Best time to visit Torres del Paine National Park

Don’t think you can see everything here in just one day. While Puerto Natales is only an hour and a half’s drive away from the park’s entrance, unless you want to spend most of your travelling around you’re going to need to stay for a night or two in the park. There are plenty of accommodation options – from hotels directly on the park’s road and ferry network to more basic refugios only accessible on foot. Don’t dismiss Torres del Paine National Park if a gentle stroll is more up your street than a hardcore hike. The walk from the Salto Grande waterfall – for example – to Mirador Los Cuernos and back takes just two hours over gentle terrain, while the regular catamarans crossing the turquoise Lago Pehoé and glacier-backed Lago Grey offer a relaxing way to enjoy some of the park’s most spectacular panoramic views. Patagonia has been beset by an influx of foreign investment – often multi-millionaires buying up tracts of land for cattle and sheep ranches, and more recently interest from Chinese agricultural firms. Only by generating income from untouched land – including Torres del Paine – will the unregulated sale of parcels of Patagonia be less appealing to the government. So, don’t begrudge the entrance fee. In 2011 an illegal campfire set over 40,000 acres of Torres del Paine National Park ablaze in a fire that took weeks to contain. The forests and fauna razed will take years to recover fully. There are now strict laws against lighting fires in the park, so don’t be tempted to flout them.

Rosie Tobin, from South America specialists, RealWorld Holidays, shares her top hiking tips:
“Pack snacks! Although you’ll probably be eating breakfast and dinner in your hotel, and the hotel can provide you with a packed lunch, you should pack snacks such as nuts and energy bars. There are no corner shops or ice cream vans!”

“If you’re not a hiker, or prefer gentle walks, stay in a hotel on one of the lakeshores, such as Lago Grey or Rio Serrano. The lakes are beautiful, with many flat walking trails to follow.”

Kathy Jarvis, from Andean Trails:
“There are some fabulous short walks within the park - one of my favourites is from Laguna Verde down to the administration centre, and another is the trek along the Pingo valley, plus for superb views do not miss the Mirador Ferrier. Be sure to walk as far up French valley as you can too, to get the best views of the granite spires.”