How To Hike Torres del Paine

We just came across an interesting article by Danish travel blogger Nana (who now lives in Puerto Natales) on how to make reservations to hike the “W” and other popular trails in Torres del Paine National Park. Trekking in Torres del Paine covers a lot of ground (pun intended) and offers a lot of valuable information for those who who want to take on the big walks rather than just day hikes around Hotel Las Torres.

“In my daily work I meet a lot of tourists . . . that want to hike in the national park Torres del Paine,” writes Nana. “The amount of visitors has exploded [in] recent years and last year a lot of people experienced that the free and private camping areas were already full when they arrived.

“This year CONAF [Chile’s national park service] . . . made some regulations to control the amount of people. For you as a visitor it means you need to plan your trip well before entering the park if you are staying multiple days. Many backpackers are following Lonely Planet guidebook but it’s not updated with the new regulations so people are not aware . . . that they need to make reservations [for the overnight trails]. You can run into a lot of problems without reservations.”

Speaking of the “W” Trail . . . Outside magazine recently rated the celebrated Torres del Paine trail as one of 7 Great Winter Backpacking Trips. Winter in the northern hemisphere, of course, because the author Matt Bell recommends that you trek the trail between November and March — the southern hemisphere summer.

“On the W Trek . . . you’re never far from view of the iconic, glaciated granite spires that sore eight thousand feet into the air above Patagonia,” writes Bell. “The trek boasts stunning mountain scenery: turquoise alpine lakes, enormous glaciers, and beech forests covered in old man’s beard. Tack on a few more days to do The Circuit — a ten-day, 52-mile journey around the entire Torres Del Paine National Park including the W.”

Or do it our way. The “W” runs right past the Hotel Las Torres Patagonia and the wilderness lodge offers a number of ways to walk sections of the trail (without breaking too much of a sweat) on half day and full guided excursions and all-inclusive programs.

Nana at Torres del Paine.

Our “W in Comfort” all-inclusive program features guided day hikes from the lodge to all three valleys that form the famous circuit including French Valley, Ascencio Valley and the vale that harbors Lago Grey. At the end of each day, trekkers return to the Hotel Las Torres to recharge with comfortable accommodation and incredible meals before hiking another part of the trail the following day. “W in Comfort” lets you experience untamed Patagonia without any concerns other than enjoying the freedom of our pampas and observing the beauty of the mountains.

Check out the latest video from Hotel Las Torres right here — https://vimeo.com/132244449.