Torres Del Paine of Southern Patagonia in Chile

Visiting Torres Del Paine, a popular national park of Southern Patagonia, Chile, is a dream come true. This spectacular region offers dramatic granite towers, bewitching large glaciers and glistening turquoise lakes. Torres Del Paine offers some of the best treks in the world including the famous W Circuit.

I flew into Punta Arenas to start my Chilean Patagonia adventures. Upon arrival I was transferred to the hotel. My hotel, Rio Serrano, sent a car to pick me up from the airport. Before arriving at Torres Del Paine, I read a quote by an early visitor where he said that Torres Del Paine of Patagonia is “one of the most spectacular sights that human imagination can conceive,” and my god was that the perfect way to describe this place. There was so much bewitching beauty at the end of the world. Everywhere I looked there were magnificent mountains looming monstrously above me. This place was infinitely healing. The granite structures of ice were awe-inspiring.

Hotel Rio Serrano was perfect in every way, the coziest and most comfortable rooms with serene views. I could spend hours sitting outside in the patio looking at the cows grazing and roaming around against the infinite mountain ranges.

Rio Serrano offers a variety of excursions throughout the national park. I did the full-day excursion of the entire park. Torres Del Paine has huge granite mountains, surrounded by lakes, lagoons and waterfalls of various shades. There are various viewpoints from which you can see tiny glimpse of the three granite towers of Mirador Las Torres, which is the icon of Torres del Paine. This place is Patagonia’s most famous adventure travel destination and a hiker’s paradise. Colossal glaciers, granite peaks, monstrous mountain ranges and crystal-clear lakes make up the stunning landscape of Torres Del Paine. This national park offers some terrific wildlife watching such as guanacos, Andean deer, foxes and if you are very lucky you can spot a puma. Pumas are very reclusive and a rare sight. I only got to see guanacos.

Next day I started the 10-hour hike of Mirador Los Torres, the base of the towers but unfortunately due to extreme weather conditions we had to turn back after going halfway there, for safety reasons. Towards the end of the hike the climb becomes very rocky and steep. The heavy rain and wind combination make it very slippery and dangerous, so our guide had to stop the hike mid-way.

The weather in Patagonia is really unpredictable so prepare for the worst-case scenario. You can go from a sunny day to a rainy cold one really drastically. Also, the winds are really intense. Patagonia winds are part of the experience and will literally blow you away. Whatever weather conditions you get just enjoy it.

Things to pack: Windbreakers, water-proof jackets and hiking pants, goo-quality hiking boots, and base and mid-layers to protect you from the windchill. If you choose to camp, then get tents that are able to withstand the strong Patagonia winds. And of course, your cameras, because trust me you would want to capture every sight that you see. The landscapes of Torres Del Paine need to be seen to be believed. I am not exaggerating when I say that it looks like an ethereal, fairy tale land out of a fantasy story.