Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park, with its iconic granite Towers, is one of Patagonia's most popular destinations: a paradise for hikers and outdoor adventure activities.
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What is Patagonia Chile?
It’s the biggest travel question we know: Is Patagonia Argentinian or Chilean? The answer of course, is both. Patagonia covers the great cone of land at the bottom of South America, and is split between the two countries. Chilean Patagonia covers an enormous area around 1600 km (1000 miles) long, and is bound by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes Mountains (and Argentina) to the east. It includes the administrative regions of Araucanía (IX), Los Ríos (XIV), Los Lagos (X), Aysén (XI) and Magallanes (XII).
For travellers, Chilean Patagonia can be broken down into roughly four areas of interest. Torres del Paine, one of the world’s great national parks, sits at the heart of Chile’s far south. With mountains, glaciers, pumas and more, it’s the home of the most iconic landscapes in Patagonia.
In the north, the Chilean Lake District offers a complete contrast: snowy volcanoes, lush temperate rainforests and beautiful lakes. It’s a place made for adventure travel – and cultural and wildlife travel too, on the island of Chiloé.
Between these two regions lies Aysen – a ruggedly beautiful region newly discovered by travellers. The stunning Carretera Austral highway threads its way through it, past wild mountain ranges, vast lakes and hidden attractions like the Marble Caves.
Finally, the Chilean Fjords run the length of the coastline. Craggy peaks and thick forests plunge into the sea, vast glaciers create walls of ice, and whales and dolphins play in a landscape that stretches all the way to Cape Horn on the edge of the South Ocean.
Chilean Patagonia vs Argentinian Patagonia: Which is right for you?
When planning a trip to Patagonia, the first question is whether to head for Chile or Argentina.
Is it better to hike Patagonia in Chile or Argentina? Both offer fantastic day hikes and remote treks, though Torres del Paine is home to the iconic W Trek. Conversely, Argentinian Patagonia has the arguably most easily accessible glaciers (such as the famous Perito Moreno Glacier). While both have amazing landscapes, adventure activities and luxury lodges, Torres del Paine is the only place in the world where you can go puma tracking, and the region is home to South America's only king penguins.
Of course, it's also possible to visit both – and many of our Swoop Group Tours do exactly that. Easy border crossings allow you to combine Torres del Paine with Los Glaciares National Park, or the Chilean and Argentinian Lake Districts.
Our experts know both sides of the border like the back of the hands: talk to us to discover which option is best to match your Patagonia dreams.
The Torres del Paine massif
Swoop Group Tours in Chilean Patagonia
One of the easiest ways to explore Chilean Patagonia is on one of Swoop's escorted small group tours. We’ve used our years of Patagonia experience to create a unique collection of trips with carefully tailored itineraries that showcase the landscapes, people and wildlife of this incredible destination.
Every departure has a maximum of 16 guests to give the best group dynamics. You'll be accompanied by an English-speaking Tour Leader, who'll share their knowledge and passion for their Patagonian home while looking after all the travel arrangements.
Whether you want to hike the W Trek, have an active adventure or to travel in relaxed comfort, our groups tours offer you the chance to experience Patagonia up close and to make lasting connections with both the region and your fellow travellers.
The Highlights of Chilean Patagonia
Torres del Paine
Torres del Paine National Park, with its iconic granite towers, is one of the most popular destinations in Patagonia.
Most famous for the W Trek and O Circuit trails, it also offers brilliant day hiking, and adventure activities such as horseback riding on remote estancias, ice hiking on glaciers, kayaking among icebergs and biking on gnarly mountain trails. It's also a place for wildlife encounters such as puma tracking.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to travel styles: you can stay at refugios or camp while hiking, relax while glamping, grab a cocktail between excursions for a luxury lodge, or take a stay in one of the hotels dotted around the park.
The Torres del Paine Massif
Aysen & the Marble Caves
Until recently, Aysen was a relatively untamed part of Patagonia, but travellers delight to discover its rugged charms.
The Carretera Austral highway is the thread that runs the length of mountainous Aysen, offering one of the world's most dramatic road trips at the same time. A tour here offers the chance to stop off at national parks like Cerro Castillo, where you can hike for days and barely see another soul, and the pioneering rewilding project of Patagonia National Park.
Other highlights include the beautiful Marble Caves (best experienced by kayak), Laguna San Rafael Glacier, some of Chile's most authentic horse riding with gauchos and fly fishing on world-class trout and salmon runs.
Hiking in Aysen's Cerro Castillo National Park
Chilean Lake District
The Chilean Lake District is a stunning mix of glistening lakes, smouldering volcanoes, temperate rainforests and wildlife-landscapes.
