every year about 100,000 visitors head
to a remote location known as the end of
the world
it’s Torres del Paine National Park in
Chile’s Patagonia region here
adventurers find bliss amongst the
dramatic terrain that includes glaciers
fjords and mountains the centrepiece of
the park are the three granite towers
that stand tall over the otherwise flat
Patagonian play throughout the park the
towers beckon encouraging visitors to
take a closer look the 11 point two-mile
mirador las torres hike is the ultimate
way to see these iconic rock features
but get ready getting to this remote
destination is quite the journey fly
into Chile’s Punta Arenas Airport at the
tip of South America it’s the closest
major airport to the park but is still
about five hours and two bus rides away
your first bus is to the tourist hub of
puerto natales which is three hours to
the north
buses run daily between punta arenas and
puerto natales and cost about 7,000
chilean pesos or about 10 US dollars
each way spend a night or two in puerto
natales and rest up you’ll need all the
energy you can muster for this demanding
hike in patagonia weather is everything
if the weather’s not right you may not
even get to see the towers through the
clouds so if you have flexibility in
your schedule wait till the weather’s
clear when the big day arrives take the
7:30 a.m. bus to torres del pi
one-way fare is approximately 12 US
dollars two and a half hours later you
will be ready for your epic hiking
adventure all visitors must pay a park
fee in cash of approximately 32 US
dollars you won’t have to camp to do
this hike but it is included in the park
fee if it’s something you’d like to do
be sure to book your campsite in advance
once in the park you could walk from the
laguna amarga gate to the trailhead at
the hotel las torres another option is
to take a shuttle about four miles to
the start of the trail for approximately
five US dollars
the Mirador les torres trailhead is
clearly marked near the hotel and begins
as a deceptively flat path that quickly
turned steep as you pass over a couple
hanging bridges which makes for a great
photo-op the demanding hike is eleven
point two miles roundtrip and it
typically takes about seven to eight
hours to complete the steep uphill is
followed by a steep downhill which then
becomes another steep uphill through the
finish and that last mile it is yet
another brutally steep scramble and will
most likely test your limits but it
makes arriving at the base of the towers
even more rewarding enjoy marveling at
the parks namesake torres and capturing
some NatGeo worthy photographs before
beginning your trek back to reality
consider doing this trek with National
Geographic expeditions
[Music]
to a remote location known as the end of
the world
it’s Torres del Paine National Park in
Chile’s Patagonia region here
adventurers find bliss amongst the
dramatic terrain that includes glaciers
fjords and mountains the centrepiece of
the park are the three granite towers
that stand tall over the otherwise flat
Patagonian play throughout the park the
towers beckon encouraging visitors to
take a closer look the 11 point two-mile
mirador las torres hike is the ultimate
way to see these iconic rock features
but get ready getting to this remote
destination is quite the journey fly
into Chile’s Punta Arenas Airport at the
tip of South America it’s the closest
major airport to the park but is still
about five hours and two bus rides away
your first bus is to the tourist hub of
puerto natales which is three hours to
the north
buses run daily between punta arenas and
puerto natales and cost about 7,000
chilean pesos or about 10 US dollars
each way spend a night or two in puerto
natales and rest up you’ll need all the
energy you can muster for this demanding
hike in patagonia weather is everything
if the weather’s not right you may not
even get to see the towers through the
clouds so if you have flexibility in
your schedule wait till the weather’s
clear when the big day arrives take the
7:30 a.m. bus to torres del pi
one-way fare is approximately 12 US
dollars two and a half hours later you
will be ready for your epic hiking
adventure all visitors must pay a park
fee in cash of approximately 32 US
dollars you won’t have to camp to do
this hike but it is included in the park
fee if it’s something you’d like to do
be sure to book your campsite in advance
once in the park you could walk from the
laguna amarga gate to the trailhead at
the hotel las torres another option is
to take a shuttle about four miles to
the start of the trail for approximately
five US dollars
the Mirador les torres trailhead is
clearly marked near the hotel and begins
as a deceptively flat path that quickly
turned steep as you pass over a couple
hanging bridges which makes for a great
photo-op the demanding hike is eleven
point two miles roundtrip and it
typically takes about seven to eight
hours to complete the steep uphill is
followed by a steep downhill which then
becomes another steep uphill through the
finish and that last mile it is yet
another brutally steep scramble and will
most likely test your limits but it
makes arriving at the base of the towers
even more rewarding enjoy marveling at
the parks namesake torres and capturing
some NatGeo worthy photographs before
beginning your trek back to reality
consider doing this trek with National
Geographic expeditions
[Music]
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