Excursions from Hotel Las Torres

Our hike begins in the foothills of Mt Almirante Nieto with granite peaks in the distance. We’ll follow the trail along the steep slopes of the Ascencio Valley where lush trees and vegetation line the river below. We can see to the end of the valley, giving us a full view of the hike ahead.

After entering a native lenga forest we eventually hit a rocky area which represents the final, hardest, section of the trail. This ascent will literally keep you on your toes and you’ll need to pay attention as you step from one rock to the next.

At the top you’ll get to relax and ponder the beauty of the world in front of the Las Torres Mountains.

Full-day | Difficulty: High | 18.8km/11.7 miles | 8hrs

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This excursion combines the Towers with a special twist. We’ll start the day in the stables, before riding across typical Patagonian wide open landscape. Here you can let the horse walk freely and lose yourself in the stunning views of the Ascencio Valley.

When we reach Refugio Chileno, we’ll leave the horses and climb to the Base of the Towers viewpoint. This entails crossing a dense forest, before hiking on rocky trail that eventually leads us through a moraine of huge rocks and reveals the stunning granite towers. Here we’ll take time soak up the spectacular sight before us, eat lunch and take photos.

Whilst not technically a difficult ride, riders should feel comfortable on horseback, and previous experience is recommended. Parts of the ride will be exposed to the wind and use narrow passes which may feel vertiginous to some. Trekkers also use this trail in places.

Full-day | Difficulty: High | 9.2km/5.7 miles horse riding; 9.6km/6 miles hiking | 6-8hrs

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This fantastic horse riding tour is excellent challenge for beginners and is offered as a half-day or full-day excursion. We’ll ride the Reserve’s private trails and along the shores of Lake Nordenskjöld, with our expert baqueanos helping you learn how to ride.

We’ll have Mt Almirante Nieto and its hanging glacier on the skyline as we stop at various viewpoints and cross pristine rivers and dense forests. We’ll venture into the Asencio Valley and cross the Asencio River, where the forest and the pampas transition into one another.

Half-day | Difficulty: Easy | 8km/5 miles | 3hrs

Full-day | Difficulty: Easy | 13km/8.1miles | 6hrs

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This excursion involves a breathtaking hike between Mount Almirante Nieto and the ice-blue shore of Lake Nordenskjöld. As we walk along the lake, pristine streams fed by hanging glaciers flow across the rocky trail, leading us to the Cuernos area.

We’ll cross a hanging bridge over the Arriero River, make a stop to see the deep blue Inge Lagoon and see moon-like rock and land formations. This area, located just below a cluster of jagged peaks called Los Cuernos, offers incredible views of Lake Nordenskjöld, towering granite peaks and a deep green tree line.

We´ll likely see the renowned winds that look like little tornadoes whizzing from one part of the lake to another.

Full-day | Difficulty: Medium-High | 23.2km/14.4 miles | 6-8hrs

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This excursions takes us into the famous French Valley in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park. We’ll tart by sailing across the sparkling blue Lake Pehoé to Paine Grande, from where we’ll start hiking along the north side of Lake Skottsberg until reaching the entrance to the French Valley. We’ll ascend a steep trail through the native lenga tree forest and when we emerge from the treeline we’ll have a stunning view of Los Cuernos and the French Glacier that hangs from Mount Paine Grande.

At our destination, we’ll have fantastic views of the lakes below – Nordenskjöld, Pehoé and Toro – and Paine Grande, Hoja, Máscara, Espada, Fortaleza and Aleta de Tiburón mountains.

Full-day | Difficulty: High | 20km/12.4 miles | 12hrs

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This excursion gives you a taste of all Torres del Paine National Park has to offer. We’ll travel comfortably in a van that stops at all the main sights, letting us take short hikes to fantastic viewpoints. In just one day, we’ll get to see almost all the Park’s must-sees and have terrific views of the entire Paine Massif.

Stops along the route include Black Bridge, Nordenskjöld Viewpoint, Sarmiento Viewpoint, Lake Pehoé and the Salto Grande Waterfall. We’ll enjoy lunch with a view and then choose between hiking along the southern shore of Lake Grey, and gazing at the floating icebergs, or taking a luxurious trip in catamaran across the lake to the face of the Grey Glacier.

