This article has been updated on December 30, 2020
On my travels through Patagonia, I’ve heard many people comparing the two iconic national parks in southern Patagonia AKA Torres del Paine vs El Chalten (Los Glaciares Parque Nacional). Even though I find this comparison rather pointless, I decided to give it a go, only because it’s an interesting way to describe both parks.
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A comparison of the two iconic Patagonian National Parks
From the aesthetic perspective, it’s simply a matter of the subjective preferences of a spectator. In my opinion, both parks are equally stunning when it comes to views and the actual treks. Both of them are also well maintained and tourism is generally well organised in both either.
Upon your arrival at either of the parks, you will be informed by rangers about your trekking options, park rules as well as the safety precautions you will need to respect. On the Chilean side, you will also have to sign a declaration that you will follow the park rules.
When it comes to the Torres del Paine vs. El Chaltén comparison, I’d say that the only minor difference between these two parks is their accessibility, which gives El Chaltén a little advantage under certain circumstances and below you’ll find out why.
Parque Nacional de Torres del Paine
Ever since the end of the Pinochet era (1973-1990), the tourist industry began to play a significant role in the local economy. Torres del Paine National Park covers 242 242 hectares (598 593 acres) and it is one of the largest and most visited parks in Chile (around 1/4 million people annually). Some of the most epic views from Chile could be found in this place. It’s a truly stunning park with beautiful walks but…
But unless you plan your trip well ahead (I’m talking two months at least), you’ll find it rather difficult to secure a spot in the camping places inside the park, which will make it impossible for you to trek the popular W or O circuits as both require camping in the park. Such technical issues will deny you access to some parts of the park due to logistic reasons.
Due to the limited infrastructure, you’d be most likely forced to commute from Puerto Natales that’s 172km away, that’s unless you can afford to stay inside the park’s hotels (I’ve listed them all below), which is rather pricey, plus they are not spread well enough across the park to allow you to explore the park the way W or O circuit would anyway. Commuting from Puerto Natales would be then your Plan B. It would leave you with a less flexible itinerary, that will only allow you to do some of the numerous day trips in or around the park.
If you haven’t managed to book your camping places inside the park, please don’t worry too much, you won’t be the only one in such a situation. Thankfully, no Plan B was ever this close to Plan A, like in Torres del Paine, when it comes to rewards. In other words, those day treks are also very stunning 😉 You can always try visiting/contacting the Vertice Patagonia or Fantastico Sur offices in Puerto Natales to ask if there are any last-minute cancellations that freed some camping places but if there weren’t any, as I said, you’re still in for a treat 😉
Mirador Las Torres trek
One of the biggest highlights of the whole park is the famous iconic Las Torres viewpoint (see the title image). It’s doable even in one day if you take the first bus from Puerto Natales at 7 am, catching the last bus back to town. It’s a stunning trek and in spite that it’s a natural equivalent to such places like Eiffel Tower or Charles Bridge places when it comes to crowds, it’s well worth it. However, you can kind of lose the crowd if you adjust your speed.
FYI: you do not have to be 100% fit to be able to make the hike. However, you should not be completely unfit because there are some steep-ish sections on the way and the last hour on the way up is getting a mild hardcore steep, with a possibility of strong winds trying to blow you off the steep hill. It’s nothing super harsh though 😉
Unfortunately, this way you will not be able to witness the magical sunrise at the Mirador Las Torres. It could only happen if you had camping places secured, you’ll have the advantage/option of spending a night in the Camping Chileno that’s in close proximity to the viewpoint and therefore easily reachable to catch the sunrise if the weather allows you to 😉
W and Q treks
Why are the trails called “W” and “O”? If you look at the map above, it’s basically the shape of your trail and even if your imagination is not one of your strongest qualities, you must see why. The “O” pretty much goes around the Torres del Paine mountain range and “W” only copies the southern edge of the range, while both of them cut inside twice. First to visit Mirador Las Torres on the eastern (right) side and the other for Valle de Francés in the middle, the remaining western (left) leg of the “W” already goes around the range by Lago Grey and its stunning glacier.
Valle del Francés: Mirador Britanica vs Mirador Francés
As I said above, I’m afraid that with no camping places inside the park you won’t be able to get to reach some of the highlights of the park, such as Mirador Britanica in Valle del Francés unless you’re extremely fit and fast walker. From the moment of arrival of the first bus from Puerto Natales, you will just not have enough time to catch the last bus back ): But you should be able to make 3/4 of the way to the French Viewpoint AKA Mirador Francés if you have grabbed the early catamaran from Pudeto, which I’ll talk about later.
