My hiking Trip to Torres del Paine National Park
I spend the first half of last year in Vina del Mar, Chile to study there for one semester. Chile offers some of the most diverse nature reserves, unlike any other country. It covers more than half of the west coast of the Latin American continent. You will find deserts in the north, such as the Atacama desert or the cold Antarctica territory in the south.
I have to say that I was never much into hiking but that changed quickly in Chile. You will not get around it. There are so many areas, national parks, mountains & so on that make hiking unavoidable. At the end of my semester I couldn't stop looking for the next adventure. Yet the most amazing hike was definitely my one week trip to Torres del Paine with some of my classmates. I will show you why this park is so special, with the photographs that I took. I made all the pictures with my phone and yet you cannot miss the beauty of this incredible wildlife scenery.
Torres del Paine is located in the south of Chile, in Patagonia. Some of you might have heard of it because of the brand Patagonia. The most common way to get to the park is by flying. You usually get there from the capital of Chile, Santiago. Although you just fly over half of the country it is still a 3 1/2 hour flight. To see Chile in a better perspective imagine it like a long and slim country, that goes from Portugal all the way to Finland. The airport you will arrive at is the most southern continental city of the world: Punta Arenas.
From Punta Arenas you will take the bus for about 2 hours and get to Puerto Natales. This is the main camping town for the national park. You will already have a beautiful sight from there on the mountains. The town offers all sorts of hiking gear and great restaurants that you should try out! From Puerto Natales you will then take the bus that goes directly to Torres del Paine.
It is common to have a guide when you go on into the Park because the hiking trails are not always that clear. You can talk to your guides about how long and what kind of paths you want to walk because there are many different options that you can choose from. When you get into the park they will show you some short videos and explain to you all the rules and guidelines, they are also going to ask you to sign a paper that you understood them.
The park has round about 250.000 visitors each year. The best months to visit are from September til April, since this is the spring summer & autumn time for them. In the winter the weather will be rough and you will not be able to enjoy the hiking and beautiful sights. Otherwise I can promise you it is absolutely worth it. You will see such diverse wildlife, glaciers, wild horses around the camps and even the climbing and hiking can be a little dangerous and exciting. The final viewpoints that you reach at the end of the trails are breathtaking. I have never seen something like this in my entire life and I am sure I will come back some day with my family.
So here a picture of myself in front of one of the glaciers. I want to be honest with you. The hikes can be really exhausting, sometimes you walk up to 12 hours. It is also not that cheap, including the flights and everything else. Yet I will guarantee you that it is worth every penny, all the cold nights in the tents, all the sweat and the sore limbs. This hiking trip literally changed my life and it will change yours as well. So if you are into hiking and looking for one of the most beautiful Parks to do just that: Torres del Paine is the one.
I hope you liked the pictures I took! If you are interested in going there, feel free to ask me questions any time.
What are your experiences with hiking? Have you heard about Torres del Paine before & are you planning on traveling there? What has been your favorite hike / hiking spot so far? I am interested in what you guys have to share, so feel free and let me know!