Patagonia

In the Southernmost part of Chile (the austral zone), the geography and nature emerge from the most extreme and spectacular forms that it is possible to imagine, adorned with breathtaking landscapes: a pristine concert of native forests, pampas, islands, fjords, channels, fast flowing rivers, lakes and lagoons, hotsprings, majestic millenary icefields and snowdrifts. It is a zone of extinguished cultures, old cattle ranches and important explorers.This is the Chilean Patagonia that embraces Palena Province, Los Lagos Region and Magallanes Region. This is a zone where there is no pollution and the waters of its numerous rivers, lakes, lagoons and brooks have a high level of pureness. Here are the last continental icefields, silent witnesses of the last glaciations, almost 20 thousand years old.This austral zone of magic geography, extreme nature of luxurious Magallanean forests, lakes with waters that reflect the awesome Torres del Paine and lakes with ice floes and impressive glaciers of up to 75 meters of height, which ice blocks fall on the waters forming spectacular waves of more than 10 m height.43% of the Chilean Patagonian surface is formed by wild protected areas, in virtue of the existence of a wide biological diversity not touched by man,

Torres del Paine National Park

his National Park has an spectacularly beautiful landscape, trails qualified to do trekking, and thus travel through different scenarios of pampas, black magallanean forests, lakes and lagoons with icebergs and imposing glaciers, all of this surrounded by huge rocky masses that characterize the figure of the Torres del Paine. Nirre and lenga forests cover the huemules, condors, nandues (South American ostriches) and guanacos. The park is located in the Magallanes Region and the Chilean Antarctica, which capital city is Punta Arenas. It is located at 3.090 km to the south of Santiago, and at approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes by plane. It has been declared biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. It has three accesses: Portería Sarmiento, Amarga and Blue Lagoon.
In CONAF’s headquarters (National Forest Corporation) a scale model orients visitors about the layout of this mountainous mass formation. It also gives details of the different excursion trails, climbing, and of the main areas to visit, activities that can be carried out and precautions to be taken. This administrative headquarter has a medical station with a nurse, a public telephone and Policemen patrols trained for mountain rescues.
The different excursions offer the possibility to enjoy a variety of landscapes and different ecosystems that embrace a luxurious flora and fauna, experience that will be the predilection of adventurers and tourists fond of trekking. These factors have been an ever increasing reason for the affluence of a great number of tourists from all over the world to visit this wonder of nature. In each circuit there are private refugees and campings, which offer services that, have to be paid, as well as free of cost refugees and campings. Camping can only be done in duly authorized places. (Information taken from Sernatur.cl)

More Info:

www.conaf.cl

Maps:

Google Mapas
Torresdelpaine.com