Top 5 Day Hikes in Torres del Paine, Chile: Patagonia’s Easiest and Hardest Day Treks

Patagonia, in both Chile and Argentina, is widely known as one of the backpacking capitals of the world. This southernmost section of the Andes mountain range is considered to be the end of the world, the furthest south you can go in the southern hemisphere before reaching the south pole on Antarctica. And so 4 million visitors from around the globe fly out this unique region, ready for a multi-day backcountry adventure.

But many of us would love to be able to experience a slice of what those other folks are having, without roughing it. Carrying our livelihood on our backs for days on end, with the kilos of food, cookware, clothes, sleeping equipment and more wearing us down, isn’t really our cup of tea. Unless we have no choice to witness the beauty of a place except by backpacking, we love opting to do day hikes instead.

While we explored the incredible Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile, we made it our mission to drive into the park almost every day while staying in Puerto Natales, to embark on various day hikes. From some easy ones that can be completed within a couple of hours, to full-on 9-hour treks, we managed to complete a variety of them, while still getting many views that folks witness on the O and W treks.

Jason and I compiled our top five favourite day hikes of Torres del Paine, giving you a taste of different regions of Torres del Paine! Starting from the easiest to the hardest, here is our list, linked with exact locations to start each trek!

Mirador Sierra Masle

For this hike, we’re going to start off easy and in a quiet part of Torres del Paine National Park. In the north part of the park sits Laguna Azul, a shimmering blue lake with a far away view of the three towers of Las Torres and the adjacent mountains iconic to the park. The drive to Laguna Azul from Puerto Natales is just under 2 hours, but along the way, in the northern section, you’ll likely want to make stops as you witness many vicuñas grazing on the side of the road.

The area’s remoteness brings in a lot more wildlife, so prepare to slow down on these quiet roads and snap your pictures! Laguna Azul is equally as secluded. Although it has a small welcome centre and a full campground set up on the shores, it’s relatively quiet even during the high season. To hike up to Mirador Sierra Masle, you’ll want to drive up to the dirt car lot near the campsite on the northeastern shoreline of Laguna Azul.

The path to Sierra Masle viewpoint is a steady uphill heading north through the trees and around heading west following the hill’s sloped cliff edge. As this entire trail is still quite off-the-beaten-track, there’s no telling where the true lookout point is. But we figured it was the rocky, open overlook before the trail starts to curve downwards.

Continuing along the path will lead you back towards the lake shoreline going counterclockwise around it, but for the sake of doing a short out-and-back easy hike, Mirador Sierra Masle ends here. For the most optimal times to do this hike, either try for midday when the lake is shimmering or sunset for some golden hour glow over the mountains.

Mirador Los Cuernos

Next up is another easy hike but it’s also our favourite day hike in Torres del Paine. It really comes down to the never-ending views and the ease of the path throughout. It doesn’t feel like you need to buckle your knees and have your heart racing in order to be rewarded with such stellar sights!

Mirador Los Cuernos is located in the central part of the national park. It’s a 2-hour drive from Puerto Natales, leading you to a gravel parking lot by the Lago Pehoé welcome centre. This spot is generally known as Estancia Pudeto, which is the dock to hop on the one and only catamaran cruise in Torres National Park. The catamaran boat allows people who are either starting or finishing the W-circuit to cross Lake Pehoé to or from the Paine Grande campsite/refugio.

There’s a lot going on in this one place, so we definitely advise starting this hike early if you can. The trail typically opens at 8am, and the gravel road up to the trailhead opens at that time too, allowing you to park right at the start of the trail.

The Los Cuernos trek is often victim to having high winds in the summer, so there’s always a park ranger who monitors the wind conditions and provides the wind speeds on the board at the trailhead by opening time. If the winds are too strong, the trail will be too dangerous to allow for passage. So definitely aim to hike Mirador Los Cuernos on a calmer day! You can check the wind forecast for Puerto Natales—and adjacently, Torres del Paine—on this website.

