Torres del Paine & Ushuaia Adventure
Discovering the Magic of the Torres del Paine National Park, for after crossing the Strait of Magallanes, to know the incredible frame of the Tierra del Fuego.
9 Days – 8 Nights Torres del Paine National Park Tierra del Fuego National Park
Discovering the Magic of the Torres del Paine National Park, for after crossing the Strait of Magallanes, to know the incredible frame of the Tierra del Fuego.
Day 1: El Calafate airport - El Calafate We welcome you at Calafate airport and transfer to town to check in at your hostel. You get the rest of the day at leisure to enjoy the town.
Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom.
Alternative: Hosteria or Inn , double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: dinner
Day 2: El Calafate - Torres del Paine National Park Early start for a 6 hs drive to our camp in Paine. We drive across the steppe, still following by parts the legendary route 40, to get around Sierra de los Baguales, an impressive range in between Calafate and Paine. We cross the Argentinean Chilean border at Cancha Carrera/ Cerro Castillo. After the border crossing, we start our final sprint to Paine National Park, World Heritage by the UNESCO (United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization). Approaching the Park, we start to see the different mountains that feature the area: Paine Grande, the Horns, Admiral Nieto and the Towers. We enter the Park by Porteria Sarmiento. A rich wildlife: guanacos, lesser rheas, condors and all types of wetland and buzzard birds, will be available for our eyes and cameras. We’ll stop in the Lake Nordenskjöld and in Salto Grande viewpoints for short walks. In the afternoon we continue to visit the westernmost side of the National Park, lake Grey area, where a short and easy hike along the south shore of the lake allow us to enjoy the blue icebergs that calving from the glacier in the northern side of the lake are pushed by the wind to this side.
Lake Pehoe Full Camp keeps the style of Laguna Capri and Cerro Torre Full Camps, but combined with the first class facilities provided by the campsite: good and clean bathrooms and hot water showers, water and electricity in each camping site.
Lodging at Camping Pehoe Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.
Day 3: Paine Towers - Ascensio River Valley We drive an tour to get to Estancia Cerro Paine, headtrail for the world famous Paine towers. We “warm up” hiking a steep one hour slope, to get inside the Ascensio river valley, a narrow “V” shape alpine valley coming from inside the Paine massif. A gentle downhill leads us to Refugio Chileno, a cozy and comfortable mountain lodge, which can be a good turnaround point for those not willing to make a full day hike. We then walk in a gentle slope along the river side and inside beech forest. A final climb on moraine take us to the Towers viewpoint: a glacier origin lagoon and the three towers rising vertically 1000 mts from the glacier. The lack of breath will be either because the climb and the sight!!!! We go back to our camp on the same way we came. Walking time: 7 to 8 hs.
Lodging at Camping Pehoe Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.
Day 4: Lake Pehoe crossing - French Valley Early in the morning a short drive takes us to Port Pudeto to board the catamarán that cross lake Pehoe twice a day. We carry only the necessary stuff to be 2 days and 1 night away from our Camping Pehoe Full Camp, where the rest of our luggage will stay. One in the far side of the lake, we leave unnecessary items in our tents and we set out to the French Valley trail. The trail skirts Paine Grande south slopes and lake Skottberg, to take us after 2 hs and a half of continuous ups and downs, to the hanging bridge upon the French River. This breathtaking location is at the foot of both the 2700 mts south east face of Paine Grande (to the west) and the Horns, with its characteristic black sedimentary topping, to the east. Keen hikers can go on and reach the upper viewpoints of the valley, from where you see the whole group of spires that feature the high valley: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (The Fortress).
Walking time for those who reach the upper viewpoints: 8 to 9 hs. For those reaching the lower viewpoints: 5 to 6.
We retrace our steps back to Refugio Pehoe Full Camp.
Lodging at Refugio Pehoe Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.
