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Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park is bordered by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, one of the largest glaciated areas in the world outside of Antarctica. Sister park to Yosemite in California, Torres del Paine's busy trail system, pricey refugios and the 200,000 visitors it hosts per year, may not make it exactly paradise for those looking for something remote.
That said, it's extremely popular for a reason. The Torres and Cuernos grace postcards and book covers all over the world and they are a symbol for Chile. “Paine,” by the way, means blue, and you'll see blues that will blow your mind. Plus, it is possible to get away from the crowds, especially if you stay long enough, for example, to do the back end of the circuit, and not just the standard W trek.
To venture even further away from the masses, visit Laguna Azul or Pingo. Even if you don't stray from the well-trod parts of the Park, make sure you check out the icebergs on Lago Grey. Human settlement in the area traces back to 12,000 years ago. Estancias (ranches) were started by German and British colonists in the 1890s. More recently, truckloads of barbed wire fencing have gradually been removed from the Park as the land is converted from estancia back to its natural state.
National Park administrator: jose.linnebrink@conaf.cl; URL: www.p.t.paine.com
Things to do in Torres del Paine National Park
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolumbino
This museum, specializing in pre-Columbian Chile, is one of the country’s best. Located in an elegant white building in the center of Santiago, the museum is a journey through time. It displays a ...Center, Santiago, Chile
Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas dates back to 1541 when Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago. The square was used as an army training ground, with a protected area in the middle that was used to store arms. The ...Center, Santiago, Chile
Isla de Mancera
In the center of Bahía de Corral at the mouth of the Valdivia River is Isla Mancera, previously called Guiguacabín by the indigenous people. This small island played a big role in the defense
...Near Valdivia, Valdivia, Chile
Corral
On the south shores of Bahía de Corral is the village of Corral. Here, history and nature are prime attractions, with ruins of Spanish fortresses alongside beaches for swimming and fishing. In town,
...Near Valdivia, Valdivia, Chile
Cervecería Kunstmann and Museo de la Cerveza
To have a taste of home, German immigrants in Valdivia began brewing their own beer. With the 1960 earthquake, however, all the cervecerías were destroyed. Nary had a drop come out of the taps,
...Near Valdivia, Valdivia, Chile
Niebla
The road west from Valdivia cuts across Isla Teja, then the Puente Cruces bridge, back to the mainland. It passes Cervecería Kunstmann (Km 8) and along marshes. Nearing Niebla, cabañas and camping
...Near Valdivia, Valdivia, Chile
Parque Saval
The grounds of Parque Saval come alive on weekends with families picnicking, strolling and just enjoying the outdoors. This 30-hectare park has two major attractions. Across the water lily pond that
...Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
Photos in the reception area of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo show this building's fate – formerly the Anwandter Brewery – before and after the 1960 mega quake. In a wing that was left
...Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile
Isla Negra
Tour guides at Pablo Neruda’s Isla Negra home will claim that, of his many houses, this home was the place that most embodied the poet’s spirit. Neruda’s “Isla Negra” home is not on an
...Valparaíso , Chile
Museo Histórico y Arqueológico Mauricio van de Maele
On the banks of Río Calle Calle, the former home of the Anwandter brewing family houses the Museo Histórico y Arqueológico Mauricio van de Maele. Named for the museum's founder, the first-floor
...Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile
Poblado Artesanal
Poblado Artesanal is a living and working artisan village on the south side of Arica. Founded in 1979, this brainchild of José Raúl Naranjo Menenses has white-washed huts with straw roofs.
...Arica, Chile
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