The region's main gateway is Puerto Varas, a lakeside town in the shadow of Osorno Volcano. It's a place for relaxed hiking, kayaking and mountain biking, and springboard to stunning national parks like Alerce Andino, and luxury lodges tucked into the temperate rainforest. In the north, Pucón carries a deserved reputation as Chile's adventure sports capital.
Chiloé Island lies off the Pacific coast, one of Patagonia's most culturally interesting destinations, with its strong indigenous traditions, as well as terrific birdwatching.
Osorno Volcano and Lake Llanquihue in the Chilean Lake District
Chilean Fjords
Sometimes the most exciting landscapes start where the road ends, and you have to take to the water. This is the way of the Chilean Fjords.
In some places, the fjords are best explored by sea kayak, paddling past sea lions to camp on remote beaches, or taking boat trips among the ice to San Rafael Glacier
For the majority of this ragged coast however, the best option is to take an adventure cruise on a small ship. The Northern Fjords offer a mix of culture, wildlife and the last frozen outposts of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, while the Southern Fjords bring a wild parade of glaciers, icebergs, whales and dolphins. Either way, daily excursions with expert guides bring you close to this most dramatic of regions.
Cruising to the glaciers of the Chilean Fjords
What our travellers think of exploring Chilean Patagonia
The landscapes were stunning, wildlife aplenty and the Chilean people were so welcoming.
Travelled: October 2017
Peter - Australia
We were connected with the right people in Chile and our itinerary was extremely helpful and informative.
Travelled: January 2017
Jesse and Kevin -
Things to do in Chilean Patagonia
Hiking
Chilean Patagonia is home to some of the best hiking trails in the word: the classic W Trek and O Circuit routes in Torres del Paine are only the start.
The region is braided together with lovely day hikes that can easily be incorporated into any itinerary – where you want to hike to the Base of the Towers in Torres del Paine, explore smoking volcanoes or forested trails in the Chilean Lake District, or visit glaciers and lakes in Aysen.
There is also the chance to truly go hiking off the beaten track in Chilean Patagonia's backcountry, including the epic Dientes de Navarino trek through a Lord of the Rings landscape on the southernmost trek in the world.
The W Trek in Torres del Paine
Horse riding
The vast and rugged landscapes of Patagonia have been explored on horseback for hundreds of years, and horses are still preferred by the gauchos today. Visitors to Patagonia, both novices and experienced riders, can also feel the thrill and excitement of riding through the Andes or across the steppe.
Torres del Paine and Aysen are the best destinations to experience life in the saddle. Torres del Paine is the land of the estancia – traditional ranches that are dotted around the edge of the national park where you can experience life as a gaucho, or just take day rides from a stable in the park. In Aysen, you'll find the heart of rural gaucho culture, and the chance to go on multi-day horse treks in remote landscapes only accessible on horseback.
Adventure activities
You won't come up short of options if you want to experience adventure in Chilean Patagonia.
Torres del Paine, Aysen and the Chilean Lake District are all fringed with fjords and divided by lakes and rivers: what better way to explore than from the water? You can go kayaking amongst icebergs in glacial lagoons, through fjords inaccessible by land, across lakes surrounded by lush forest or Andean peaks, or even take on the white water of some of the world's biggest rivers.
Alternatively, take to the trail by mountain bike to get your adrenaline pumping: there are gnarly trails for the toughest bikers, and easier scenic routes that can be explored by e-mountain bike.
Kayaking at the Marble Caves
Wildlife watching
Chilean Patagonia is a great wildlife watching destination.
Torres del Paine is the place to go if you want the chance to see pumas, as it's the only place in the world offering puma tracking trips. Other iconic species you can see here include guanacos, condors, nandu (Darwin's rhea), and maybe even the elusive huemul deer. Together, these species make up Patagonia's Big Five.
Close to Punta Arenas, it's possible to see king penguins and Magellanic penguins, as well as whales and elephant seals. The Chilean Lake District and Chiloé Island are particularly good for birdwatching, with the island also being home to a variety of mammal species, including the diminutive pudu deer and the kodkod wild cat.
Puma in Torres del Paine National Park
Fly Fishing
Chilean Patagonia offers anglers some of the world's best fly fishing, and some of the most beautiful and varied landscapes in which to do so.
Fishing in Aysen is the best option for the dedicated angler. The Simpson, Baker, Palena and Cochrane rivers all offer world-class trout runs, along with the possibility of chinook salmon. There are several dedicated fishing lodges in Aysen, with guides who know all the best casting spots. Fishing in Torres del Paine is another excellent option, from the calm waters of Lake Toro, to the wide shallow Serrano river, full of trout.
The fishing season runs from mid-November to mid-April, and all gear can be provided, down to the recommended local flies.
