The magic of walking a trail in the Chilean Patagonia (Torres del Paine)
A gallery where you can visually explain why the word refers to Patagonia imaginatively hypnotics and desolate sites with a majestic display of landscapes difficult to describe. And especially, confirm the magic that involves walking on a trail part of Chilean Patagonia.
The photo gallery belong cordillerana south of the continental Patagonia (because there is a large part of Patagonia on the island of Tierra del Fuego). This region has many wonders on both sides of the border (both Chile with its National Park Torres del Paine and to the side of Argentina with Glacier National Park).
The two bases to explore both sides are the towns of Puerto Natales in Chile and Argentine side Calafate and El Chalten. A visit to enjoy together all these destinations that are relatively close to each other.
The two bases to explore both sides are the towns of Puerto Natales in Chile and Argentine side Calafate and El Chalten.
From Puerto Natales, reach this paradise of turquoise lakes such as lakes Nordenskjold and Lake Pehoe, whimsical shapes mountains, waterfalls and glaciers (all visual display worthy of a masterpiece of nature) is relatively easy.
There are minibus services, guided tours, car rentals, and place, places to stay varied styles ranging from dorms in huts for hikers, to luxury hotels inside the park.
The visit to Torres del Paine can be performed with a guided + a night in one of the lodges in the park tour, and a second day making the path of ascent to the base of Torres del Paine (which would be the first stage circuit most used paths: the form of «W»). The path «W» through many landscapes star: own rock towers that give name to the park, the Cuernos del Paine, valleys, rivers or lakes and glaciers like the Grey.
In Torres del Paine glaciers draining silty waters with its particular turquoise.
Cross sections of forest is not the most abundant (generally is a pretty stripped ground) but there are sections that look like something out of a story.
Hopefully (if the unstable weather is on our side) we can enjoy a show dancing clouds between the peaks of the Torres.
The snow accumulated in the glaciers may cycle several centuries until it breaks off and as a small block of ice reaches the beach of Lake Grey (you can have a piece of ice several centuries in your hand).
Glaciers and lakes drain as powerful waterfalls.
The spots style «Middle Earth» are quite common, and invite you to stop and enjoy the breathtaking views.
Inside the park there are few human interventions, and many of them are hotels and shelters.
From Puerto Natales you can continue to travel south of Chile to the city of Punta Arenas, or cross the Argentine side to know Calafate and the Perito Moreno glacier, as well as reaching other the sublime paths of Patagonia in the area of El Chalten.
Torres del Paine National Park
The Torres del Paine National Park is one of the components of the National System of Protected Areas of the State of Chile. In 2006, it covered an area of 242 242 ha. It is one of the largest and most important parks in the country. It is the third most visited, of which about 75% are especially European foreign tourists.
The national park is located 112 km north of Puerto Natales and 312 of the city of Punta Arenas. It is one of the eleven existing in the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica (along with four other national parks, three national reserves and three national monuments) protected areas. Together, the protected areas cover 51% of the area of the region (6,728,744 ha). It limits the north with the Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina.
Presents a variety of natural environments: mountains (among which the complex of Cerro Paine, whose main summit reaches 3050 meters, the Torres del Paine and Cuernos del Paine), valleys, rivers (such as Paine River), lakes (highlighting known as Grey, Pehoe, Nordenskjold and Sarmiento), glaciers (Grey, Pingo, Tyndall and Geikie, belonging to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field).
In a special edition of National Geographic, the Torres del Paine were chosen as the most beautiful world.2 Fifth Park was selected as the eighth wonder of the world in 2013, after he received more than five million votes in the contest that made the site Virtual Tourist.
Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales is a Chilean port city located at the southern tip of the country, along the Canal Señoret, between the Gulf Almirante Montt and the Seno Ultima Esperanza, in the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica. It is the capital of the commune of Natales and the province of Ultima Esperanza, named by the navigator Juan Ladrillero who cataloged in one of his trips, as their «last hope» to find the Strait of Magellan from north to south . In the end their hopes were frustrated in this region to enfilar south by the fjord which he later called Fjord obstruction and not to the Strait of Magellan.
It is located 247 kilometers north of Punta Arenas, the regional capital; 48 km from the city of Rio Turbio Argentina and 256 km from the capital of the province of Santa Cruz in Argentina, Rio Gallegos. It is considered the gateway to the famous natural park of Torres del Paine.
