Dramatic Torres

Most travellers arrive in Puerto Natales in the early afternoon, either by bus from Punta Arenas airport or El Calafate in Argentina. You’ll be picked up at the bus station and transferred to your cosy guest house 10 minutes from the centre of Puerto Natales. Your room is a little rustic, but tidy and very cosy and has good central heating, essential for the cold nights.

You’ll pick up your car this morning and make your own way to your refugio in Torres del Paine where you’ll stay in a shared dorm room. The journey is mostly along gravel roads and after an hour the scenery becomes increasingly dramatic. If the weather’s good, you can spend the afternoon trekking to the Base de Torres. It’s a 7 hour round-trip and from December – February it stays light until 10pm.

Today is free for you to explore the park under your own steam; by far the best way to do so. Hop into your hire car and pass the jagged peaks of the Cuernos del Paine and stop off at several viewpoints for some breathtaking scenery. You could also drive to the ancient forest on the banks of the Grey Lake, a glacier-fed lake filled with icebergs.

At the end of the day you’ll drive back to Puerto Natales. Looking in your rear-view mirror you can see the peaks of the Torres del Paine disappearing in the distance. You’ll spend another night in the same hotel where you spent your first night. If you can’t drive, or just prefer not to, we can also arrange this module as a group tour. You’ll have less freedom, but you’ll still be able to see all the main sights of the park.