Chile - Part 2
Patagonia
Such an amazing adventure! At the base of Las Torres with my dad to celebrate his 75th
Patagonia description
Patagonia (Spanish pronunciation: [pataˈɣonja]) is a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers in the west and deserts, tablelands, and steppes to the east. Patagonia is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and many bodies of water that connect them, such as the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage to the south. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia)
Patagonia has always stood out to me as a place for great adventure. The movie 180 Degrees South made me think “wow! I need to go to this place.”
Finally I had a chance to go. While only scratching the tip of the iceberg it was an amazing introduction to the amazing region. We spent four days in Chilean Patgonia using Puerto Natales as our jumping off point.
Puerto Natales overview
View of Puerto Natales on our approach
Puerto Natales is a city in Chilean Patagonia. It is the capital of both the commune of Natales and the province of Última Esperanza, one of the four provinces that make up the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region in the southernmost part of Chile. Puerto Natales is the only city in the province. It is located 247 km (153 mi) northwest of Punta Arenas. It is the final passenger port of call for the Navimagferry sailing from Puerto Montt into the Señoret Channel as well as the primary transit point for travellers to Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Natales)
The feeling in Puerto Natales is that it is a hub for adventure seekers of all styles. In coffee shops and restaurants around town you meet travelers from around the world that are on their way to or from a hike, a sailing trip, or some other adventure. People are walking around town gearing up and sharing tips.
While truly a layover for most we really enjoyed our time there. We were particularly surprised by the food which ended up being some of the best of our trip.
Puerto Natales Travel
Getting there
When initially researching traveling to Torres Del Paine many books and sites suggest flying to Punta Arenas which is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Puerto Natales. As I kept poking around I noticed that there are now direct flights from Santiago to Puerto Natales.
PNT Airport is a small airport located a few minutes outside of town. It is barely more than an airstrip. Upon arrival there were a handful of taxis waiting outside offering a flat 8000 pesos ride to town. Luckily, we had no checked bags and were first into the taxis. After dropping us, our driver made a bee line back to the airport.
As best I can tell there are three airlines that fly to Puerto Natales: LatAM, JetSMART, and SKY. They all offer nonstops from Santiago at roughly three hours of flying time.
We went with JetSMART which is a budget carrier, similar to AirAsia. The flights were CHEAP. We booked four flights with them during our trip and two were less than USD$10!!! Of course you pay for everything else.
Overall, the JetSMART experience was fine. Easy on and off the plane. The planes felt new and clean. For a tall person like me the seats were cramped and did not recline. Next time it might be worth the extra $7 for an exit row. All in all it was worth saving $150/pp for the short flights.
The small PNT airport was chaos during our departure. Between the waiting room only being able to accommodate one flight at a time and our flight being delayed it was hectic in there.
Getting around
Talking to other travelers it seems most people that weren’t doing the W went into the national park as part of a tour. It seemed like a convenient low stress way to get around. However we opted for the flexibility of having our own car. Also, many people were intimidated by the idea of renting a car and driving in Chile.
We rented a car through Avis which has a partnership with a company called Emsa Car Rental. The staff were super friendly and very thorough.
We rented a basic car (all that was available), with manual transmission (everyone should learn!) but it had Bluetooth and phone integration so we could load google maps. It was plenty of space for the two of us plus our minimal belongings.
The roads in the park are dirt and the car handled it fine but I definitely had to take it a bit slower than if we had a truck or something else. They did not hit me with any fees for driving on the dirt road, although I did pay extra for the insurance.
Some notes:
They put a hefty hold on the credit card as a security deposit, in addition to the rental charge. It was reversed when the car was returned. It is not a big deal, but something worth being prepared for.
Certain parts of Puerto Natales had paid parking but was not immediately obvious. When we parked next to the park to go to our favorite coffee (see below) we got a ticket on the windshield. We later realized that you had to track down an attendant to pay. The fee was low but the system was not immediately obvious.
Emsa car rental IS NOT located at the airport. We had to cab to the office. They close at a regular time, but if you call ahead you can pick up and drop off at off hours. I did not see any car rental companies at the airport, but as things grow that may change.
Staying
There is a ton of lodging in and near Torres del Paine that is beautiful, spendy, and isolated. We opted to stay in Puerto Natales for more access to restaurants and shops. There are a number of hotel options around town, but we opted to go with an AirBnb. We picked a spot with a kitchen allowing us to make breakfast and coffee before our early mornings.
