Within South America’s vast region of Patagonia, which lies partly in Chile and partly in Argentina, Torres del Paine National Park is one of the most spectacular destinations. 

Wild and remote, the park is celebrated for its stunning scenery and the magnificent granite torres (towers) for which it is named. First nicknamed “Cleopatra’s Needles” by Scottish traveler and writer Lady Florence Dixie in 1879, the needle-like towers continue to enchant visitors from around the world.

Nature enthusiasts and adventurers come to the park to hike the challenging, multi-day W and O trekking circuits, which afford unsurpassable views. But travelers less keen on multi-day treks should know that there are many ways to discover Torres del Paine, with guided daytrips and lodging in the park. Among top choices for prime location is Las Torres Patagonia Hotel and Reserve, where during my stay, I was happy to learn that the iconic towers can be spotted from several vantage points; no strenuous hike necessary.

From Cattle Ranching to Hospitality and Conservation

In the heart of the park, the 74-room Las Torres Hotel consists of several ranch-style buildings amid hilly meadows and patches of forest where wildlife thrives. We were told, in fact, to look out for a family of pumas that are often seen sauntering across the property at dusk. 

The three-generation, family-owned Las Torres Patagonia began as a bed and breakfast in 1992, with 10 guest rooms on a longstanding cattle ranch. Over time, more rooms were added, along with camping sites and mountain hostels. Since their early years of ranch life, the owners of Las Torres Patagonia have cared deeply for the land, implementing sustainability initiatives and working with partners in conservation and environmental education. In 2013, the family made the decision to remove the cattle from the ranch to focus exclusively on sustainable tourism, and Las Torres Reserve was born. While offering lodging options and daytrip adventures in the national park, the Reserve follows strict conservation guidelines. 

The hotel opened the 2024-25 season after an extensive refurbishment, updated in a contemporary style with modern amenities. Design accents such as rustic wood paneling, local artisan weavings, and a cowboy saddle in the lobby highlight the Patagonian culture. 

Two Friends delight in Las Torres All-inclusive Experience

With an attentive guest services team and knowledgeable adventure guides, Las Torres offers a refined experience yet maintains a casual ambience. In addition to a choice of daily excursions, the hotel’s all-inclusive stay includes lodging, meals, wine and spirits (except premium labels), airport transfers and thoughtful amenities. Certain amenities not included are spa services at Las Torres Spa, found in a cozy log cottage with an ivy-covered ceiling.

My friend and I were pleased to have the stress-free all-inclusive plan, beginning at Puerto Natales airport where our Las Torres transport driver met us. After the two-hour drive on gravel roads through the park, we were greeted at the hotel with a Calafate Sour, a Patagonian cocktail made with the native calafate berry.

Our arrival coincided with Las Torres Lamb Roast night: a classic Patagonian barbecue that entails a whole lamb rotating on a stick over a fire. That evening, we joined a small group of 10 guests seated in a semi-circle around the fire, while savory aromas, Chilean wine and engaging conversation flowed. We enjoyed the meal and celebrated a guest’s birthday with a shared cake. A wonderful, warm introduction to Patagonia!

During our three-night stay we continued to find Las Torres cuisine to be one of the great indulgences. The hotel restaurant Coirón serves traditional Patagonian dishes and a variety of meats, fish and homemade desserts. Ingredients are largely sourced from the organic kitchen gardens and orchards behind the hotel. Breakfast includes a European-style buffet and made-to-order eggs/omelet station; and sack lunches are prepared for excursions. The Pioneer Bar in the main lobby also serves lunch and dinner, and is popular for Las Torres signature cocktails, house-crafted beer, and gin made of local botanicals and glacial water.

Torres del Paine National Park – 8th Natural Wonder of the World?

An area spanning 700 square miles, the park was established in 1959 as Grey Lake National Park and renamed Torres del Paine in 1970. The 9,000-ft. eponymous towers are part of the greater Paine Massif, an eastern spur of the Andes Mountains. The distinctive angular shapes and layers of different rock that formed horns, towers and sawtooth ridges are the result of geologic and glacial processes occurring over millions of years.

