Patagonia - Torres del Paine, Chile

After El Chaltén, the visit to the national park "Torres del Paine" in Chile is next on the agenda. We plan to travel there with a rental car and secure accommodation near the national park. This way, we can flexibly organize day trips. Initially, we were interested in the multi-day W-Trek. However, the organization, especially regarding overnight stays, seemed very daunting to us - especially since there are only a few accommodations in the national park, which are also extremely expensive.

The journey itself is already quite an adventure. The man from the rental car company gives us important instructions regarding the road conditions and fuel planning (if we miss the important gas station, there are kilometers without any option left).

Upon entering Chile from Argentina, numerous stamps need to be acquired. On the Chilean side, there are even three different counters for entry at the border house.

The accommodation is fantastic. It's the first village after the border, with an incredibly friendly owner, great breakfast, and cozy-stylish furnishings - the best part is the wooden stoves that keep every room nice and warm. The national park is not far away.

In the following days, we drive several hours through the national park, which spans vast plains, mountain ranges, and gigantic lakes. This landscape is simply breathtaking! In between, we make detours to stunning viewpoints! During this, we repeatedly see various animals (see photos above): There are many guanacos and also condors. Wild horses, ducks, ostriches, and even a skunk, and on the last day, a fox.

The guanacos are basically a primordial llama. They live freely and have not been domesticated like llamas. Guanacos belong to the camel family. They are usually seen in herds off the roads in Patagonia, and we love it 🥰

 

Almost every route leads over simple gravel roads, which create a lot of dust. We feel sorry for our rental car (class: basic)!

Next, we tackle the most intense hike so far: the ascent to the “Base de las Torres” involves a continuous uphill stretch of more than 10 km. At the end, a steep section filled with rocks and technical passages awaits. Afterward, we naturally have to descend everything again.

We need quite a bit of endurance for the path. But the mountain panorama at the end compensates for our efforts: The mountain towers rise towards us under a blue sky. The lake below is still almost completely frozen, and the drifting ice pieces at the edge of the lagoon create a fantastic picture!

However, on the way back, we just have to grit our teeth. Without the rental poles, my knees would probably be wrecked😁 After 8 hours, we've made it 💪🏻

 

 

Absolutely thrilled, we begin our return journey to Buenos Aires. Patagonia is truly unique!