Patagonia Independent Short Break: Torres Del Paine

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Patagonia. Few places on Earth offer up such dramatic and wild landscapes, and Patagonia’s most iconic can be found in the Torres del Paine and Bernardo O'Higgins National Parks. Your adventure begins at Puerto Natales, which sits on the Seno de Ultima Esperanza (Bay of the Last Hope). When you arrive at the airport or bus station, you’ll be picked up and transferred to your hotel. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight to meet our local representative. If you arrive early, maybe walk along the Costanera, which leads to the historic remains of the Braun & Blanchard wharf. The city is also dotted with local hangouts that specialise in Chilean wine and locally produced craft beer.

Today after breakfast, you’ll be joined by a local guide to explore Torres del Paine National Park – declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978. Stop at the Milodon Cave along the way – an enormous cavern where remains of prehistoric mammals like the mylodon, an extinct ground sloth, have been found. Continue to the towering granite spikes Cuernos de Paine, then walk to Salto Grande – at 15 m high, this is the park’s largest waterfall. Take some time to admire the powerful cascade tumbling into the turquoise lake below. Visit Lago Gray, a lake fringed by the icy blue Grey Glacier, then hike through a coigue forest, crossing a suspension bridge over the Pingo River and ending up at the beach. Here, you can see icebergs of different shapes and colours floating in the lake, caused by the melting of the Grey Glacier. Return to Puerto Natales for a free evening.

Start the day bright and early at Puerto Bories pier, then sail through the Senoret Channel and the Ultima Esperanza fjord. Cross into the Bernardo O'Higgins National Park – the largest park in Chile and home to giant glaciers, lush vegetation, waterfalls and loads of wildlife, including Andean condors, marine otters and cormorants. Sail past the impressive Balmaceda glacier, hanging from the mountain of the same name. Dock at Puerto Toro and walk about a kilometre through a native forest filled with coigues, murtilla de magallanes, chaura and lichens. Walk to the foot of the Serrano Glacier, following the edge of an iceberg-filled lake formed by its melt. Finally, enjoy an aperitif with glacial ice and have lunch at a typical Patagonian estancia before returning to Puerto Natales for the evening.

If you’re up for a challenge today, you can take the 8-hour trek to Base Torres for the most impressive views of Torres del Paine’s granite towers and glacial lagoon. If you feel that the long trek would be too strenuous and you’d like to take things easy today, you can opt for a panoramic half-day tour of Puerto Natales instead. This beautiful half-day excursion will help you understand the origin of this centenary city. Learn about the toponymy of its surroundings, its history and little-known details. Start at the old Puerto Bories Cold Storage Plant, then visit the waterfront, the main square, the fishermen's dock and the artisanal village. Your tour will finish with a pisco sour at Rooftop in Puerto Natales. Whichever option you choose, you’ll meet back up with your group for dinner tonight to celebrate your adventure.

After an early breakfast at your hotel, you'll be dropped off at the Puerto Natales bus station. From here, you'll have the option to take the local bus to El Calafate on the Argentinean side of Patagonia (bus ticket included). If you’re flying out today, please make sure you choose a flight in late afternoon after 3 pm. If you would prefer to begin your trip in El Calafate and end in Puerto Natales, please get in touch ahead of time so your bus ticket can be arranged.