Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia is an incredible region filled with pristine beauty, with ice fields, glacial lakes, unique wildlife and extreme mountains. We were lucky enough to spend four days at EcoCamp and experience all the park has to offer in 2012 and 2025!
Get to know the park
To better understand Torres del Paine National Park, our guide gave us a driving overview, pointing out various peaks, places to hike, lakes, and animals. We were mesmerized by the terrain, and what was even more magical was that in the fall, the grass around the lake turned into beautiful autumn colors.
Llamas abound
Llamas are one of the few mammals that can cope with the extreme climate of Chilean Patagonia, where they thrive. Maybe it’s because they know they’re a protected species and are irresistibly cute, but they’re not shy at all. The man even winked at me.
Torres’ Call
Runoff from the numerous glaciers on Torres del Paine snakes across the landscape. The three pointed peaks jutting out in the distance are the “Towers,” from which the park is named and where we will hike for the next few days.
Day Two: Park Tour
The next day we took a wild and bumpy boat ride to the park’s second biggest attraction: Gray Glacier. En route, the stunning Admiral Nieto peak beckons us to climb.
sailing gray lake
Luckily for us, our ecocamp guide Paul was a good friend of the captain, so he gave us VIP access to the control room. After chatting in Spanish for a while, the captain insisted that Annie take the wheel. Feeling the feeling of strong winds and a glimpse of the approaching iceberg, Anne quickly handed over the reins.
glacier gray
The surface of Gray Glacier is split in the middle by a huge black island (about a century ago it was completely engulfed by the glacier). This view is to the right – the “more delicate” part of the glacier.
blue ice
The blue hue of the glacier is so intense it looks surreal.
Cheers to the glacier
As we sailed home at sunset, we enjoyed a pisco sour and whiskey on the rocks (the “rocks” were icebergs, of course). In the distance you can see the island bisecting the glacier.
Admiral Nieto Mountain
Returning to the mainland, we marveled at these stunning cloud formations swirling around the mountains. Later we realized this was no weird thing, lenticular clouds are the norm in this extreme climate and the blustery Torres del Paine sky is always stunning.
lenticular cloud
It’s hard to agree whether this is a spaceship, a hen on a bed of straw, or just another one of Torres del Paine’s crazy windswept creations. Many thanks to David Carillet who shared some knowledge in the comments below “They are called lenticular clouds, usually form at very high altitudes and are sometimes mistaken for UFOs”
Day 3: Hiking the Mirador Trail
The Mirador Trail leading to the base of Torres Mountain is the park’s most famous day hike and the terminus of the 4-day W Trek. This is also the most difficult section, with 12.5 miles and 3,000 feet of elevation gain. Hiking up the Asensio Valley, past glacial rivers and into icy boulder fields, we felt the burn but kept going!
It is truly spectacular to see the reflection of the eponymous Torres in the glacial lake. The scenery will literally take your breath away as you gaze upon pristine cliffs, lakes, snowy peaks and massive boulders. Fourteen years later, we will never forget the beauty of this hike and it inspired us to hike the entire W this year!
Torres del Paine deserves to come back!
Watch our TikTok video below for our 2025 hike to Mirador, and view our Facebook gallery for the full 4-day W hike!
