From: £2,629
From: $3,500
For those starting in Punta Arenas there are daily pick ups at your hotel in the city at 09.00 or 15.00 and from the airport at 09.30 and 15.30.
From Punta Arenas we drive northwards with a stop after 180km / 112 miles at the Estancia Cerro Negro. We gain an insight to the history of the estancia as well as enjoy a barbecue lunch or Patagonian high tea.
After, we continue driving to the Torres del Paine National Park. We arrive to the hotel at 16.00 or 21.30 depending on our pick up time.
For those starting in El Calafate transfer from your hotel around 07.00 to the Chilean border at Cerro Castillo. At the border you have the opportunity to exchange money. Change of vehicle and transfer to the hotel. Arrive around 12.30. Lunch and the option of a half-day excursion.
On arrival to the hotel we check in and settle into our rooms. Dinner and the chance to choose our following days activities from a menu of half day and full day excursions.
After a hearty breakfast we set off on our chosen excursion – see the ‘Excursions’ in Practical Information beow.
Those with a full-day excursion will be provided with box lunches whilst those doing two half day excursions will lunch at the hotel.
For those heading to Punta Arenas there is a choice of two transfers: 08.30 arriving Punta Arenas 13.30 with a box lunch included or 14.00 arriving 19.00. Those taking the later transfer have time to do a half-day excursion in the morning.
Those heading to El Calafate depart at 09.00, changing vehicle at the border and arriving at the hotel in El Calafate at 14.30.
There are two types of room available at Hotel Las Torres.
Junior suites: Refresh your body after a day of adventure in one of these beautiful and spacious rooms (38m2) featuring a large window that frames the majestic Mount Almirante Nieto. Our Junior Suites are fully equipped for a memorable Patagonian stay. King-sized bed, plus views of Mount Almirante Nieto.
Superior rooms: A charming space (20m2) to relax, recharge and revitalise your energies. The wooden decor, warm colour palette, and large windows frame the mountains or the pampas. Choose a king-sized bed, two singles, or three singles. Rooms have a mountain or garden view.
A wide range of activities are available, so there is something to suit everyone, from one hour horse rides, to an 8-hour walk to the base of the towers, leisurely wildlife and sightseeing tours.
There is no high altitude to worry about in Torres del Paine National Park.
Almost all dietary requirements can be catered for – please get in touch for more.
Breakfast and dinner are served buffet style in the restaurant. Wine is served with meals.
There is a bar open all day for drinks, snack, and light meals too.
The hotel has its own organic garden and is able to produce fresh vegetables and fruit for the restaurant.
There are two eateries to choose from at the hotel, for lunch and dinner.
One of the real pleasures when staying with us at Hotel Las Torres is dining in the restaurant.
Restaurant Coirón specialises in the “flavours of the end of the world” – a unique blend of modern, creative culinary methods and traditional regional dishes from Chilean Patagonia.
As much as possible, chefs use fresh locally sourced products from the estancias and organic garden, ingredients that literally go straight from the farm and ranch onto your plate. Lunch and dinner are a la cart.
Huge, glass windows surround the restaurant at Hotel Las Torres on all sides, making it easy to watch the happy habits of endemic birds and mammals that live just a few feet away from your table.
Bar Pionero is the social hub of Hotel Las Torres where guests trade tales about their adventures that day. Comfortable sofas, huge windows and the best regional cocktails are on offer.
Try a Calafate Sour, made from the fruit of the endemic Calafate bush, or order a Pisco Sour Pioneer, with a sprig of mint from Hotel Torres del Paine’s organic garden. The “Costumbres” or the ”Aborigen” – winner of the national tournament “Capel Puro Talento” in 2014 – are just two further options on offer as the night draws in on your Patagonia vacations.
There is also a homemade craft beer “Pionera”, brewed in a little cabin just outside Bar Pionero.
Furthermore, don’t forget about the standard selection of regional and national wines, liqueurs and premium spirits. The bar alsos provide a range of sandwiches, snacks, salads, coffees and cakes.
Expert local guides for all activities – trekking, horse-riding, wildlife watching, boat trips etc.
The Hotel has a fleet of sturdy vehicles with experienced drivers for getting you around the park. Families are welcome and well catered for.
There are family friendly activities and specialist guides available for family activities.
