Torres del Paine National Park is located on the border of Chile and Argentina. It is an amazingly beautiful place known for its stunning scenery. Its stunning views are fascinating, impressive, and memorable because they are truly unique. Despite its remoteness and relative inaccessibility, it is one of the most famous national parks in Latin America and the most popular park in Chile.
In 1978, Torres del Paine was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The area of the park is 2,422 hectares. This is a separate formation, with its own characteristics and nature. Almost all the landscapes of Patagonia are represented here – Magellanic subpolar forests, Patagonian steppe, Andean desert. This is quite a harsh land – hurricane winds often run rampant here (especially in spring and summer), and the weather is unpredictable and capricious. Mountain beauties in bad weather are covered by dense clouds.
The best period to visit the park is from December to the end of February (summer in the Southern Hemisphere). During this time, there is usually good weather, long and bright days, and good visibility. The temperature in the park in summer (ours in winter) is up to +15C, in winter it does not drop below zero (about +1C).
The park was discovered by the Scottish writer Lady Florence Dixie, who traveled through Patagonia with her husband and brothers and then described the spectacular nature and local customs in her book Across Patagonia (1880). Lady Dixie’s efforts have not gone unnoticed and many famous travelers have visited here: the polar explorer Swede Nils Otto Gustav Norskiöld, the Swedish botanist and Antarctic explorer Carl Scottsberg, the missionary, mountain climber, geographer and ethnographer Italian Alberto-Maria de Agostini and others.
The name Torres del Paine means Blue Towers, and paine means blue in the language of the local Teuhelche Indians. Not surprisingly, different shades of blue and blue dominate the color palette of the stunning landscapes. Beautiful lakes and lagoons – such as Pehoe and Nordenskiöld. Lago Grey, Lago del Torro and many others sparkle with blue against the background of the surrounding mountains and pristine nature.
The three needle-shaped rocks (Las Torres – the towers) and the peaks of Los Cuernos (the Horns) are considered the symbols of the park and the most photographed landmarks of Latin America.
There are five glaciers in the park, the most famous and spectacular of which is Glaciar Grey. The area of the glacier is 270 square kilometers. The park organizes walks on the glacier, visits to the ice caves, as well as trips to the glacier by boat and canoe trips.
Hunting has been banned in Torres del Paine for more than 50 years, and wild animals here have little fear of humans. The real wealth of the park is a variety of birds and animals, there are 118 species of birds (15 species of birds of prey), including ostrich nandu, 26 mammals (including guanaco, puma, Andean deer, South American fox). The park is also home to the pygmy Chilean pudu deer, which is in danger of being completely exterminated. This little fellow (comparable in size to a hare) is particularly beloved by the Chileans and is depicted on the country’s coat of arms and protected by the state.
The park is on the border with Argentina, 140 km from Puerto Natales (Chile). In order to visit it, you can live in the city, or you can order accommodation in the park (during the season you can order at least 2-3 nights). When you live directly in the park, you can arrange cougar watching and different types of trekking. There is a catamaran excursion on Lake Gray to the glacier. Horseback riding trails are offered. Fishing is allowed in the Rio Serrano area.
The least successful option to visit the park seems to us to be day trips from the Argentine city of Calafate (5 hour drive one way).
There is also the option of leaving Calafate, Argentina, visiting the park along the way and ending the tour in Puerto Natales, Chile. This option would be better, but the stay in the park would still be a blur.
Another argument in favor of an excursion from Puerto Natales: on the way to the park, at the very beginning of the tour, tourists are sure to visit Milodon Cave, where in 1895 German adventurer Hermann Eberhard found the remains of a prehistoric giant animal and later found the camps of primitive people.