Day 4: Puerto Natales
Breakfast in the hotel. Soaring almost vertically more than 2000m above the Patagonian steppe, the granite pillars of Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine) dominate the landscape of what may be South America’s finest national park. Before its creation in 1959, the park was part of a large sheep estancia, and it’s still recovering from nearly a century of overexploitation of its pastures, forests and wildlife. Most people visit the park for its one greatest hit but, once here, realize that there are other attractions with equal wow power. We’re talking about azure lakes, trails that meander through emerald forests, roaring rivers you'll cross on rickety bridges and one big, radiant blue glacier. Variety spans from the vast openness of the steppe to rugged mountain terrain topped by looming peaks.
Part of Unesco Biosphere Reserve system since 1978, the park is home to flocks of ostrich like rhea (known locally as the ñandú), Andean condor, flamingo and many other bird species. Its star success in conservation is undoubtedly the guanaco, which grazes the open steppes where pumas cannot approach undetected. After more than a decade of effective protection from poachers, these large and growing herds don’t even flinch when humans or vehicles approach.
A full day tour visiting the amazing national park of Torres del Paine including the Milodon Cave, located at the Benitez hill, 25 km from Puerto Natales, where in 1895 a skeleton of a Sable-tooth tiger, American Horse and Huge Lazy known as Milodon were discovered. We will walk for around 30 minutes in this cave observing the stalactite formations and the Milodon imitation copyAfter this we will continue our way to the national park Torres del Paine where we can see the most varied landscapes starting from a Maggelan forest and ending with the Patagonian Plain with its strong winds and dry air. Upon arrival at the park the scenery changes drastically, the national park containing over 242.000 hectares, we can now see tens of lakes with birds and enormous mountains. The lakes water is blue and crystal clear, the waterfalls and peaks covered with ice are among the typical landscapes of this park. A 15 min walk will take up to Salto Grande, a waterfall connecting 2 lakes, Nordenskhold and Peoe. We will return along a beautiful road, passing by the Serrano River
and the Toro and Porteno lakes. Overnight at hotel.
