Trekking along the W Trail
Imagine standing at the foot of towering granite peaks, surrounded by glaciers and turquoise lakes. This breathtaking beauty is what awaits trekkers on the W Trail in Torres del Paine National Park, located in the vast and rugged region of Patagonia at the southern tip of South America. A UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, Torres del Paine is known for its striking natural beauty that beckons adventurous travelers from around the globe. The W Trail, one of the most popular hiking routes in the park, takes trekkers on a journey through some of Patagonia’s most breathtaking landscapes, including the towers of Paine, the French Valley, and Grey Glacier. This trek is a must-do for anyone who loves nature, adventure, and stunning landscapes. In this post, we’ll take you along on our trek along the W Trail and share our experience of this unforgettable adventure.
Travel to Santiago, Punta Arenas, and Puerto Natales
For our first international backpacking trip as a couple, we chose one of the longest and more logistically complex hikes available, with multiple plane and bus rides required to reach our final destination. As a result, we included a buffer day on either side of our large travel days, and we highly recommend considering this for your trip to Patagonia. It allowed us to have our adventurous vacation while also giving us time to rest and recover.
To begin our journey, we spent over 15 hours in the air before landing in Santiago, Chile on the morning of Daniel’s birthday. After a scenic 20-minute taxi ride from the airport to our hotel at the Costanera Center, we checked in, dropped off our bags, and headed right back out into the city. After grabbing coffee at a charming local cafe, we then headed to an open-air museum not far from our hotel. From there, we spent most of the morning and early afternoon walking along the city’s greenway, which we found was a great way to explore the city and take in the local culture. The greenway features beautiful parks, gardens, and landmarks such as the Cerro San Cristobal and the La Chascona Museum House, which was once the residence of the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. With plenty of cafes and restaurants along the way, it’s an ideal spot to relax and soak in the sights and sounds of the city.
Once mid-afternoon rolled around, we got a bit peckish and started looking for some local cuisine. We stumbled upon the Patio Bellavista, a food hall that featured local artisan shops, colorful street art, trendy cafes, and bars. You could easily spend hours exploring all the shops and tasting the multitude of options. After enjoying some pisco sours and a Peruvian dinner, we returned to our hotel for an early night in preparation for our 5am flight to Punta Arenas.
After a three-hour flight, we were greeted with a vastly different atmosphere than Santiago. The temperature was around 20 degrees colder, and the bustling city had transformed into a charming town. If you time your flight right, you might catch one of the first buses from the airport to Puerto Natales. Unfortunately, we weren’t as lucky, and had to wait about two hours in the airport for the next Bus Sur.
Our three-hour bus ride on the clean and affordable Bus Sur brought us to Puerto Natales, our last stop before heading to Torres del Paine National Park the next day. Compared to Santiago, Puerto Natales felt like a small hamlet, and many of the city’s shops were closed on Sunday. However, we still found enough to keep us entertained during the windy afternoon. For dinner, we highly recommend Angelica’s Restaurant, where the staff were incredibly friendly and spoke enough English to understand our broken Spanish.
Day 1: Chileno and Mirador Las Torres
The next morning, after being led to the bus stop by two of the city’s stray dogs, we caught the 6:50am bus into Torres del Paine National Park, and after another three hour bus ride and a short shuttle, we arrived at the National Park Visitor’s Center. After a quick bathroom break and water refill, we began our real adventure!
While you can hike the W in either direction, we decided to tackle the westbound route, which has the advantage of giving you one of the best views at the start of the trip–Las Torres. The hike from the welcome center up to Las Torres is a challenging and rewarding journey. The hike begins with a gradual ascent through a beautiful lenga forest before transitioning to a steeper climb up a rocky moraine. The last hour of the hike is the most strenuous, with steep scramble up loose rocks leading up to the base of the towers.
Upon reaching the top, the view of Las Torres is absolutely breathtaking. The three granite towers loom majestically over a crystal-clear lagoon, creating a picture-perfect landscape that is truly unforgettable. It’s no wonder why this hike is one of the most popular in the park!
The hike back to Refugio Chileno is just as stunning, with panoramic views of the park and surrounding mountains. The trail descends through the same lenga forest and rocky moraine, offering a different perspective of the park’s natural beauty.
After the 12-mile segment we settled into the picturesque valley surrounding the Chileno Refugio for full room and board with salmon awaiting us for a family style dinner surrounded by fellow trekkers.
Day 2: Cuernos Sector
After staying the first night in a well equipped tent at the Chileno Refugio, Daniel and I started off for day two around 8am. The hike from Refugio Chileno to Refugio Cuernos is one of the most beautiful and memorable parts of the Torres del Paine circuit. The trail starts by following the same path as the hike to Las Torres, heading uphill through a dense forest of lenga trees. After about an hour, the trail levels out and offers a stunning view of the Valle del Ascencio, with the glacier-fed river winding through the valley below.