I will add that there is a good amount and variety of accommodations in the park and on the outskirts. Some of them very fancy and some very basic. While it makes getting to hikes and other activities very accessible we were very grateful to have access to the amenities of Puerto Natales.
Puerto Natales Food
King crab at Santolla. A specialty of the area. Very delicious! (The appetizer was more than enough)
This scallop appetizer might have been the best thing I ate the entire trip. Delicious! All the seafood was local to Patagonia at Santolla
Santolla – Everything I read said eat at Santolla. Even our flight attendant from Houston to Santiago said, “you have to eat at Santolla”, he was not wrong. It was in the top 3 meals we had in Chile.
Located in a stack of shipping containers, with the front door hidden down the side, is a small but vibrant restaurant serving delicious local food. Most of the ingredients are local, including vegetables from their garden. The thing most people go to eat is their king crab.
Our first visit we had a king crab leg appetizer, mussels, and scallops pil pil along with a salad. The king crab was delicious, but the scallops were the real winner. When we went back a few nights later we had scallops three ways and the Golden Kingklip fish. Again, everything was delicious. Both nights we enjoyed a garden salad, and the dressing changed each night.
Food 4.75/5 - Drinks 4.5/5 - Staff 4.5/5 - Vibe 4.5/5
Overall 4.6/5
Magallanes 77, 6160490 Puerto Natales, Natales, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile * https://www.instagram.com/santolla.rest/ * +56612413493
Afrigonia – Afrigonia was our first meal in Puerto Natales and it did not disappoint. Our meal was a bit on the heavier side but everything was delicious. We shared a rack of lamb and scallops au gratin, as well as some sides. Would definitely recommend this restaurant for a well put together meal.
Food 4.25/5 - Drinks 4.25/5 - Staff 4/5 - Vibe 4/5
Overall 4.25/5
Magallanes 247, 6160980 Puerto Natales, Natales, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile * https://m.facebook.com/pages/Afrigonia/292118540812646 * +56612412877
A perfect rack of lamb at Afrigonia
Hablemos Coco Restaurant - probably the healthiest meal of the trip from the hostel next door to Santolla
Artisan gelateria – The gelateria had a wide range of delicious flavors. It was quite the tasty treat after a long day of hiking.
Food 4.25/5 - Staff 4/5 - Vibe 3.75/5
Overall 4/5
Tomás Rogers 171, 6160229 Puerto Natales, Natales, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile *
Hablemos Coco Restaurant – This spot is the restaurant/café located in the hostel next door to Santolla. They are serving up tasty, clean vegan food. Neither my dad, nor myself are vegan but we were craving something “healthy” and decided to give it a shot. We shared a salad bowl and a falafel burger both of which were very tasty. I would definitely eat here again.
Food 4.25/5 - Drinks 4/5 - Staff 4/5 - Vibe 4/5
Overall 4/5
Magallanes 73, 6160000 Puerto Natales, Natales, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile * https://www.instagram.com/hablemoscoco/?hl=es
Scallops three ways at Santolla
A spectacular first Pisco sour from Afrigonia
Puerto Natales Coffee
Beautiful flat white at Holaste!
Holaste! Specialty Coffee – My kind of spot. This is a cozy coffee house with a variety of seating options. The coffee is well made with care and attention to detail. There is a small food menu that is simple, tasty and healthy. The staff is friendly and helpful. If I stayed in town longer I would go there to read my book. If my memory serves my they have a no computer rule. It is not convenient if you are trying to work but nice to watch people engaging in human interaction.
Coffee 4.5/5 - Food 4/5 - Staff 4/5 - Vibe 4.5/5
Overall - 4.25/5
Carlos Bories 385, 6160000 Natales, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile * https://menu.fu.do/holaste * +56995711208
Omelete at Holaste!
The Coffee Maker – This spot has the location. Set right on the waterfront road, there is a view of the water. On a rainy day it gives off that special coastal energy, and on a sunny day there is outdoor seating to breath in that salt air. The coffee and food here are average so I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit this spot.
Coffee 3/5 - Food 3/5 - Staff 3/5 - Vibe 4.5/5
Overall 3.25/5
Ave Pedro Montt 161, 6160000 Natales, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile * +56612414611
The coffee was fine, but the view was great (the photo doesn’t do it justice)
Puerto Natales - Miscellaneous
We underestimated the weather during our trip. Despite it being summer it was still cold and rainy at times in the mountains. We hoped that being a tourist town there would be a used equipment market to pick up some cheap last-minute supplies. All we found were stores selling new, name brand gear. (If you know a used spot please comment below).