So as I said, if you haven’t secured the camping spots (or if you can’t afford to stay in one of the hotels inside the park), you won’t be able to reach some of the more distant locations in the park, nor will you be obviously able to trek the W or O circuits, because they require you to sleep in the park’s camping grounds.
I must however stress the fact that the day treks in and around Torres del Paine can’t be called a disappointment though. On the contrary, they are equally stunning. I mean that you’re surrounded by the same stunning nature as if you were on a multi-day hike, the only difference is that you won’t be able to reach a few locations in the park.
All treks available at TdP
All treks available in Torres del Paine are listed and described here, on the very informative La Ruta de Los Parques website. The park’s website also provides a lot of information, together with the latest updates.
How much
The 172km, two hours ride on the bus from Puerto Natales will get you to the park for 15 000,-CPL return (€19,50). The three-day entrance to the park will cost you 21000,-CLP (€27,50). From the park’s entrance, you can take a short bus ride further into the park to the Hotel Las Torres for 6000,-CLP return (€7,90). FYI, this short and overpriced ride does have its value in saving your time, in case you were heading for a Las Torres day trek only and wanted to catch the last bus back to Puerto Natales.
Please note that the bus from Puerto Natales has two stops in the park itself and if you want to go for example to Mirador Cuernos, you need to get off at the second stop, which is called Pudeto. First, you’ll need to hear out the safety instructions from the park rangers and sign the declaration on the first stop, which takes about 30 minutes.
In Pudeto, you can also board the catamaran which would take you across the lake to the beginning of the Valle del Francés trek, in case you wanted to reach the above mentioned Mirador Francés. The catamaran will cost you a further 30000,-CLP (€39) return.
Fancy a drink from southern-most distillery in the World?
You know that great feeling of coming back from a trek. Being pleasantly tired but still full of emotional energy so you kind of want to stretch the eve to maintain that feeling for longer by sharing your experience with others, especially after taking a shower followed by a meal, then what? Well, in Puerto Natales, I’ve come across a perfect spot/establishment, where you can keep being excited for a bit longer. Like many places around here, it also comes with the additional attribute of being something southernmost.
I’m talking about the southernmost distillery/bar in the World called Last Hope. I can’t say that it was the cheapest cocktail I’ve ever had but the overall great crowd and social atmosphere, as well as friendly staff, made me forget about the prices and the possibility of the next day’s headache as it felt like a great night out it was. They do make their own Gin and Whiskey and a nice list of cocktails (no shots) you will contemplate trying all one by one, which would be rather unwise though…
El Chaltén
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares is situated in the southwest of Santa Cruz province of Argentina. It covers an area of 726 927 hectares (2807 sq. miles). It is the largest park in Argentina’s Protected Areas System. Since 1981 it is a UNESCO”S world heritage site. It’s also home to the iconic Mount Fitzroy.
Unlike in Torres del Paine, the entrance to the park is free (except for the Perito Moreno Glaciar and some other sub-parts of the park) and all treks start and end in the town. In my humble opinion, it’s therefore far more flexible in comparison to TdP and if you wanted, you will be able to sleep in a bed after a shower every night. I guess you now know which park I consider to be the winner in this pointless competition.
All information about the park is here on its official website that’s always updated and very informative. It includes all trekking options and other activities such as kayaking, rock climbing, snorkelling and so on. I definitely recommend checking their site out. Even if you won’t check the site out, you will be well informed about your trekking options right on the spot.
All self-guided treks available around El Chaltén
The map above shows nearly all options for day treks around this charming little town. The basic options are: Los Condores (2hrs); Chorillo del Salto (3hrs); Cerro Torre/Laguna Torre (6hrs), Laguna de Los Tres AKA Fitz Roy trek (8hrs). I’d say that these are all rather easy trails (often it’s just a pretty walk in a forest), except the last hour or so of the Laguna de Los Tres trek has a rather steep climb part to reach the viewpoint.
Instead of describing the treks myself, I’ve decided to upload the link to the local website because it is informative and dedicated to El Chaltén only. That way I’ve got less to write but mainly, you’ll get what I believe is the most often updated information, which is the most important element. So here‘s a link that describes all self-guided treks in the area, including the camping grounds and so on…
I’ll just add that whatever trek/s you decide on, please consider trying the ‘sub-trek’ that’s connecting the Cerro Torre and Laguna de Los Tres treks – you’d be rewarded by nature with low numbers of fellow tourists. This way you can even do both treks in about 10-12hrs.