What makes this hike so beautiful is all the iconic landscapes you see along the way within such a short distance. Starting off strong with the powerful Salto Grande waterfall with its thundering milky blue water that drops from Nordenskjöld Lake to Lake Pehoé. Throughout the hike, you’ll have the majestic Paine Grande and Los Cuernos to gaze at, as well as the vibrant Nordenskjöld Lake that you’ll see lapping onto the beaches that you’ll walk by. The trail itself is also blooming with native flora and the burnt bone-white Nothofagus trees make for an magical and eerie walk.

Mirador Condor

Our third hike is short and sweet as well, but also a little steep. We’re heading up to Mirador Cóndor, or Condor Lookout for this one! Located right along the eastern shoreline of Lake Pehoé, the trailhead starts right by Camping Lago Pehoé at this narrow car park off the side of the Y-150.

The trail up is quite narrow and you might be brushing up against the sharp shrubs and trees. It winds up the hill with some switchbacks and before it curves around to reach the top of the cliff, it passes through a narrow V between two cliffs. This passage can experience high winds so be prudent as you walk through! The trail then takes a turn to the north and up to the ridge overlooking the gorgeous blue Lake Pehoé.

Take the time to enjoy the sweeping views of the Chilean Patagonia mountain range, with Paine Grande and Lose Cuernos in front and centre! And if you’re lucky you might also spot some majestic condors soaring through the skies above.

From the lookout, you’ll be able to see a small island by the shoreline of the lake with a connecting pedestrian bridge leading to it. This is the hotel Hostería Pehoé, where we spent one night at while we explored this part of Torres. It’s worth considering to stay at some of the accommodations located within the park, not only for the convenience but for the views day in and day out!

Mirador Ferrier

Heading to the west part of Torres del Paine, we find ourselves at one of the most underrated day hikes in the whole park. Cerro Ferrier was not originally on our list to hike, but we spontaneously opted to do it when we weren’t sure how the weather was going to turn out in the afternoon. Located on the southwestern shores of Lago Grey, you can park at Guardería Grey to start this hike.

Once you arrive there and start walking to the trailhead, you’ll need to check in (and later check out) at the little trailer office, as they need a headcount and guest information to keep track of how many and who are on this trail. As I mentioned, it’s a bit more off-the-beaten-path and this is the park’s way of monitoring the safety of everyone on the trail.

Hiking up Cerro Ferrier is quite a leg-burner, as it covers a short distance with higher elevation. But fortunately, it offers quite a bit of shade throughout, with a few pockets for views out to Lago Grey and beyond. At first, you’ll be able to see the glacial icebergs by the beach of Lake Grey, and the further up you go, the further you’ll see towards the northern side of Lake Grey, as well as to the east where stands Lake Pehoé.

The landscapes aren’t as magnificent from Mirador Ferrier, but they’re different from what you’ve seen thus far! You’ll be peering out towards a massive Grey Glacier and have a completely different view of Paine Grande and Los Cuernos. It’s worth the trek up with some scramble sections, even on a cloudy day. Just be careful of the wind up on the lookout, as I definitely felt like I was going to be blown right off the cliff!

Mirador Base Las Torres

Last but not least, Mirador Base Las Torres. This is inarguably the most widely known hike in all of Patagonia. Yes, even out of both the Chilean and Argentinian sides. It’s the iconic view of the shimmering glacial lake at the base of three granite towers that captivate our thoughts, even after seeing a picture of it online. But despite the final view at the top of the hike being so mesmerizing, the hike isn’t quite so.

But alas, you can’t leave Torres del Paine without actually hiking the national park’s namesake! If you can stomach it that is. Most people will start their hike from the Torres del Paine welcome centre at this large parking lot. Try to get there as early as possible to snag your spot! Use the washrooms at the welcome centre before embarking on your hike as you don’t know when the next time you’ll be able to.

Follow the signs and walking trail heading for Las Torres and after 1.5 km on a flat path, you’ll reach the trailhead, located right by Hotel Las Torres Patagonia. On a hot and sunny day with little wind, you’ll start to feel pretty exposed at this point. It’s a rocky terrain for the next 5 km or so with little to no shade and quite a bit of an incline.