A self-guided Patagonia journey revealed the breathtaking beauty of Torres del Paine and its unforgettable W Trek.
An expertly organized Chilean journey connected Santiago, Easter Island, and Patagonia with comfort and captivating experiences.
This beautiful, all-inclusive hotel, deep in the heart of Paine, offers and authentically Patagonian experience.
Hotel Las Torres offers comfort and style from which to explore the park. It sits at the trail head to the park’s most famous trail, the trek to the base of the Towers of Paine.
From: $500 per person
Duration
4 days
From: $3930 per person
Duration
4 days
Each evening you will be asked by the guides at Hotel Las Torres which excursions you would like to do the following day. Your choices should be made by 8pm.
All excursions are subject to weather conditions.
This is one of the most famous treks in the Torres del Paine National Park, taking you to the base of the granite spires which give the park its name.
You set off from the hotel on foot as the trail head is in its back yard. The path leads upwards along the Ascencio Valley edge until you reach the high mountain lodge known as Refugio Chileno, roughly the halfway mark.
From here you continue through majestic lenga (southern beech) forest until you reach a rocky moraine. You then have a tricky 40 minute climb around rocks and boulders to the viewpoint. The reward, weather permitting, is the granite spires of the three magnificent towers perched above a berg-filled grey-blue lake.
The return journey follows the same route.
There may be an option to do the section between the hotel and Refugio Chileno on horseback. Riding experience is required and this is weather dependent.
Distance: 18.8 km
Duration: 8 hours
Difficulty: Demanding
This full day hike is part of the world famous W trek. The sinuous trail takes you between the cold blue waters of Lake Nordenskjöld and the imposing Mount Almirante Nieto. The rocky trail leading from the hotel to the Cuernos sector is crossed by various streams fed by hanging glaciers.
Highlights include crossing the hanging bridge of the Arriero River, viewing Inge Lake and the surrounding landscape, and different perspectives of the Cuernos peaks. With luck you may even spot the “foehn” on the lake, small tornados which spin across the surface.
Distance: 23.2 km
Duration: 6–8 hours
Difficulty: Medium to demanding
If you have experience and enjoy horse riding, this excursion is for you. Feel the Patagonian air in your face as you gallop across the pampa.
The excursion starts at the hotel’s stables and heads towards the Paine River Valley. From the trail you will have views of Laguna Azul and Cerro Paine before arriving at the Seron campsite in the Valle Encantado.
The trail also takes you through beautiful lenga forest and, if lucky, you may spot a Magellanic woodpecker or an Austral parakeet.
Distance: 24 km
Duration: 6–8 hours
Difficulty: Demanding. Horse riding experience needed.
To some, Valle Francés is the most beautiful valley in the park. Surrounded by spiky granite peaks, this is a long and demanding day.
You set off from the hotel by minibus for a 45 minute drive to the catamaran jetty at Lake Pehoé. After crossing the lake, your trek begins at Paine Grande with a walk along Lake Skottsberg before climbing into the valley.
You walk through magnificent lenga forest and are rewarded with views of the multicoloured Los Cuernos and the hanging Francés Glacier. From the valley viewpoint, weather permitting, you will see the lakes below and mountains such as Hoja, Máscara, Espada, Fortaleza and Aleta de Tiburón.
Return by the same route.
Duration: 1 hour 30 by van, 1 hour sailing, 9 hours 30 on foot
Distance: 20 km trekking
Difficulty: Demanding
This hike offers a different perspective of the mountains and an opportunity to see Patagonia’s flora and fauna.
You travel by minibus past Lake Sarmiento to the drop-off point near Estancia Lazo. Wildlife spotting opportunities are frequent.
The walk passes through lenga forest with views of Laguna Verde and Laguna Honda. Look out for condors, owls, woodpeckers, rhea and guanacos. A small summit offers views of the Paine Massif, Lago Toro and the Patagonian pampa.
Duration: 2 hours 30 by van, 7–8 hours total
Distance: 15 km trekking
Difficulty: Medium
This trek climbs the west flank of Cerro Paine (1,508 m) with superb views of the Towers of Paine.
You ascend through lenga forest to the D’Agostini lookout point with views of valleys, glaciers and lakes.