Huemul Circuit
If you were more adventurous, you could take upon a Huemul Circuit. It’s a trek around Viedma Glaciar, the 975 sq. km (376 sq. miles) is the second-largest glacier in South America. It’s apparently a challenging 6 days trek with a tent and proper mountain gear. There’s a rather detailed description of the trek here by ratravelsblog.
Fancy a drink and a bit of social life?
El Chaltén comes with several, almost bohemian nice places one can enjoy the drink outdoors if the weather permits. I mean the establishments I have visited in town looked and felt great from the inside but enjoying a beverage after your trek on a terrace in such a place is just something special.
Whether it was La Cervecería or La Vinería or in fact, any joint in town looked like I wanted to grab a pint or two, especially if their terraces were filled with sun. Be aware that the same like in Puerto Natales, drinks El Chaltén also went down well, actually too well (:0
Safety
Both towns are equally nearly 100% safe when it comes to crime. Tourism plays a major role in the local economy and locals are well aware of the fact that a bad reputation wouldn’t help the business. Many travellers I spoke to were actually more concerned about fellow travellers than locals. Anyway, one thing is being safe from possible crime elements and another is dangers coming from mother nature. Please do not overestimate your fitness levels, hiking abilities and weather conditions you might face 😉
Stay
Torres del Paine’s hotels inside or just outside of the park
Bellow, there’s a shortlist of the hotels located inside the Torres del Paine National Park that would save you time spent with the 2hrs journeys from and to Puerto Natales. Think of this possibility as something between Plan A and Plan B. I’ve tried providing links with information and direct booking options. The starless links are direct/official websites, the starred is linked to the park’s website.
- Inside the park: Hostería Pehoe; Refugio Paine Grande*; Refugio Grey*; Refugio Los Cuernos*; Hotel Las Torres; Hotel Explora Patagonia; Hotel Lago Gre
- Administration entrance AKA Villa Serrano: Konkashken Lodge; Vista al Paine – Refugio de Aventura; Pampa Lodge Quincho & Caballos; Río Serrano Hotel & Spa
- Laguna Amarga entrance: Goiien House (Fcbk site)
Puerto Natales
As I’ve mentioned above, except for the hotels in or nearby the park, your best bet is staying 172km away in Puerto Natales. Nearly the whole town lives of Torres del Paine-related tourism, which comes with a lot of various hotels, hostels and so on. Airbnb appeared to offer better deals in the area than Booking at the time, but being a competition, that can switch at any time so make sure to check both platforms.
Speaking for myself, the first night I opted for a party hostel not far from the bus terminal for €13 per night. It was a friendly and very social place but due to the consequent hangover, I moved to an Airbnb‘s Clau’s place called Natales Trip, cama 1 1/2 plaza near the bus station. For €21.25 I’ve had a comfy private room within walking distance of the centre of the town. There was a good view of the lake, a smoking room/bar and nice friendly owners.
El Chaltén
Needless to say, most of El Chaltén‘s 1300 inhabitants also make living with tourism or tourism-related services. Again, at the time of my visit, Airbnb provided better deals but if I went there again (which I certainly hope so), I’d check both, Airbnb, as well as Booking, and I’d even ask around. From the many accommodation options this town offers, I’ve decided to opt for a dormitory.
Well, the prices decided that for me, plus it doesn’t really matter if you are trekking the whole day, you’ll sleep like a baby anyway. So I’ve picked Hostel Kaiken. It was a nice, clean place with friendly owners. The dorm cost me €11. It was an OK place to crash after the trek. I’d recommend booking your place in advance as facilities can get booked up fast in such a small town.
How to get there
Tip: the links highlighted in red are Google Maps locations, in case you've fancied to start creating your own itinerary. Just sign in into your Google account and if any listed place sounds like your cup of tea, just click "want to go". Personally for me, seeing the "Want to go" places helped me to determine my journey, when I was planning my trip across Latin Americas.
Puerto Natales – El Chaltén and wise-versa
The two parks are at a relatively close distance from each other. From Puerto Natales it is only about a 270km ride to El Calafate and then another 215km to El Chaltén. If you were driving, you should be able to make it in 7-8 hours, depending on the weather as well as the border control but then there are about a million possible picturesque views to stop by, plus then there’s food, so I would plan it for one whole day if I were you.
