Torres del Paine 3-day itinerary

Start the Las Torres trail from Refugio Las Torres at 6am to reach the glacial lake at the base of the three granite towers at sunrise — the single most iconic viewpoint in South America. The 19km return hike gains 900m of elevation through lenga beech forest and then a brutal boulder field scramble to the milky turquoise lake. At dawn the towers glow pink and orange in alpenglow before the sun clears the ridge. Allow 8–10 hours total for the round trip.

Return to Refugio Las Torres in the afternoon and rest sore legs. The meadows around the refugio are prime guanaco territory — herds of these wild South American camelids graze within metres of the path, entirely habituated to trekkers. Andean condors ride the thermals above the towers throughout the day, their 3-metre wingspans unmistakeable. The refugio serves hot soup, empanadas, and local wine — a genuine treat after the climb.

Drive or walk to the shores of Lago Nordenskjöld as the light turns the Cuernos del Paine — the jagged horn peaks of black and grey granite capped with blonde sedimentary rock — into shades of amber and copper. This lake view is one of the W Trek's most celebrated sights. Pumas occasionally emerge at dusk to hunt guanacos; early evening is peak sighting time. Camp at Camping Italiano or stay at Posada Río Serrano for the night.

Take the catamaran across Lago Grey or hike the 11km trail from Refugio Grey to the face of Glaciar Grey — a vast river of ice calving icebergs into the steel-blue lake below. Blue ice pinnacles drift slowly across the lake surface, occasionally cracking with thunderous booms. The glacier extends 28km back into the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the world's third-largest freshwater reserve. Ice trekking on the glacier with crampons can be booked at Refugio Grey.

Hike into the Valle del Francés — the W Trek's most dramatic valley, a steep-sided corridor of hanging glaciers, waterfalls, and avalanche debris. The trail climbs through lenga beech forest into an open bowl where ice chunks calve from the Francés and Bader glaciers above. The upper mirador, a 2-hour ascent from the valley floor, frames the entire Cuernos massif and looks across to the Paine Grande massif. Condors circle the thermals overhead.

Reach Refugio Paine Grande on the shores of Lago Pehoé as the sun sets behind the Paine Grande massif — the reflections of the dark pyramidal peak in the turquoise lake are unforgettable. Ferries cross Lago Pehoé twice daily connecting to the park's administrative centre; the sunset crossing, with the towers behind you and the open steppe ahead, is the best possible final act for the day. Warm up with Carménère wine and a bowl of cazuela stew.

Before leaving the park, visit the quieter eastern sector around Lago Sarmiento — a turquoise lake fringed by white calcite formations and stromatolites, among the rarest and oldest life forms on Earth. The trail along the lakeshore is almost entirely deserted compared to the W Trek, offering solitude and extraordinary light on the Cuernos rising behind the water. This is the Torres del Paine that few trekkers take the time to find.

Drive the 112km back to Puerto Natales — the gateway town for Torres del Paine, with a genuine frontier charm of wooden cafés, trekking gear shops, and smoky parillas. Wash your clothes, charge your devices, and recover at one of the town's excellent hostel common rooms where trekkers from around the world swap route reports. Browse the dried food stalls in the municipal market and pick up locally smoked lamb or Magallanes salami for the journey home.

Patagonia's gastronomic speciality is cordero al palo — whole lamb slow-roasted on a cross-shaped spit over an open wood fire for 6 hours. El Asador Patagónico in Puerto Natales is the best place to eat it, with half portions available for solo travellers. Order a bottle of Chilean Carménère and raise a glass to the mountains. The bus to Punta Arenas for your flight departs early — pack your gear the night before and sleep with the window cracked for one last Patagonian dawn.