Torres del Paine: 4 days hiking in the national park (day hikes)

The impressive peaks of the Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile have fascinated me for a long time. Often admired in pictures, it was clear to me that we should plan enough time for this on our one-month trip through Patagonia. The national park is not only one of the most famous in South America, but also forms a real magnet for outdoor-loving tourists from all over the world in the summer months with one of the most popular trekking routes in the region – the so-called W-Trek.

When I started planning our itinerary in September, I noticed that the hut sleeping places in the refugios along the W-Trek (most of which are operated by Fantastico Sur) were already almost fully booked. So we had the following options: camping or staying in hotels. Our choice fell on the hotel overnight stays with corresponding day hikes. This was because we didn’t want to take any camping equipment from Switzerland with us due to the entire duration of the trip and if we rented it locally, the price difference would not have been so big in the end.

Punta Arenas – the starting point in southern Patagonia

The starting point for our journey through Patagonia is Punta Arenas. Early in the morning, we fly with Sky Airlines from Santiago de Chile to the southernmost climes of the country in just over three hours. After a short wait at the Europcar car rental desk, where we rent our 4×4 SUV for the next 28 days, the Patagonia adventure can begin. Punta Arenas is not particularly friendly to us on the first day in terms of weather and our trip to Faro San Isidro is accompanied by a lot of plumbing. I had planned a total of two nights in Punta Arenas – most tourists stay here for a maximum of one night. I liked Punta Arenas surprisingly well and the two days were over in no time. Our plan to visit the Seno Otoway Penguin Colony turned out to be a wrong decision. The access roads to this colony have been closed for a long time (probably because the animals are no longer there). So don’t make the same mistake and use the time instead for a detour to the Pali Aike National Park. Admittedly, I’m annoyed because I could have saved myself the trip into the blue with a Tripadvisor research. Well.. Definitely worth seeing is the beautiful cemetery of Punta Arenas and for a fine dinner we can recommend the restaurants Mesita Grande and La Marmita.

Puerto Natales – Starting point to Torres del Paine National Park

We combined the trip to Puerto Natales with a “warm-up hike”. A good 5 kilometers before Puerto Natales (coming from Punta Arenas) is the entrance to the Mirador Dorotea on the right hand side on a private property. The landowners demand 5,000 Chilean pesos per person “road toll” for the ascent to Puerto Natales’ local mountain. I think it’s definitely worth it. The hiking trail is well maintained and after a steep climb (about 400 meters in altitude, about 1.5 hours walking time to the viewpoint) there is a great panoramic view over Puerto Natales and the peaks of the Patagonian Andes behind it.

We used the rest of the afternoon to buy snacks during the hikes in the Torres del Paine National Park. The selection of different shopping options is surprisingly large. As a tip: If you like to have dried fruit and/or nuts with you as a snack, you will find a large selection at “Frutos Secos”.

Route overview: Torres del Paine on your own

After a good night’s sleep in the cozy Casa Lucy, we set off early towards Lago Grey – our first stop in Torres del Paine National Park. Before we set off “into the wilderness”, we head for the petrol station in Puerto Natales. This is the only gas station within a radius of 100 kilometers from Torres del Paine National Park. I secretly hoped that we would get a diesel car. But nothing there. Our Ford Escape (a great car, I think), has a range of about 500 kilometers, which is not exactly impressively far considering the Patagonian distances. With a full tank we want to turn onto the Y-290 shortly after Puerto Natales to drive directly to Lago Grey. Unfortunately, the access to this road is closed and we have no choice but to take the detour via Cerro Castillo. Ruta 9 is paved to Cerro Castillo. All other access roads to Torres del Paine National Park are gravel roads in more or less good condition (beware, potholes!). We pass the park entrance at the Serrano entrance and ranger station. Admission to the park costs 21,000 Chilean pesos per person. The entrance fee is valid for three days, which means that you can go in and out of the park as many times as you like during these three days. We reach Lago Grey in the early afternoon and use the remaining time for a hike on the Lago Grey Beach Trail.

Route details Day 1: Originally planned route via Y-290: 100 kilometers / approx. 2 hours driving time (mostly gravel roads)Detour via Cerro Castillo: 150 kilometers / approx. 2.5 hours driving time (paved to Cerro Castillo)

The next morning, after a fantastic dawn, we start directly with the hike to the Mirador Ferrier. Afterwards we drive via Salto Grande / Cuernos Lookout once across the park and leave it at the Laguna Amarga entrance. As accommodation for the second night, we have chosen a traditional estancia, which is located directly at the park boundary, but whose access requires a slight curve around the outside.

Route details Day 2: Via Y-150/ Y-180: 100 kilometers / approx. 2.5 hours driving time (mostly gravel roads)

On the third day, we first drive 80 kilometers back to Puerto Natales to refuel. This is because we want to cross the border into Argentina after the Torres del Paine National Park in Cerro Castillo and we therefore need a good half tank reserve to hold out until the next gas station on the Argentine side. We spend the third and fourth night at the Hotel Las Torres at the classic starting point for the W-Trek. We combine the way back from Puerto Natales to La Torres with a very worthwhile detour to Laguna Azul – including lots of guanacos. Afterwards our car deserves a rest and we use the full day in Las Torres for a day hike to the famous Mirador Base de las Torres.