There are rather frequent buses going in each direction for an equivalent of about €20/$24USD. I’d advise you to get your tics as soon as possible, ideally when you get off at the bus terminal, especially when it comes to Puerto Natales – Torres del Paine connection as the early buses (needed to be able to do Mirador Las Torres trek and catch the last bus back) get sold out sometimes 😉
Chilean customs note
FYI, if you’re travelling to Chile, please make sure not to bring the prohibited goods, such as seeds, fruits and so on. More details about that could be found here. And keep that little paper slip you’ll get from the border officer as you’ll need it to exit the country.
Airports and airport shuttles
The nearest airports are in El Calafate and Punta Arenas, both reachable for reasonable prices from the respective capitals. To get to El Calafate from the airport, you can use the shuttles for an equivalent of about €3,90single/€6,80return, taxis come at about nearly tipple the price.
From Punta Arenas‘ airport, there’s also shuttle transport to the centre of town for 5000,-CLP (€6,50) or taxis that start at about double that amount. Then, you’ll need to grab a bus to Puerto Natales that takes about 3hrs and costs around an equivalent of €8,20/$10USD.
Sort of Epilogue
Any conclusion of this pointless comparison would only make sense if one only had time to visit one of the parks. Otherwise, in a two weeks long vacation, you could explore both parks to a significant degree and even manage to squeeze a visit to Perito Moreno Glaciar in between. As I said above: both parks are well organised and maintained.
I’d say that when it comes to accessibility and comfort, El Chaltén does come with a certain advantage. So if I was forced to conclude, I’d say that El Chaltén is more suitable for less fit and older visitors that prefer some degree of comfort, while Torres del Paine, with its popular W and O circuits, suits more younger and adventurous visitors. Needless to say that such an enforced conclusion would be a little stretched and weak.
What would I do differently if I had a chance to come back?
- Huemul Circuit. I’d love to challenge myself to trek around Viedma Glaciar, the second largest glacier in South America;
- Sunrise at Laguna de Los Tres. Recommended by the romantic couple I’ve met in El Chaltén. This is doable from the camping place at the base of the mountain;
- Valle Frances: I’d love to go all the way up the valley;
- Mirador Los Torres – I’d love to see the sunrise there…
Useful links
- Booking overnight at TdP: Fantastico Sur or Vertice;
- Torres del Paine official website, incl links to the campsites is here;
- Torres del Paine official CONAF website with accommodation options, tours, activities, advice and so on;
- El Chaltén official website with updates, treks, activities, excursions and so on;
- Los Glaciares Parque Nacional, the official website for the whole park that includes Perito Moreno Glacier;
- La Ruta de Los Parques is an informative website with updates, trail descriptions, tour operators, new and much more. You might have read about it somewhere recently. It covers the scenic route that spans over 1700 miles between Puerto Montt and Cape Horn across 17 national parks (:0
- El Calafate airport website for car rentals, shuttle info and so on
- Punta Arenas airport website info with flights, car rentals and more
Other popular destinations nearby
Perito Moreno Glacier
Between Puerto Natales and El Chaltén, you’ll have to pass through El Calafate, which is the gateway city to visit Perito Moreno Glaciar. If you can, please do not skip this magnificent place. Regardless of the mass tourism element, it’s definitely worth checking out. A little guide on how to visit the glacier could be found here.
Carretera Austral
Only “two mountains and two lakes” away from El Chaltén, there’s Villa O’Higgins AKA a starting point of the stunning Carretera Austral, a 1200km stretch of road that cuts through the picturesque country, which I certainly recommend exploring, in case you’ve had some spare time. There’s a little guide here, in case you were interested in exploring Carretera Austral.
Isla Magdalena
If you were interested in visiting a huge, 120 000 colony of Magellanic penguins on Isla Magdalena nearby Punta Arenas, please note that in Puerto Natales, you’d be only 247km/3hrs drive away. More info could be found here.
Tierra del Fuego
Once you’re in Punta Arenas, then it’s worth considering visiting the “End of the World” AKA the town of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. More details about the archipelago, its history, attractions, trekking and so on could be found here.
Traveller’s Guides to the Patagonian countries of Chile and Argentina
For more complex information about both countries that are home to Patagonia, please click here, respectively here. Expect learning about basic history, cuisine, general tourism info and safety, popular as well as off the beaten path places to visit and more.
FYI, the feature picture is one of the famous sunrises @ Las Torres as captured by Sebastian Figueroasoto from Pixabay
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