Continuing on the trail, hikers will come across several river crossings, which can be challenging depending on the water level. Along the way, there are also several lookouts that offer fantastic views of the Paine Massif, including the iconic Cuernos del Paine (Horns of Paine).
This was one of our shorter days, with only about 9 miles to reach Refugio Cuernos, situated on the shore of Lake Nordenskjöld. After reaching our destination, we relaxed and waited for our cabin to be ready for check-in at 3pm, enjoying local beer and the Wi-Fi available at the main building. The refugio offered a delicious meal with a vegetarian option of grilled vegetables that provided much-needed warmth and sustenance. However, as dinner time approached, the wind picked up and began howling at 100 km/hr, causing the walls of the refugio to bend slightly and making for a rougher night of sleep even in the private cabins.
Day 3: Frances Valley to Paine Grande
Our third day began with strong winds and after confirming with other travelers on the safety of continuing, we set off around 6:30 am for the longest segment hike of the trip, around 15 miles. We used our headlamps to see for the first hour and as the sun rose we caught one of the most rewarding sunrises of our trip near Lago Nordenskjold. From there, we crossed a river via a suspension bridge before beginning a gradual ascent to the Italiano Campsite. This section of the trail is often shaded by trees and offers a peaceful respite from the sun. The campsite is a popular rest stop for hikers and offers restrooms and a picnic area.
After leaving the Italiano Campsite, the trail becomes steep and rocky as it ascends towards the Mirador Frances lookout point. The climb is strenuous, but the views from the top are well worth the effort. You’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the Paine Massif, including the Torres del Paine and Los Cuernos peaks.
From Mirador Frances, the trail descends towards the Pehoe Lake and eventually arrives at the Paine Grande Refugio, situated on the shore of the lake. This is the largest and most modern refugio in the park, and it offers a wide range of amenities, including hot showers, a restaurant, and a small convenience store.The decision to brave our early morning hike in the darkness and raging winds ultimately proved to be the wisest choice, as we made it to the last refugio for our trip, Paine Grande, ten minutes before the heavens opened up to downfall that lasted the rest of the afternoon and evening.
Day 4: Mirador Gray
On day four, we woke up early at Refugio Paine Grande to start our hike to Mirador Grey. The trail was well-marked and initially flat with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers. As we approached the first viewpoint, we saw a huge glacier calving in the distance, which was truly breathtaking.
After the viewpoint, the trail started to climb up through a forested area and eventually opened up to the exposed terrain, with strong winds blowing across the hills. As we continued, we saw more glaciers in the distance, and the landscape was covered in colorful wildflowers. The final stretch of the hike was a steep climb to the Mirador Grey, but the view of the glacier and the lake at the top was well worth the effort.
At the Mirador, we rested for a while, taking in the stunning views of the glacier and the surrounding mountains. We enjoyed our lunch looking at the massive glacier from afar and let the sun warm us on our 4 mile hike back to Paine Grande.
Overall, the 4-day hiking trek was an unforgettable experience. From the stunning natural beauty of Patagonia to the comfortable accommodations and delicious meals, this trek has everything you need for an adventure of a lifetime.
Travel Day and Punta Arenas:
The next morning, we bid Patagonia goodbye. After grabbing breakfast and our final packed lunches, we left the park on the 9:30 am ferry catching any views we could between the rain and the fog. After a bus ride from the ferry station, we arrived back in Puerto Natales and shortly caught another bus to Punta Arenas, arriving in the heart of the larger city around 5pm. After we drop our packs off at the Airbnb a few blocks from the bus station, we head to a local food truck around the block serving premiere hot dogs – Diente Largo. My Chilean pork dog topped with sauerkraut, homemade spicy mayo and frites may be the best hot dog I have ever had!
Sleeping in the next morning, we checked out of the Airbnb at 11am and headed to the town’s riverwalk. Statues and local art decorated the riverwalk every few hundred meters with dolphins and other wildlife keeping pace with us on our leisurely stroll. For the afternoon, we headed back into the heart of the city to grab a bite to eat at Pizzeria Viale and meandered around the Cemetery of Punta Arenas before ending our city day at a local dessert shop with a celebratory hot chocolate and americano.
Final Day in Santiago
With much of our exploration behind us, our final day in Santiago focused on relaxation, sipping coffee, and exploring the Costanera Center. Prior to heading to the airport for our flight back to the US, we selected a local seafood joint – Winnipeg Resto Mar – to enjoy Chilean food and wine and shuffled to a local gelato shop a block away from the restaurant – Festa Gelatería.
Whether you’re an experienced hiker or a novice adventurer, the W trail is an unforgettable experience that will leave you awe-struck by the raw power and beauty of nature. A trip to Chile and Patagonia is one we cannot recommend enough!