Top Things to do in Chilean Patagonia
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What to do and see in Chilean Patagonia, Chilean Patagonia: The Best Things to do Good for Adrenaline Seekers
Dazzling fjords and vertiginous Andean peaks cover Chile's best-known region, turning this slim swath of land into a playground for skiing, whitewater rafting and trekking. To the north lies San Rafael Lagoon National Park with its impressive ice fields. In Patagonia's southern stretch, the city of Punta Arenas is the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park, which attracts serious climbers and casual day hikers to its granite peaks, glaciers and waterfalls.
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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. Futaleufu River
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 58 reviews
Reviewed By cindymq144
The Earth River rafting journey on the Futuleufu river is spectacular and amazing in all ways. The vast pristine landscapes, the professional and compassionate staff, the personal challenges one has the opportunity to confront, the lodging and food, the activities on and off the river all add up to an unforgettable experience. If you are a beginner - GO! The expedition is designed to help you become more confident on the water as the days progress. By the last day the class five rapids are a source of awe inspiring beauty and sheer joy. The staff are so encouraging, always pointing to the positive, they helped me to feel like "You got this and if you don't - we got you!" My love of white water paddling was ignited and I hope to travel with Earth River Expeditions again in the near future. The supply list is actually pretty complete. If you are a woman I would suggest adding two pairs of leggings, a sarong and one more long sleeve top for evenings. I would also bring a thin warm hat for the hike to Obsession lake. I am a plant based eater and except for a milk alternative they were able to accommodate my dietary needs. There were fresh fruits, vegetables and plant based options at every meal. The rivers combined with the glaciers, the waterfalls, the granite walls, the trees, the sun and clouds, the stars and the mysteries of the cosmos are awaiting you. I would recommend this Earth River Expeditions journey to the Futuleafu in an adventure seeking heartbeat!
3. Queulat National Park
4. Catedral de Marmol
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 805 reviews
Reviewed By gmloubr2018 - Albuquerque, United States
The so called marble cathedral and marble caves was the most memorable area we saw in Chile. We were in Chile the whole 2019 and visited every one of their regions. We went to the Atacama desert and the town of San Pedro de Atacama. We went to the Torres del Paine area. But the General Carrera Lake was the highlight of the year. We went to Puerto Rio Tranquilo and took a "full day" boat ride that took us to the marble cabinets area and then to the marble chapel, marble caves and to the marble cathedral. Here are a few photos.
5. Mount Tarn
6. Capillas de Marmol
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 522 reviews
Reviewed By Farmlabourer - Dumfries, United Kingdom
A wet and fast boat trip to the caves followed by a gentle tour in an out of the caves. A lot of explanation but all in Spanish but the main point is what you see. The longer trip is probably worth the extra cash for a more relaxed time in the caves.
7. Dientes de Navarino
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 64 reviews
Reviewed By evwtrip - Nijmegen, The Netherlands
This is one of the more rougher treks I've done. Both in terms of adressing my routefinding skills many times (while there is a collection of signposting as well as the much more frequent markerstones, I did manage to wander off track quite a few times) as in the actual difficulty of the terrain (boulder hopping, steep descents, muddy marshes, negotiating tree roots & branches) your progress will be slow each of the 3 or more days you're trekking the 32km/20mi long Dientes. I solo-hiked it in 4. But they say: the rougher the trek, the more beautiful it gets. That counts here also. It's a little more wilderness than the one in Torres del Paine. While you're on the most southerly inhabited island of the world in Puerto Williams, a Chilean Armada town slowly growing into a tourist destination, enjoy the view of Cerro Bandera while you start your climb. On top there's a beautiful view of the Beagle Channel and Argentina's Tierra del Fuego mountains across. Continue along the edges of the ridge to a steep drop to Laguna del Salto, one of the many tundra lakes in the area. I stayed here for the night on a terribly wet and uneven floor, but with fresh water. My second day started with a climb up to Paso Australia and over loose boulders up Paso los Dientes (I wandered off track here which did cost me half an hour) to eventually descent to Laguna los Dientes and Laguna Escondida again with plenty big boulders to hop. Campsites and water were no problem finding here and were in better condition. There's a beautiful view of the jagged peaks of the actual Dientes ('teeth' in spanish), for which the area is named. On a clear day the more southerly Lago Windhond is visible as are the Cabo de Hornos islands. My third day ended up being the easiest one. Only two easier uphill sections and drops to arrive at the beaver affected area of big Laguna Martillo, where I took a wrong direction again costing me about 45 minutes. After the big lake there's a beautiful valley to cross where I saw signs of a big animal nearby, possibly a puma. I eventually camped at the foot of the biggest climb of the whole trek, Paso Virginia. The fourth day started with a muddy ascent of the lower section of the climb and ended at a fantastic overview of a very steep and possibly dangerous descent to Laguna Guanacos. Take care here in bad weather. After this lake there is a long mixed section of marshes, woods and farmland to get you down to the end of the trail at an old fishery at the road which will lead you to Puerto Williams again in 2 hours. I only saw people on the first night and was thus almost the whole time alone on the trail. Weather can be a problem here because of the southerly location of the Island, but most of the time I was hiking in clear sunny skies in late March 2017. Recommended.
8. Reserva Nacional Cerro Castillo
9. 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.
10. 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.
