Puerto Natales Things to Do Tips by galy Top 5 Page for this destination

Lago Skottsberg

Lago Skottsberg is a small blue lake lying on the way from Pehoe lake to camp Italiano in the French valley. It is a small lake in comparison to all the rest of the lake in the park, and it's color is deep blue, which means it's not a clacial lake. One of the most unusual fenomenon in this area occures when the winds whip the water off Lago Skottsberg, It looks as if the water is dancing for you

LAGO SARMIENTO

On the shores of Lago Sarmiento we had the first glimps of the Torres, and what a glimps it was. The sky were blue, with white fether clouds, the water of the lake were calm and behind the lake, high in the mountain we saw the 3 towers and there image in the water.

Lago Nordenskjold

These lake dominate the land to the south of the Torres Del Paine National Park. The lake is a glacial lake, therefore it's water are very emerald green. Anice easy hike takes you from Hosteria las Torres, crossing Rio Ascencio on a wooden bridge to the northen shore of the lake. It is the longest lake in the park and you can hike the 13 km' from the Hosteria del Torres to Refugio Los Cuernos and some 4.5 more to Campamento Italiano all along the lake shore. Or you can just go from the Hosteria, to the lake, stroll a while along it's beautiful shore, and go back.

Lago Pehoe and the French Glacier

The glacial run-off from the Torres and Los Cuernos empties into a series of emerald lakes. One of the bigest and most visited is lake Pehoe. You can get with a car to Pudeto, on the shores of the lake. The motor launch MV Tzonka takes you across Lago Pehoe. It is a bit expensive ($15 per person for a 1 hour boat ride) but very scenic. The other option is a boring 5 to 6 hour hike around the lake. The boat departs every other hour, on the hour.
From there you can hike into the Valle Frances. The first three hours are a relaxing hike away from Lake Pehoe and around the base of the Paine Grande (3,015m) towards the entrance of Valle Frances. Upon entering the valley you can see the spectacular sight of the glacier that top Paine Grande and the black tipped granite massifs of Los Cuernos. The trail enters the woods in the valley between these two huge mountains. The hike starts to go up the canyon. If you are not for climbing, you can cross the river to the Italian camp, go up along the river for about 10 minute until you are in the clear to see the French Glacier. The view is accompanied by the echoing boom of massive ice blocks falling off the glaciers on the other side of the river. For the way back to lake Pehoe you will need about 3 hours, a nice walk with goods views of Lake Pehoe and lake Nordenskjold

Directions: Buy the map of the park. It's very helpfull

Grey Glacier

The glacier is located on the northern tip of Lago Grey. You can have a glimps of the glacier from the loby of Hosteria Grey, 17 kilometers south to the glacier.
The glacier is a small extension of the much larger Southern Ice Field which covers a large portion of the southern Andes. The main feature of the lake is the abundance of ice bergs calving of the Glacier. Northwesterly winds blow the ice bergs down the length of the lake until they are grounded in the shallow water at the southern end. The ice bergs in the lake ranged in size from very large to ice cube sized. The bigger ones have the spectacular blue color, typical of glacial ice.
The clacier and icebergs can be best admired while sailing through the lake on board theGrey II vessel .
The sail weighing anchor from Hosteria Lago Grey and stop on the way to pickup backpackers from the near campsite. After 35 minutes among beautiful icebergs, you approach the glacier's front wall. The which is divided in two by a central island.
Don't forget your camera!!
The sailing takes 3 hours and cost 60$.
In the picture - a look into the biges iceberg I've ever seen

Address: Hosteria Lago Grey

The Torres

Trek to the base of the Towers takes about 7 hours roundtrip. The first part is uphil, along a lenga and cypress trail. After passing by campamento Chileno and the foot of Mt. Almirante Nieto, the trail follows a southern beech forest, finally reaching a moraine that takes you to the cirque below the famous 3 torres (towers); Torre Sur -9350', Torre Central 9186' and Torre Norte - 8,530'.

The paine Horns

According to local myth, an evil serpent called Cai Cai caused a massive flood to kill the warrior tribe that lived in Torres del Paine. When the flood waters receded, Cai Cai took the bodies of the two largest warriors and turned them to stone -- thereby creating the twin horns that crown the mountaintop of Cuernos del Paine

MILODON CAVE

It's a must see, only because the story behind it is so strange. In 1896, some pieces of fur and other extinguished animal remains were found. Scientists classified them as part of the "Milodon", a huge herbivorous, probably, extinguished by the end of the last glacial age. There is also anthropolical value to the cave, since the primitive patagonian man lived in it. The human presence dates since 11,000 years ago, but as such, there are more impresive caves around the world.

Directions: 24 kmw north west of Puerto Natales, along Seno de Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope Inlet) past Frigorificos Bories (Bories Cold Storage House).

Whisky on the Rocks