Day 5: Glaciar Grey viewpoints Lake Grey trail leads from Pehoe Valley across ridges to reach Grey valley. This magnificent valley flows down somewhat of 60 km from the Patagonian Icefield, featuring the huge glacier calving down in the grey colour lake. Our trail skirts the lake, going up and down the westerns slopes of Paine Grande, offering some of the most impressive sights of the Park. From the high sections of the trail, many different viewpoints allow us to see the south end of the lake where the blue icebergs gather, the mountains rising far in the distance above glaciers Grey and Tyndall, and of course lake and glacier Grey. We reach the main viewpoint, a rocky point somewhat 2 hs away from Pehoe, with views over the Lake and Glacier Grey and the surrounding glaciers and mountains. We come back along the same trail, crossing bogs, shrublands and forest. By noon we take the boat to cross lake Pehoe back and then we go to our accommodation in Puerto Natales, a picturesque fishermen town located in the shores of the Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) fiord.
Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom.
Alternative: Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch
Day 6: Puerto Natales - Río Grande Long drive today, though quite worthwhile. We continue south to reach the legendary Magellan Strait, which we will keep on sight up to Primera Angostura, where we board the Ferry in which we will cross the Strait. This Pass, discovered by Hernando de Magallanes in 1520, was the natural and logical way to all vessels until de Panama Channel was open at the beginning of the XXth century. You will find yourselves wondering how those brave men dare to sail those waters in such fragile caravels!!!
Once in Tierra del Fuego (literally, Land of Fire, due to the fires seen by the first white sailors in the coast, done by the local Indians to cook and heat) we enter back Argentina through Paso San Sebastián. A couple more of hours to reach Estancia Las Hijas, where our Full Camp will be waiting for us, as well as a lamb cooked in the classical Patagonian barbecue style. A dinning saloon, toilettes and showers are available tonight.
Lodging at Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.
Day 7: Río Grande - Tierra Mayor valley In the morning we learn about the ranch activities and how dogs deal with the sheep. By mid morning we continue south to Solar del Bosque, a small and cozy mountain refuge located in the Tierra Mayor valley, where we’ll spend the rest of the day. After lunch, those who wish to can by their own visit Laguna Esmeralda, a beautiful lagoon with Glacier Ojos del Albino in the background (a quite easy trail). On the way back to our lodge across terrain that has been modified by the beavers, which were introduced in the area from Canada by middle of the last century.
Lodging in Mountain Lodge with shared bedrooms and bathrooms
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.
Day 8: Ushuaia - Tierra del Fuego National Park - Beagle Channel boat trip We leave behind the valley and a half an hour drive leads us to Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the World. We leave our luggage in our hostel or hotel (we will not check in, as it is still early in the morning) and continue to Tierra del Fuego National Park. This National Park is in the south west corner of the argentinean side of the Island, thus in the border with Chile. The main attraction of the Park and the whole Island actually are the mountains coming down to the sea. We make a short hike in this area. In the afternoon, a boat trip in the Beagle channel allows us to see the different species of sea birds and mammals that leave in this corner of Earth.
Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom.
Alternative: Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast and box lunch.
Day 9: Ushuaia - Ushuaia Airport Morning at your own to visit the town located in the north coast of the Beagle channel. Then town features interesting museums and its typical architecture. In the afternoon we are transferred to Ushauaia airport to take our flight to Buenos Aires. Our services end at the airport.
Meals we provide: Breakfast.
Services Details
Included
Meals Meals included in the program are detailed in the following chart.:
Lodging We offer the “Torres del Paine + Ushuaia Adventure” in three different type of accommodations.:
A) Hostel Room with Shared Bathroom.
B) INN Double Base with Private Bathroom.
C) INN Single Base with Private Bathroom.
Not Included
NOTES: Eco-Family holds the right of changing the itinerary or cancel any of the activities when any natural cause (or any other cause of any type) justifies it in order to look after the group safety. LIST OF SUGGESTED PERSONAL EQUIPMENT:
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