Trout fishing in Aysen
When to visit Patagonia Chile
Sunrise over the Cuernos in Torres del Paine
Summer hiking in the Chilean Lake District
Winter at the base of the Towers in Torres del Paine
Chilean Patagonia has a huge variation in climate, but whatever time of year it's best to prepare to experience all four seasons in a single day. Even in summer, warm sun can quickly be followed by strong winds and rains. For more on the best time to visit Patagonia Chile, see our detailed season by season guide.
Spring in Chilean Patagonia
October and November sees wild flowers and snow melt, the reopening of the best hiking routes and increased wildlife activity.
Summer in Chilean Patagonia
December to February brings up to 18 hours of daylight, with busy walking trails and high demand for accommodation: you'll need to book well in advance if travelling to Torres del Paine.
Autumn in Chilean Patagonia
In March and April, Fall colours light up Patagonia, making for beautiful scenery. Sparser crowds and a lack of winds make this a perfect time to visit.
Winter in Chilean Patagonia
Winter snows shut down most of the region, but Torres del Paine remains open – you can hike here and have the park almost completely to yourself.
Getting to Patagonia Chile
On the road to Torres del Paine
The volcanoes of the Chilean Lake District
Gaucho trails in Chilean Patagonia
There are no direct international flights to Chilean Patagonia, so travellers must arrive via Chile's capital Santiago.
There are two gateway airports to Torres del Paine: Puerto Natales (airport code PNT), which is two hours from the national park entrance and Punta Arenas (PUQ, five hours). Both ports are also departure points for cruises to the Chilean Fjords.
For the Chilean Lake District, the gateway airports are Puerto Montt (PMC) for Puerto Varas, and Temuco (ZCO) for Pucón. For Aysen, you must fly into Balmaceda (BBA) for the main city of Coyhaique.
There no direct flights from Argentina to Chilean Patagonia, though there are direct flights between Santiago and Buenos Aires. There are several good overland connections. The best links Torres del Paine to El Calafate in Los Glaciares, allowing you to transfer between them by road in a long half day. There are also direct buses from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego that take a full day.
From the Chilean Lake District it's possible to cross the border to the Argentinian Lake District by bus and boat on the scenic Cruce Andino route.
For more information see our detailed guide on how to get to Patagonia.
Where to Stay in Chilean Patagonia
Luxury yurt in Torres del Paine
Lodge in the Chilean Lake District
A campsite on the W Trek
We work with dozens of partners and scores of hotels across Patagonia, from the simplest accommodation options to the most stylish luxury lodges.
Multi-activity hotels and lodges specialising in excursions can be found in Torres del Paine, Aysen and the Chilean Lake District. There are family-run estancias to give a taste of traditional ranch life, quiet lakeside cabins, cosy glamping options and stays among organic vineyards. For those wanting to hike, there are campsites and refugios: mountain huts and lodges designed for trail walking.
We've tested the pillows and spas at the luxury end of the spectrum, rolled out our sleeping bags in the campsites and experienced everything in between (including the finer points of navigating the refugio booking system on the W Trek), so we can guide you towards what's best for your trip and budget.
To get more of a feel for the types of accommodation explore our Hotels in Patagonia page.
If you've decided where you're going, see our accommodation pages for Torres del Paine, Punta Arenas, Aysen, the Chilean Lake District, Santiago and the Atacama Desert.
Plan your Chilean Patagonia trip with Swoop
At Swoop, we've been crafting trips to Patagonia for our travellers for over 15 years. We're ex-guides and former tour operators, and many of us are based in the area from Santiago to Punta Arenas (as well as Argentinian Patagonia). We're also a B Corp and give 1% of our annual revenues to local conservation projects through our Swoop Conservation Fund. There's no question about Patagonia travel we can't answer.
Whether you're interested in booking a single hike, joining a group trip of crafting the itinerary of a lifetime, get in touch to discuss your adventure. We'll provide impartial advice and inspiration to help you decide when to travel, where to go and what to see. Together, we'll plan your perfect Patagonia adventure.
Hiking views in Torres del Paine
Discover more about Chilean Patagonia
Chilean Lake District
The Chilean Lake District is packed with glacial lakes, snow-capped volcanoes, islands rich in history and folklore, national parks and adventure sports activities.
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Aysen
Remote, beautiful and with one of the most famous road-trip roads in the world, Aysen is a destination for those seeking the very best of Patagonia without the crowds.
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Patagonia Cruises & Vacations
Get to parts of Patagonia that even the toughest hikers can't reach. Adventure cruises take you to the glaciers of the Chilean Fjords and Cape Horn off Tierra del Fuego.
Discover MoreReady to plan your Patagonia adventure?
1. Listen
We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
2. Match
Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.
3. Reserve
We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.