
9. Serrano Glacier
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By ShilpiSuman - Toronto, Canada
Our boat cruise was booked from our hotel. The cruise starts early in the morning and the sailing in the water and getting to see the snow clad mountains are a pleasant treat. On your way to the National Park you will see waterfalls, lots of penguin like birds, seal colony and Balmaceda glacier from the boat. Once you reach the park, it is a short walk to see the Serrano Glacier from real close. We were lucky to have amazing weather with clear skies and no rain. It was windy though and no matter when you go you need jacket. It is only been a month and I still dream of going back. It really was one of the top highlights of our trip to Chile.