Torres del Paine was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978, and it has been a contender for the “8th Natural Wonder of the World.” We found it valuable to discover the impressive landscapes with the knowledgeable Las Torres guides who shared aspects of the park’s history, geology and wildlife. Along the way, our guides identified native plants and trees and reminded us to keep eyes peeled for wildlife such as puma, guanaco (a cousin to the llama), foxes, Geoffroy’s cat, and various species of birds. 

The Wonders of Torres del Paine

Las Torres Patagonia offers a variety of day tours and excursions with suitability for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts. Our four days in the park allowed opportunities to discover many grand attractions including those highlighted below.

Grey Glacier – The full-day excursion took us across most of the park to Grey Lake, giving a good overview of the varied terrain. Our van of six guests, plus our driver and guide, stopped at viewpoints including Lakes Nordenskjöld and Pehoé. At Grey Lake we saw a large red-headed woodpecker and colorful Patagonian parrots called cachañas. We walked about a mile through woods and along a windy pebbled beach to board our catamaran cruise. We ate lunch while cruising, and once across the lake, we were up close to the impressive Grey Glacier, which is actually blue ice. It is the largest glacier in the park with three tongues tumbling down from a massive icefield.

Los Cuernos Viewpoint – We headed on a four-mile roundtrip hike to Los Cuernos lookout, said to offer awesome views of park highlights including Paine Grande and the Devil’s Horns, the French Valley, and Salto Grande Waterfall. The hike was unfortunately aborted due to high winds (110 kph) when a forest ranger approached and closed the trail. Our guide had taught us the four-points wind stance to balance during dangerous gusts. Plan B had us moving on to a protected area where we enjoyed a beautiful hike in the moors. Believe it when you hear that high winds are a frequent force in Patagonia!

Azul Lagoon is a favorite scenery excursion to the quieter, eastern edge of the park and the best place to view the towers without a long hike. We took an easy stroll around the lagoon for different perspectives of the granite peaks rising as a backdrop to the vivid turquoise water. The vantage point of Azul Lagoon is actually where Lady Florence Dixie, the intrepid adventurer, marveled at her Cleopatra’s Needles for the first time. Though seeing Cleopatra’s Needles was definitely a goal of my visit, I soon realized that the grandeur of the Torres del Paine was everywhere I looked. 

Paine Waterfall – The Paine River and massive, raging waterfall is truly a place to pause and relish the sensory experience – feeling and tasting the humid spray from the falls, hearing the deep roar and seeing the sun-silhouetted towers in the distance. The area is also a good place to spot wildlife, and we saw many guanacos grazing the hillsides along the way back to the hotel.

Baqueano Cultural Experience – One of Las Torres’ cultural excursions is a visit to the stables to learn about the ranching lifestyle of a baqueano (Patagonian cowboy.) The expert horsemen and caretakers of livestock have great knowledge of the land, and among other duties, they lead horseback rides along the river and lakes and into the foothills of the Paine Massif. Their traditions include wearing neck scarves and berets as part of their attire and drinking yerba-maté herbal tea from a gourd. Like a monk to his abbey, baqueanos have a strong commitment to their responsibilities as ranch caretakers. 

Our baqueano guide showed us around the stables, then we all shared a maté and sopapillas with Calafate jam around a small wood stove in the tack room. Outside, we admired the horses resting in the corral, wishing we had time for a riding excursion.

There’s a popular saying that, “if you eat Calafate you will return to Patagonia.” I hope it’s true.

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Cover photo Ann Yungmeyer

A native Tennessean, Ann explores culinary, cultural and nature themes in unique getaways and activity-based travel. She is a member of Society of American Travel Writers and has published travel and lifestyle articles in regional print and digital publications for 20 years. Read more of her stories at her website.