Duration: 4 hours
Distance: 6.5 km
Difficulty: Medium
The Patagón tour begins near Laguna Amarga with an explanation of early life on Earth and the cyanobacteria found in the lake.
The tour continues south through what guides call the “Puma restaurant”. Evidence of pumas may be seen, along with foxes, condors and rheas. You will learn about Patagonia’s prehistoric inhabitants and see cave paintings under a large rock overhang.
The hike ends at Lago Sarmiento where thrombolites, lumpy life-giving bacterial structures, can be seen.
Duration: 6 hours
Distance: 11 km
Difficulty: Easy to medium
Ideal for those with little or no riding experience, this excursion follows the shores of Lago Nordenskjöld.
Accompanied by expert baqueanos, you will learn basic riding skills and hear about local culture, flora and fauna.
Duration: 3 hours
Distance: 8 km
Difficulty: Easy
This hike follows part of the Paine circuit through southern beech forest, crossing streams and ending in a valley of daisies in spring.
The forest is home to Magellanic woodpeckers and Austral parakeets.
Duration: 3–4 hours
Distance: 8 km
Difficulty: Easy to medium
A van excursion to Laguna Azul with time to walk and enjoy views of the Torres del Paine.
The tour includes a visit to Cascada del Paine before returning to the hotel.
Duration: 4 hours
Distance: 1 km
Difficulty: Easy
Ride from the hotel through southern beech forest to the tree line, then hike to the summit of Cerro Paine (1,508 m).
Views include the Towers of Paine, the Paine River Valley, Laguna Azul and Lakes Nordenskjöld and Sarmiento.
Duration: 8 hours
Distance: 8 km horseback, 8 km trekking
Difficulty: Demanding. Experienced riders only.
This ride follows little-used trails into the Ascencio Valley with views of the towers and open stretches for faster riding.
Duration: 3 hours
Distance: 7 km
Difficulty: Easy
Spend time with Patagonian horsemen and women learning about their traditions, dress, saddles and tea ritual with mate.
Duration: 3 hours
Distance: n/a
Difficulty: Easy
Climb at Puma Cave with full instruction and equipment provided. Routes are available for beginner to expert climbers.
Maximum of 4 climbers per guide.
Duration: 3 hours
Distance: n/a
Difficulty: Easy to medium
These need to be booked and paid for at the hotel.
Travel by vehicle across the park with stops at key viewpoints including Nordenskjöld, Sarmiento, Lake Pehoé and Salto Grande.
After lunch, choose between a short hike along Lake Grey or a boat trip to Grey Glacier.
Duration: 3 hours sailing, 7–10 hours total
Distance: 4 km
Difficulty: Easy
After a similar morning itinerary, set off by boat along the Serrano River towards Mount Balmaceda in Bernardo O’Higgins National Park.
Enjoy views of the Tyndall and Balmaceda Glaciers and disembark near Serrano Glacier for photographs.
Duration: 4–5 hours sailing, 7–10 hours total
Distance: 4 km
Difficulty: Easy
Southern Patagonia (latitudes 49° to 55°), encompassing the southern Andes of Chile and Argentina plus Tierra del Fuego, has an altogether more vertical aspect than the rest of Patagonia.
As the continent tapers towards its southern point, the Andes take on new characteristics and offer some truly impressive panoramas.
Much of southern Patagonia is characterized by virgin landscapes where man’s hand has either not been present or, because of the scale of the landscapes, goes almost unnoticed. To the west of the semi-arid Patagonian plateau, mile-high granite spires – e.g. Cerro Torre and Fitzroy in Argentina and the Torres and Cuernos del Paine in Chile – rise abruptly from the Andean foothills, while vast blue glaciers, fringed by southern beech forest, gouge out thevalleys below.
At the heart of these magnificent landscapes lies the South Patagonian Ice Field, an utterly remote icy wilderness spanning hundreds of kilometers, whose glaciers – including the Perito Moreno and Upsala – are tens of kilometres long by severalkilometers wide.
Also characteristic of the southern Patagonian Andes are its turquoise, iceberg-filled lakes. To the west lies the southern portion of the Chilean Archipelago, comprising snow-capped islands and fjords.
Across the Magellan Straits from mainland Patagonia lies Tierra del Fuego which, like the rest of Patagonia, is divided between Argentina and Chile.
