Blue sky towers

The night was in the dormitory short and loud. The two women in particular did not sleep well, with all the snoring and other noises. Despite the delicious breakfast, we decide to look for another hotel with a private room for the next night. A short internet search shows different variants, which we reserve on site. Then we set off in the direction of the long-awaited Torres del Paine National Park. The dry pampa slowly turns into hilly terrain, before suddenly massive and impressive the Granite peaks of the Torres rise up to 2850 meters above sea level.

When the weather is optimal, the rugged mountain range is the Park owes its name, can be seen from a great distance. The name Torres del Paine comes from a mixture of the Spanish word for towers and sky blue from the language of the Tehuelche Indians. Before we even reach the national park, we see numerous guanaco herds, one Fox family as well as a nimble one armadillo. The stallions of the New World camels rush each other through the bushes in a unique setting. Other members of the herd wallow in a sand pit.

One highlight chases the other: after a knoll, our gaze slides down to the colorful one Laguna Amargawhere also some Greater Flamingos linger. This is followed by a detour to Cascada Painewhere the glacier water of the Rio Paine foams downriver.

After the lunch we have brought with us, we drive deeper into the park, with the Guanacos and breathtaking views are our constant companions are. The sun is increasingly displacing the remaining clouds. We drive west through this primeval landscape with stops at Mirador del Nordenskjold with a view of the lake of the same name and the roaring Salto Grande and the rapids ahead. Finally we reach the most beautiful of the numerous lakes, the turquoise-blue Lago Pehoé. From where you get the classic postcard view of the glaciated, just over 3000 m high Cerro Paine Grande and the tips Cuernos del Paine Has. Here we unexpectedly find a place to stay overnight in the park for the next few nights. The wonderfully located Campground Pehoé offers a few dooms as well simple hut for overnight. Although overpriced, we save ourselves the two-hour journey to and from Puerto Natales and probably the only affordable overnight accommodation within the national park without camping equipment.

We leave the park in a southerly direction, and there are always nice photo stops. On the good drivable gravel road we go back to Puerto Natales where we in Afrigonia restaurant eat excellent.