Visiting Torres del Paine |
GETTING THERE. Reaching Torres del Paine requires some patience and planning. First, catch a flight to Chile's capital, Santiago (American Airlines, Delta and Avianca offer flights from JFK Airport, starting at about $650 round-trip, excluding taxes and fees, in mid-November) and transfer to the southern city of Punta Arenas (LAN Airlines is a good choice; round-trip fares start at about $310, excluding taxes and fees). Several bus services, such as Buses Fernandez, regularly make the three-hour trip from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales, from where the park is accessible by bus or van.
One way per person is about $6.
ACCOMMODATIONS. Puerto Natales offers an abundance of equipment rentals, transportation options and basic accommodations, such as the warm and cozy Patagonia Adventure hostel (apatagonia.com); $30 for double occupancy, breakfast included. Finding a last-minute room can be a challenge in the high season of October through March, however. Indigo, a new boutique hotel with views of Puerto Natales' Last Hope Fjord, makes an excellent splurge after a hike through the park (www.indigopatagonia.com); rates start at $195, double occupancy, breakfast included.
WHERE TO EAT. El Maritimo, on the Puerto Natales waterfront, serves excellent avocado and king crab appetizers, tasty fish soup and a local specialty made with mashed potatoes and cochayuyo (seaweed). (56-61 414994; $30 for two with wine). Mesita Grande, by the Plaza de Armas, serves amazing wood-oven pizzas and Toblerone mousse (56-61 411571; dinner for two runs about $20).
DETAILS. Chile uses the Chilean peso, with a current exchange rate of about 522 pesos per dollar. Admission to Torres del Paine requires a one-time fee of about $30 a person; you'll spend another $100 when you first enter the country, as Chile is embroiled in a nasty tit-for-tat tourist entry fee dispute with the United States.
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