Best Day Hikes in Torres del Paine
Torres del Paine is one of the most amazing destinations for hiking lovers. Though the “W” and “O” circuits are the most famous, camping and sleeping in shared dorms is not for everyone. On this post, you will find the best day hikes in Torres del Paine for people who love hiking balanced with a hotel bed.
WESTERN AREA
- MIRADOR GREY
Located between Refugio Grey and Refugio Paine Grande, Mirador Grey is where you will get one of the most beautiful views from Grey Glacier. This is just one reason why it is on our list of Best Day Hikes in Torres del Paine. To do this hike you will also enjoy navigations. You can access the trail from both Refugios. To get to Paine Grande you will need to take the Pudehto Navigation that sais through Pehoé Lake, and you will pas through the picturesque Lagna Los Patos. Refugio Grey Glacier’s access is by navigation too but through the Grey Lake. From both Refugios, the distance that you will be walking is 11km return and it has a moderate difficulty. We recommend doing this hike from Paine Grande unless you have no time to the following hike.
- GREY GLACIER REFUGE & HANGING BRIDGES
In Refugio Glaciar Grey there are many activities to enjoy. You can enjoy the hike to Mirador Grey; also, you can enjoy a kayak expedition through icebergs and paddle near the east side of the glacier. But, the Hanging Bridges are the reason why we are reading the list of Best Day Hikes in Torres del Paine. The trail to the hanging bridges is a section of the O Circuit. If you have no intention of staying the night in Refugio Glaciar Grey you should only do one hanging bridge, since you might not make it in time to get back to the last navigation. From the hanging
As you walk across the first bridge, you’ll be able to admire the beautiful blue and grey hues of Glacier Grey and the surrounding lake and mountains. It’s really one of the most picturesque spots in the park. It is a medium-difficult trail.
TRAILS STARTING AT PAINE GRANDE AREA
- VALLE DEL FRANCÉS: MIRADOR FRANCÉS AND BRITÁNICO
Considered one of the most beautiful views from the W Circuit, Mirador Britanico is for people who are used to hike and knows how they will feel with a challenging trail. On a good day, the views are amazing, but if the weather does not fulfil our wishes the best decision is to hike to Mirador Frances. This viewpoint is halfway (in time) between Mirador Británico and Guarderia Paine Grande. This is certainly one of the best day hikes in Torres del Paine.
- LAGO PEHOE, LAGO SKOTTSBERG, LAGO NORDENSKJOLD
Another day hike in Torres del Paine is to enjoy the view of 3 lakes and have a closer look to Los Cuernos del Paine. For this walk you will need to take the morning Pudeto boat to cross the Peohé Lake. Our trail begins in Guardería Paine Grande, from where we will walk along Skottsberg Lake and different campsites like: Italiano, Los Cuernos, and Francés.During the hike, you will enjoy magnificent views of Los Cuernos, hanging glaciers, lakes, and the abundant local vegetation and wildlife.. The trail takes about 9 hs and ends in Las Torres lodging area. The elevation gain is no more than 200 m., and though the trail is not hard, it is very long.
EASTERN AREA
- BASE DE LAS TORRES
During the first stretch, you will walk through the pampas, cross the Ascencio River, and then climb 3 km up to Los Vientos Mountain Pass, where you will enjoy amazing views of the valley and lakes. You will continue your journey to the Chileno Mountain Refuge, and then go deep in a lenga beech forest up to La Morrena, where the hardest part of the hike begins. You will follow a rock trail to the spectacular Las Torres Base Lookout Point. Later, you will begin the descent to the Central Sector.
This hike takes between 8 and 10 hours and is a high difficulty trail. The elevation gained is around 650 m.
- LAGUNA AZUL Y LAGUNA CEBOLLA
It’s a mostly gentle walk this one but with fantastic views – a great way to get away from the crowds and enjoy incredible landscapes without it being too strenuous at all. The three towers of Las Torres are fully visible from the trail, and on clear days they can be seen reflecting in the sapphire waters of Laguna Azul.
After enjoying the part of the park where you get the best birdlife as well as grazing herds of guanaco, you can continue to Laguna Cebolla. The walk itself skirts around the edge of the Laguna Azul before cutting across the hills to reach Laguna Cebolla.
SOUTHERN AREA
- LAGO TORO Y LAGUNA VERDE
In the southernmost section of Torres Del Paine, this full-day trail is situated close to the park entrance. The trail begins about a mile north of the CONAF administration centre on Ruta Y-150, where a path leads up to Mirador Lago Toro after about 45 minutes of walking. From this viewpoint you can reach Laguna Verde in about 3-4 hours.
This grasslands are home to Guanacos, Pumas favourite meal. If you are lucky on low season you might see one.
This day hike in Torres del Paine has a moderate difficulty. You will walk around 20 km in between 8-10 hours depending if you are trained.
By Morena Domsch – Beyond BA LATAM team
Visit Torres del Paine with Beyond BA LATAM
In Beyond BA LATAM we offer tours and experiences in Argentina and Chile, where we stand out in tailor-made vacations, designed around your interests and travel style. We invite you to take a look at some of our hiking tours in Patagonia, and to contact us in order to create the best trip for you. Get your backpack ready and sail away to the end of the world!
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