Torres del Paine Travel Answers

I have been through most of Chile, particularly the North and Central but not Torres Del Paine. However from the attached link it appears you can drive from the Argentina side in. careerbreaksecrets.com/7445/... Hope this helps.

Basically you can drive to the entrance points but no more. You can't visit the park by car as it's completely closed to private traffic. The entrance you'll get in with your car is gonna be the same you'll go out by.

happy travels..:)

We made a road trip from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine and did see several highlights of the park while driving around. Since 2007 it is possible to make a loop drive along two entrances. See for more info about our road trip: members.virtualtourist.com/v... See for more info about the 'new' road: tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g2... General info about the roads in/to Torres del Paine: torres-del-paine.org/distanc... happy travels Jaap

The fourth map shows the roads for cars in the park. Anyone can drive on these roads when visiting. torresdelpaine.com/ingles/se...

Thanks a lot everybody!

Sorry I wasn't mean to confuse you! I was talking about central area of the park where are only trekking paths... :-)

So driving on a periphery and hiking into the centre it is :)

Maria, I know that you were looking forward to your trip so much! But check the news, Torres del Paine is currently on fire. An idiot who couldn't handle the weather and presumably his stove is said to have caused the fire. Authorities say that the park is closed throughout the whole January. But when I look at the news it might likely be longer :-(

Thanks for letting me know - completely missed it!!!! Will keep an eye on it - hopefully gets sorted out by the time we go in end-Feb. If it does not, we're probably going to explore the surrounding glaciers over the border with Argentina

I would not have known either if member @Huentetu (above) would not have informed me. When exactly will you leave London and will you have a mobile internet with you on your trip? We can let you know about accessibility of the park. If it is open by then, I strongly recommend that you go, not only because of the irresistible beauty but also to see the damage and with this to understand the Patagonian weather. This should not sound like from an old silly schoolteacher, but the weather conditions down in Patagonia are completely different from anywhere else. The strong winds, originating in the acceleration of air movement by the ice cap in the west, is completely unique. Which is why hikers should know about weather conditions before they set out. During my several times down there I have seen some people becoming desperate with the weather. Apart from that, the park and the people could now need every money they get, like the entrance fees. Ingrid

We're definitely going if even parts of it are open - leaving London on Feb 17 and should be in the park on Feb 18th evening until Feb 22nd evening. We're staying in the Rio Serrano area and from what I've seen on the Park's own twitter feed there are no fires in that area.

Although no one knows how things will progress, mid to late February and Rio Serrano look good. Do keep up to date on what is happening though. As parts of the W have been affected and may not be open even in February (erosion is going to be a serious problem) remain flexible about where you will go in the park. It is huge and most people stick to the same places. If you are in Puerto Natales for a night, try to get to the afternoon talk (free) at Erratic Rock. They will know all the latest on what is possible and can answer any questions.

Looks like they are partially reopening this week!

Yes, it seems so. But the information I am reading on the forum, @Huentetu gave me, when she told me about the fire end of last year, it is not really ... how should I say.. consistent and logical. The guy is constantly updating but it seems that there is a big controverse between the officials (Conaf and others) if, when and how much to open. It changes daily.... Have a look here: allchile.net/chileforum/topi... At the end of this page 10 is a map with the affected parts. In Thorntree form is obviously also one who lives there and is tour guide, this is the TT forum post: lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/t... And here is a photogallery of the park after the fire: laprensaaustral.cl/galeria/n... It seems that the part around LAgo Pehoe is most affected, plus parts north of Lago Nordenskjöld. What I completely fail to understand is why CONAF does not make any updates. Perhaps I was too stupid to find it, my Spanish is somehow deteriorating... In general: follow the advice, @Huentetu gave you about the Erratic Rock talk. That is a fantastic improvement since the times when I was in this part of the world :-) Ingrid

The problem is that Conaf had different ideas about how to open the park than the central government, so conflicting info went out. The park is open. What you can do: trek to Los Perros but you have to return the same way. All around Lago Grey is closed off. Hike to Los Cuernos. Hike to the towers viewpoint. You can't do the W or circuit, but can still get in some good hikes with great views. Very limited car access, you really have to leave the car at Hostería Las Torres. French valley is closed. As soon as other bits can be opened safely, they will. There were 620 visitors to the park yesterday, which is about 77% of the norm. There were some reports that you needed a guide for part of the trails but that does not appear to be true. It was what Conaf wanted. They have opted instead for a lot more presence of rangers and even police to keep people where they can safely be. Hope that helps.

Just to add to the above: Rio Serrano area is fine. The Rio Serrano entrance is closed and all visitors go in through Laguna Amarga or Azul. But that is more for control. Check with your Rio Serrano lodging closer to your visit about getting there.

This is from the Hotel Las Torres Blog: "The Serrano sector is fully open. Zodiacs can reach this area from Puerto Natales. It is an important entrance to the park where several hotels can be found. For the mean time there is no internal access from Serrano to the National Park, or the open areas (Laguna Amarga- Azul). Hopefully this situation will change in a few days."