Chile
We spent three days in the Chilean side of Patagonia, with Puerto Natales being our home base. Here, we hiked the iconic Mirador Las Torres trail, enjoyed some of the best views in Torres del Paine National Park, and went horseback riding in Patagonia.
Things To-Do
Torres del Paine National Park: This Park is a UNESCO site is known for the Paine Grande mountain peaks. Visit the Salto Grande Waterfall and take an easy hike totaling 3.9 miles to catch a beautiful view of the mountains. We recommend this hike, even if you're not an avid hiker. It's simple, mostly flat, and offers breathtaking views all along the way.
Hike the Iconic Mirador Las Torres Trail: Located in Torres del Paine National Park, this UNESCO site was a bucket list hike for us, and it did not disappoint. Roughly 13.5 miles in length with ~3,400 in elevation gain, this hike is easy enough for the moderately experienced hiker, even though it is technically rated as "hard." This isn't to say there aren't challenging sections, rather, generally the terrain is mostly even, there are many places to take a break, and only portions of the hike have any real serious elevation gain.
Horseback Riding in Patagonia: Visited Galope Austral, a small, family-run horseback riding operation located about 30 minutes north of Puerto Natales, Chile, in the heart of Patagonia. The ride was private, well-organized, and tailored to each rider's experience level, with helmets, chaps, and horses selected accordingly. Riding through the stunning Chilean Patagonia landscape, our group galloped across open fields, stopped for photos, and even visited a local Gaucho's home.
Where We Stayed
Puerto Natalas: Staying in Torres del Paine National Park is quite pricey. If you don't mind a 90 minute drive to the heart of the Park, a much cheaper option is the lovely town of Puerto Natalas. The central part of town is walkable with many quality restaurant options and buildings with beautiful murals dotted through out. For lodging, we rented this spacious and affordable AirBnB for our group of 5. The photo on the right was the view from the master bedroom.
Where We Ate
La Tapera (photo right): In Puerto Natales, we stumbled upon this incredibly delicious restaurant. For those that don't eat meat, there are fish and vegetarian options. The rest of our group enjoyed the region's famous beef. The cocktails were fabulous too.
​
Nuestro Cafe. Another accidental find was a pleasant little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that was basically a converted front room of a house. They had Alfajores (cookie on in the photo), which we were still enjoying from our time in Argentina.
Blog Posts - Chile