Only once you cross over to Refugio Chileno will you start to feel the cool and moist air of the woods. But after another 3 km, you’ll be once again exposed to the elements for the steepest part as you scramble and step your way up the boulders and loose rocks to the base of Las Torres.

It might not be a fun or beautiful experience as you don’t get to witness much in terms of views. But that last step you take when the gatorade blue lake and the three stone towers reveal themselves will make every step before that worth it.

On your way back down, make sure to fill up on your water at Camp Chileno at the fresh water filling station! You can’t miss it, it’s right along the path.

Where to Stay When Hiking in Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine National Park has stayed true to its wild nature and remains free in the sense that it isn’t populated by small towns and accommodations. On the one hand, it allows the flora and fauna species of the region to flourish and maintain their natural habitat. On the other, fewer accommodations means much lower vacancy rates and much higher price rates. It makes it harder for people with a tighter budget to stay within Torres del Paine, but that’s the name of the supply and demand game.

Even though it didn’t fit in our budget for our entire time in Patagonia, we did enjoy staying one night in the park. It wasn’t just incredibly convenient, saving us a 4-hour roundtrip drive. It was also a memorable experience, going to sleep and waking up to the howling wind shifting against the lakes and mountains; the vibrant shades of blues and oranges, purples and greens; and the native species of plants that you might not find anywhere else in the world.

Where to Stay Within Torres de Paine National Park

I mentioned our one night in Torres, and that was at the esteemed Hostería Pehoé, which was very central and uniquely set on the natural islet in Lake Pehoé. The view of Los Cuernos and Paine Grande from the small island, and from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the upstairs lounge, was worth losing sleep for. It was worth the splurge during high season, but there are a select few hotels—not refugios or campsites—in the park that we would recommend looking at!

• Tierra Patagonia: luxury hotel and spa right by the main road Y-150, situated on the eastern edge of Lake Sarmiento
• Hotel Las Torres: isolated mountain resort located right beside the Base Las Torres trailhead
• Explora Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico: all-inclusive upscale hotel perched above the Salto Chico waterfall with stunning boardwalks surrounding the quiet area
• Hotel Lago Grey: remote hotel, also off the Y-150, neighbouring the southern beach of Lago Grey with massive windows from the rooms

Remember, if you’re planning your trip to Patagonia for the high season, it’s best to book your accommodations months in advance if you’re looking to stay within the parks! Our choices were limited with sky-rocketed prices by the time we booked.

Where to Stay in Puerto Natales

If you aren’t able to settle on a place within the park, Puerto Natales is the next best thing. It’s the closest town, as well as the transit hub for coming in and out of Torres del Paine. Whether you’re flying in, driving through or taking the bus from the Argentina side, you’ll likely have to pass through and stop in Puerto Natales.

We stayed in Puerto Natales a total of three times as we came in and out of Torres and from the Argentinian side of Patagonia. It was much more affordable staying in town, not only in accommodation but in dining. We went out to get groceries at supermarkets including Unimarc and Supermercado Superfrut, which definitely helped take the burden off our wallets. Being able to cook 95% of our meals made a huge difference, as dining out in Patagonia is akin to dining out at home in Canada.

We found that staying within town centre was most beneficial, whether you plan on renting a car or taking the bus into Torres. We preferred choosing guesthouses or bed & breakfast’s located between the Puerto Natales Bus Terminal and the few car rental shops in town. This also meant we were in walking distance to Unimarc as well!

How to Get Around Torres del Paine

As I mentioned, Torres is a very remote national park. You’re either going to be trekking your way through it across several days, riding the elusive bus (check out the Bus Sur site here for more info) in and about the park, or driving yourself.

You’ve likely landed on my post because you’re seeking ideas for day hikes and will be doing Torres del Paine self-guided. In that case, I would encourage you to rent your own car if you can and book this in advance as well! Our preferred rental cars price comparison platform is Rentalcars.com.

It’s incredibly easy to drive on the vast roads of Patagonia, even if you do hit a few gravel roads under construction! The Chilean government is constantly improving their infrastructure for this growing region, but the roads continue to be as safe as they can be.