Route details Day 3: Via Ruta 9 back to Puerto Natales / Laguna Azul / Las Torres: 250 kilometers / approx. 4 hours driving time

Fuel tip: You can save yourself the extra trip back to Puerto Natales if you enter Argentina via Dorotea instead of the Cerro Castillo border crossing. It’s a slight detour, but you save yourself the extra trip (we finally had to enter via Dorotea, as the Cerro Castillo border crossing remained closed that day due to a power outage)

Our hikes in Torres del Paine National Park (day hikes)

Der Klassiker: Base of the Towers Viewpoint |

The ascent to one of the most popular photo motifs of Torres del Paine National Park is part of the W-Trek but can also be done as a day hike from Las Torres without any problems. The distance of the hike through the Valle Silencio via Refugio Chileno to the viewpoint Base Mirador las Torres is just under 20 kilometers (round trip). The aim is to overcome an altitude difference of a good 1,000 metres. The hiking trail is well signposted and leads through beautifully gnarled southern beech forests and magnificent alpine landscapes. We set off shortly before seven o’clock in the morning. As beautiful as the hike is, it is also frequently walked. We ran the ascent ring. Only the last, jaggedly ascending section from the Campamento las Torres (about 45 minutes) made us sweat. It is important to start the hike as early as possible. On the way back to the valley, we were met by droves of hikers and trekkers. Despite the distance and elevation gain, this hike is THE highlight of many Torres del Paine visitors’ trip.

The Versatile: Cuerno’s Lookout |

Just as popular as the Mirador las Torres is the hiking trail to the Mirador Cuernos. The starting point is at the Salto Grande car park and the trail leads mostly flat in just over an hour from the waterfall with beautiful views of Nordernskjöld Lake, the Paine Grande and the striking Los Cuernos over a plateau to the viewpoint. The trail can be easily combined with the drive from Lago Grey towards Las Torres (allow about 2 hours more for the drive so that there is enough time for the hike).

Der Kurze: Lago Grey Beach Trail |

At Lago Grey, we decided against a boat tour to the Grey Glacier and instead used the Beach Trail to get closer to the ice. The trail starts at the Grey Ranger Station (parking available) and takes about 1 – 1.5 hours as a loop. Ideal in rather uncertain weather conditions, as you are quickly back in the dry.

The Cozy: Mirador Laguna Azul |

If you want to avoid the crowds, you can do everything right with a trip to Lago Azul. Unfortunately, the sky was slightly overcast that day, so that the three towers in the pictures do not come into their own. At the Laguna Azul Ranger Station, no one asked us about the park entrance. Instead, we got nice tips about the trails from the ranger. The short hike to the Sierra Masle is not available on the overview map of the national park, but is well signposted on site. After a short climb (about 30 to 45 minutes) you will reach a beautiful viewpoint with panoramic views over the Laguna Azul and the impressive mountain relief of the Cordillera Paine. By the way, it’s worth taking a picnic with you. Back on the shores of Laguna Azul, there are wonderful picnic areas that you only have to share with a few people.

The Insider Tip: Mirador Ferrier |

My hiking highlight was the ascent to the Mirador Ferrier. The trail also starts at the Grey Ranger Station, where you have to register accordingly. After that, the narrow path soon leads steeply uphill 700 meters uphill to the Mirador Ferrier. You have to allow about two hours for the ascent. You will be royally rewarded for this – the view over the lake landscape of the Torres del Paine National Park is incomparable. And best of all, there were just five of us at the top of the summit.

Where to stay – our accommodations in Torres del Paine National Park

As explained in the introduction, we stayed in hotels. If you are planning a trip in the high season and want to spend the night in the Refugios, you have to take care of the hut sleeping places very early (ideally six to nine months in advance). It is also worthwhile to book as early as possible when it comes to hotels. When I took care of it in September, there was actually no accommodation (except tent sites) to book for one night in the park. For this reason, I booked an overnight stay at the Hosteria Mirador del Payne, which is a traditional estancia right on the park border and is quite a good alternative to the hotels in the park (unfortunately we were denied the beautiful view from there, as the weather changed).

Hotel Lago Grey |

At the Hotel Lago Grey we booked a superior room for one night and were positively surprised by the room equipment. An overnight stay at Lago Grey is worthwhile in my opinion, because the hike to the Mirador Ferrier as well as the Beach Trail are nearby (as a day trip it would be a relatively long driving distance). A pisco sour as a welcome drink and breakfast are included. Wifi only works in good weather and the food in the bar area is not worth mentioning (we didn’t visit the restaurant).

Cost: $420 per night (Superior Room with breakfast)

Hosteria Mirador del Payne |

Hosteria Mirador del Payne, in my opinion, offers an authentic estancia experience with nice staff and the opportunity to go horseback riding. Again, we received a pisco as a welcome. On the other hand, the electricity is limited in time (electricity is only available at certain times) and there is no wifi (there is no mobile phone reception in the whole national park). A fixed menu is served for dinner. The trail to Toro Lake Lookout starts at the hosteria (about 8 hours round) – so there is a lot to see here as well.

Cost: $245 per night (double room with breakfast) / dinner $38 per person

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia |

The Hotel Las Torres is located right next to the starting point of the W-Trek and close to the park entrance where the public buses go (Laguna Amarga). For us, it was worth planning two nights here, as we had enough time for the hike to the Base de las Torres. The hotel also surprised us positively in other respects. The rooms are smaller than in the Lago Grey Hotel, but the food served in the bar is much better (tip: share a pizza) and the wifi (only 1 code per person that works on only one device) also worked.

Cost: 400 USD per night (double room with breakfast)

For more information about hiking in Torres del Paine National Park, I can recommend the following blog posts as reading:

• In Torres del Paine there are not only impressive peaks, but also many animals to discover. Jana from Sonne & Wolken has gone on safari and describes the diversity of animals in her blog post
• Detailed information about the W-Trek can be found at Susi from Black Dots White Spots
• At Steve’s you will find numerous Patagonia articles with comprehensive information on the necessary trekking equipment as well as various hiking tips