Punta Arenas Travel Forum

Just wondering if anyone knows if its possible to get any short term work in Puntas Arenas in January 2005, possibly for a trekking company...?
Also, how easy is it to trek without using a company, particularly as I will be travelling on my own? Are there many solo travellers this time of year who might want to link up to go trekking?
How easy/expensive is it to get to Torres del Paine from Puntas Arenas?

I know, loads of questions, but any help would be much appreciated!
Mike

Regarding your question: How easy/expensive is it to get to Torres del Paine from Puntas Arenas?

Usually, people do not base themselves in Punta Arenas to go to Torres del Paine. You have to take a bus, very regular service, to Puerto Natales. Punta Arenas is about 3 or 4 hours south of Puerto Natales.

NP Torres del Paine is easily reached from Puerto Natales (about 1.5 - 2 hrs) by bus. There are bus companies in Puerto Natales that sell special-priced tickets with specific times to and fro NP Torres del Paine where you can go hike there for a few days and then, catch the bus back.

Enjoy your trip...

besitos,
trish... : )

Hello, my brother and I went to chile a couple of years ago, we were planning on backpacking for like 3 weeks into the torres del plaine, we were going to take a bus all the way down to punta arenas but had trouble in Puerto Montt so decided to fly down and realized it was cheaper to do so. Anyway we flew into Puntas Arenas took a bus into town and stayed in a hostel called the blue house hostel or International House of Backpackers, the house is blue, had nothing but good times in that hostel, but its easy and cheap to get to the torres del paine, when you take the bus into town from the airport it will drop you off at the station and then you can ask the people there and buy the ticket to take you to the torres del paine, I cant remember if they just take you to a smaller city closer to the park or if you can get one that goes all the way in. But we stayed at a city that was close to the park and stayed in a nice hostel there, the guy at the hostel had a little side business with his own bus that would take you up to the park. When we got to the park we realized it was really popular, and you have to stay on the trails and no open fires and you have to stay at there camps and pay for each camp so bring money with you, they also sell stuff at each camp, but we met some really cool people on the trail, and had some good times, even though we only hiked 14km just to hike right back out the next day due to money problems, but I think youll like it, we went in February which I guess is summer down there, it was beautiful, we met the most wonderful people, If you decide not to do Torres del Paine, me and my brother went more south to a lake called Lago Blancos, you have to take a ferry down to a city called Porvinir then hitch hike to the lake, good times, but youll have fun in Puntas Arenas no matter what if you stay at the Blue House hostel, anyway I think youll have a good time, it was cold because your so far south your right next to Antartica, but I wish you the best of luck down there. I remain Eric