The north and east of Tierra del Fuego is flat, but flanking the Beagle Channel in the south, the tail end of the Andes provide very dramatic mountain scenery.
The Lake District (latitudes 40° to 45°) or the Araucania, is a region of dramatic conical volcanoes, evergreen, high-canopy forests and, of course, lakes.
It straddles the Chile-Argentine border, and also takes in Chiloe island, in the extreme north of the Chilean Archipelago. This region stretches from Temuco in the north to Chiloe in the south.
Central Patagonia (latitudes 45 to 49) is one of South America’s best-kept secrets. The vast wilderness area can be divided in two:
This huge region, embracing the sparsely-inhabited southern Araucaria and Aisén Region, features temperate rainforests, snow-peaks (often extinct volcanoes), lakes and, to the west, the Chilean Archipelago: a labyrinth of fjords and mountain-islands. This, the Chilean portion of central Patagonia, boasts the northernmost of Patagonia’s many giant, sea-level glaciers.
The San Raphael Glacier, probably this region’s most famous landmark, is an immense hanging glacier whose seracs calve into an iceberg-filled lagoon.
Find out more about Patagonia with our blog about its wildlife.
For most people, Patagonia evokes a vast, windblown plateau, jagged mountains and the life of the gauchos.
The steppe that occupies much of southern South America is only one aspect of a magical region, jam-packed with amazing and contrasting landscapes.
Patagonia (latitudes 40°-55°, approximately) embraces a vast portion of southern Chile and Argentina, from the Rio Colorado in the north, to Tierra del Fuego in the south.
For convenience, we have divided the region into three zones: the Lakes District of northern Patagonian, central Patagonia and southern Patagonia.
Good kit is vital for every trip.
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When planning for the varied climatic conditions encountered in Paine, layering is the most practical and versatile clothing system. It’s worth remembering that our clothing keeps us warm by retaining and isolating the heat we ourselves create.
To best maintain body heat, several layers of lightweight, warm and quick-drying clothing are far more efficient than one or two thick layers. Layers should have the following qualities:
First (base) layer: This layer wicks the sweat away from our skin, thus helping keep the body dry and warm. To this end, synthetic fabrics such as polypropylene should be used.
Mid layers: These isolating layers should also be synthetic (e.g. the known polar linings such as polartec or windblock, which are light and insulate twice as well as wool). Very important layers for retaining body heat.
Outer layer / shell: Finally, the vital layer which protects us from climatic adversities. A breathable, wind-proof and waterproof anorak, such as Goretex.
Give plenty of thought to kit selection, and try to keep weight down.
We also carry an extensive first aid kit & oxygen on all trips, but these are generally for emergencies only.
Chilean Patagonia, in the south of the country, has a climate with lower temperatures compared to the rest of Chile.
It can be better to go in the Austral summer (Oct-March). Daylight hours are much longer at this time, with Nov-Feb being popular times to visit. October and March can be very colourful and vivid with less visitors, but weather can be more blustery.
In Patagonia, the weather is, putting it mildly, variable, and variable on a daily basis. It is usually cool and windy all year round but seldom does the temperature fall below freezing point. Some days start with snow and end in balmy sunshine. It is always interesting, and can range from 10°C-20°C in the summer, although the wind can make it feel chilly.
The vast unbroken stretch of ocean to the west and south of the South American continent leaves the Patagonian Andes very exposed to the saturated winds that circle the Antarctic landmass. Also the South Patagonia Ice field influence makes the weather hard to predict. In spring or early summer fine weather may deteriorate almost without warning, bringing rains and eventually snow. Even in summer (Dec-Mar) you should come prepared to find cold, strong winds (up to 130 km/hr) and rainfalls. The summer’s average temperature is 11ºC/52ºF (24ºC max, 2ºC min).
Winter visits to these southern areas are possible, but many hotels close and not all trips are possible. Daylight hours can be very short, but the lack of visitors can greatly improve chances of seeing wildlife in parks such as Paine.
The Lake District’s temperate climate can be said to resemble that of the UK, with rain possible but also enjoying long spells of fine, fresh weather in the summer (Oct-March).
A self-guided Patagonia journey revealed the breathtaking beauty of Torres del Paine and its unforgettable W Trek.
An expertly organized Chilean journey connected Santiago, Easter Island, and Patagonia with comfort and captivating experiences.