Please note that this excursion must be booked in advance for it to be guaranteed as it involves a third-party boat company. This can be paid locally in cash, or by credit/debit card. Please enquire for more information. Special terms and conditions may apply. 

Full-day | Difficulty: Easy | 4km/2.5 miles | 7-10hrs

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On this excursion we’ll see an abundance of wildlife as we drive alongside Lake Sarmiento. As we move away from the Paine Massif, we’ll get an incredible panoramic view.

We’ll stop at the nearby Estancia Lazo near Verde Lagoon and start hiking the Lakes Trail form here. We’ll walk through large, thick forests of native lenga trees, which open up for sections along the beautiful shores of the Verde and Honda Lagoons.

Be on the lookout for owls, woodpeckers, guanaco and other wildlife, and don’t miss the tiny details like orchids and other wildflowers that decorate the forest floor.

We’ll climb to a summit with a 360° view of the Paine Massif to the north and Lake Toro and Patagonian pampas to the southwest.

Full-day | Difficulty: Medium | Transfer to Estancia 2hrs; return journey 1.5hrs| 15km/9.3 miles | 7-8hrs

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This excursion starts from the hotel at 7:45am, from where we’ll take a van to the Sarmiento gate of the National Park. From here we’ll walk 9.5km on a mostly flat terrain, crossing the pampas. We’ll understand more of the ancient geological processes that have shaped this world biosphere reserve, finding artefacts of the first inhabitants of these lands.

This is a protected territory that you can only enter with certified guides and where you can find Aonikenk rock paintings as well as abundant wildlife, mainly guanacos, as well as a high number of birds of prey, scavengers and pumas.

Half-day | Difficulty: Easy-Medium | 9.5km/5.9 miles | 4hrs

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On this excursion we’ll head to the quiet shores of Azul Lagoon in the comfort of a van. At the lagoon we'll take an easy 30min walk with spectacular views of the mountains. The views here offer a unique perspective of the granite peaks.

Azul Lagoon has special significance as it is where Lady Florence Dixie, the intrepid British traveler and writer from the Victorian era, saw the Torres del Paine for the first time. She wrote about the experience in her 1880 book ‘Across Patagonia’ and referred to the Las Torres Mountains as ‘Cleopatra’s Needles’ due to their resemblance to the obelisks of ancient Egypt.

We’ll also visit the Paine Waterfall before finishing our excursion.

Half-day | Difficulty: Easy | 1km/0.6 miles | 4hrs

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If you have prior horseriding experience, this excursion is for you! We’ll follow the original trail that was used by the baqueanos and spend a full day immersing ourselves in their culture.

On this equestrian adventure, we’ll meander through a native forest of lenga trees, home to many birds, including Magellanic woodpeckers, Austral parakeets and Chilean flickers.

The route follows the O Circuit around the eastern edge of the Paine Massif and into the valley of the Paine River. It offers great views of Azul Lagoon and Mt Paine before reaching the Serón Campsite in the Enchanted Valley.

Full-day | Difficulty: High | 24km/14.9 miles | 6-8hrs

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Hike part of the O Circuit trail around the eastern edge of the massif, into a magical old-growth lenga forest. You’ll have a good chance of spotting Magellanic woodpeckers, Austral parakeets, Chilean flickers and other forest birds. While it is unlikely to see them during the day, do lookout for pumas roaming the forest.

We’ll walk in the foothills of Mt Paine, crossing small streams to arrive at a beautiful valley that’s filled with daisies during spring.

Our hike will finish with a walk along the turquoise Paine River where we’ll enjoy the colourful contrast of forest and pampas. This trail also features great views of Azul Lagoon, Mt Guido, and the Sierra Baguales Range on the eastern side of the Massif.

Half-day | Difficulty: Low-Medium | 8km/5 miles | 3-4hrs

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Hotel Las Torres is dedicated to conserving and protecting their vast reserve as an integral part of preserving the National Park.

Recent innovations have seen a significant reduction in waste management, a minimisation in vehicle impact to the hotel’s area, and an establishment of an NGO to diminish the impact of tourists and replant the native species in the park.

On the hotel’s property guests will find a regenerative organic garden (producing three tonnes of food per year, which is served at the hotel) and an interpretative self-guided 2km walk that guests can take whenever they please, to learn more about this unique ecosystem.

Difficulty: Easy | 2km/1.2 miles | 45mins

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