What we did find instead was that the Yagan House hostel offered cheap rentals. My dad was able to rent a pair of waterproof gloves from the hostel. They only cost a few dollars and required some ID as collateral. Hit them up for things you may have forgot!
Sights
Cemetery - I am a sucker for a good cemetery. This one located in town (conveniently around the corner from our Airbnb) had real character. Many families had mini houses with glass doors that you could look through. The whole compound was very full of varying types of graves many quite colorful.
Waterfront - The waterfront in Puerto Natales has a nice walking path. Along the water are many sculptures and statues. It is a nice off day activity to stroll the path. Try to time it for a day that isn’t windy though.
It was often windy on the water, but the view was always worth it. On clear days you can see all the way up into Torres Del Paine
Torres Del Paine
Dad on the way into the national park
About
Torres del Paine National Park, established in 1959, is a national park in Chilean Patagonia measuring approximately 181,414 hectares (700 sq mi). It is filled with mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers home to a wide range of wildlife, flora and fauna.
More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torres_del_Paine_National_Park
Getting there
From Puerto Natales it is about 1.5-2 hours to the park depending on where you are headed and how fast you drive. There are a couple of entrances depending on your destination.
Be warned once in the park (and sometimes before) the roads are largely unpaved. The conditions were generally pretty good but certainly slowed down progress.
Getting in
Permits are required to enter Torres del Paine National Park and must be purchased in advance.
Tickets are good for three days (there is also a 3+ day pass) and cost $39 for adults. Be sure to save a screenshot or download the QR code you receive. Service in the park is mostly nonexistent.
Head to: https://torresdelpaine.com/en/torres-del-paine-2/entrance-fees/ for ticket info and link to the site to purchase.
Hikes
There is endless hiking in Torres del Paine. The most common goal for people is the W circuit which is a roughly 5 day hike around the park. We didn’t have the time. Luckily many of the great parts of that trek are available as a day hike.
The view of the towers from the lake was well worth the pain and suffering
Dad getting into the zone on the first bridge crossing early in our 22Km hike
Mirador Las Torres - Probably the most iconic hike in Torres del Paine, we made this our main objective of the trip. The hike is about 22+km out and back and about 3300’ of elevation gain. It is an epic uphill battle culminating at the base of the pinnacles towering over a striking glacier lake (unfortunately no swimming). Halfway there up the hike there is a lodge offering food and beverages. We stopped on our way down for a celebratory beer.
One of the benefits of having rented our own car was that we had the flexibility to do it on our schedule. There were people who took the shuttle from town and were racing to not miss the return shuttle. Others had gone with tour groups and the guides were constantly pushing them along to stay on schedule.
Many people choose to hike up at night to watch the sunrise which sounds very cold to me.
To note: they do close access to the top at two points along the way. I believe the last cut off before the steep up hill is 3pm. (not sure what time it opens if you start at night)
Cuernos Lookout - This was our warm up hike. It was a mellow 4mi out and back. It passes a thundering waterfall close to the trail head before heading out to a lookout over a massive lake in the shadows of the backside of Las Torres. It was mostly flat, but a great way to get the legs warmed up for the big event.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/chile/magallanes/mirador-cuernos?u=i&sh=u8v2g8
The powerful waterfall at the beginning of the hike to Cuernos Lookout
Weather app
Weather in Torres del Paine is finicky and information is not easily accessible on traditional platforms. The best tool that we found was the Windy app. It offers much more detailed info in many parts of the park.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/windy-com-weather-radar/id1161387262
Summary
Torres del Paine is a treasure. It is absolutely worth a visit on its own. Driving around you can’t help but say “WOW!” over and over again. There is so much to explore and do that it would be great to have at least a week. Also don’t forget all the other surround national parks and stunning landscapes.
I hope to come back some day to do the W, as well as go to Tierre del Fuego to see the dramatic landscapes at the end of the earth. Maybe even a visit to Easter Island.
More Photos
The towers seen from our flight south from Santiago
View of a glacier from our plane ride south from Santiago. Don’t forget to get a window seat on the left side of the plane while going south!
Guanacos roaming near the entrance of Torres Del Paine
A field of lupines on our drive between Torres Del Paine and Puerto Natales
The towers from near the parking lot on our way back to the car
I had to add this photo. The Chilean avocados were amazing, we were in heaven!