Lost at Torres del Paine

Chile is famous for the Torres del Paine, considered by many as the best nature travel destination in all of South America. That is quite a statement, considering the Amazon, Iguazu Falls, the Andes, and the glaciers of Patagonia. We bid farewell to Argentina, as it has been the highlight of the trip, so far.

The 11.5 hour bus ride from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas was not too bad after all. We had plenty of room, and they served food. First breakfast of croissants and coffee. Later, soda and jamon and cheese sandwiches. We went through two border crossings as well. I could give more detail later.

This Park lies between the sub polar forests of Magellan and the steppes of Patagonia. Sounds interesting! It is 112 km north of Puerto Natales, and 312 km north of Punta Arenas. The area is rich in rivers, mountains, glaciers, and lakes. Many world travelers consider it the most beautiful place on earth. We rented a 4 wheel drive truck with king cab and here we are. Again, signage here sucks, and as light turned to darkness, a beacon of hope in the form of another SUV came along to direct us here.

The Park was established in 1959, and given its present name in 1970. It was designed a world Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978. The Park is dominated by the Paine massif, which is an eastern spur of the mighty Andes, located in the east side of Grey Glacier. The Southern Patagonian Ice Field covers a great portion of the Park. The lakes are uniquely colored due to rock flour suspended in the water. The main river is the Paine River.

Beautiful vegetation surrounds this Park, led by the evergreen Embothrium coccineum, which produces bright red flowers. There are seven document orchids as well. Likewise, wildlife runs rampant here, and includes: guanacos, vicuna, eagles, cougars, foxes, owls, hawks, harriers, condors, swan, geese, and woodpeckers. As we are here on the shoulder season, the days will be shorter, colder, and windier.

Now, some say Paine was an early traveler to this region. Others say it is the Indian name for blue. But if we only visit one place in Patagonia, this is it. It belonged to ranchers, who overgrazed and overharvested lumber before it was purchased by the Chilean government. For those of you who do not believe in global warming, the glaciers have retreated up to 56 feet a year for the last 90 years!

The nearest town to Paine is Puerto Natales. We are also only 2500 km south of Santiago, our jumping off point. But they have a 5 star hotel here called The Explora. Admission to the park is $17 USD. Weather is unpredictable at best. Getting around is difficult, although we have a 4 wheel drive truck. Hitching is common, but very competitive. It is considered a polite custom here to give hitchers a ride. We had no room left in the cab, so I doubt they would want to ride in the back while it is freezing rain and sleet.

We got to this lodge, an oasis of humanity and civilization among gravel roads, narrow bridges, sheep farms, and total wilderness. It is Hosteria Las Torres, probably one of the swankiest places here. It was not cheap, but after 5 hours in the truck, we would have paid anything for a warm bed and hot meal. Forget the fact that hundreds of families were here for the big Independence celebration. We made it work.

After a daylight drive through the park, we made the drive back to Punta Arenas for our flight to Puerto Montt and the Lake District. We had a flat tire, with just the rim and some shreds of rubber left around it. We had to change the tire in Spanish, as the owner's manual was in Spanish. Punta Arenas was a dusty one horse town that did not warrant more than a one night stay.

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