Torres del Paine

[NCP]

We would like to find out if anyone has vistited the National Park Torres del Paine in Chile

Thank you

NCP

[NCP]

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[Splinter]

No, we did not, but everyone I talked to who had been there raved about it, and their photos were gorgeous. It is a fairly expensive trip. The only reason we did not go was that it was not wheelchair accessible.

[fiona508]

It is a long way from Punta Arenas to get to the really beautiful bits. Are you planning a day trip? The weather is very unpredictable. I stayed there for four days a couple of years ago and oit was wonderful. But I would not consider a day trip - too much driving and not enough activity, plus the rsk that the weather will be too bad to enjoy it when you get there.

[NCP]

Thank you for the information! It was very useful.

We plan to go for 4 days in January at the end of our cruise and hope to get good weather.

 

To Fiona508: Did you drive? We do not know if we should rent a car in Punta Arenas. Did you?

Thank you!!!!!!!!

[fiona508]

we stayed in hotel Explora - which is a fully inclusive activity based hotel in the park. Totally wonderful food and atmosphere and everything, including the bar, completely free. They organised hikes and horse riding every day and you could choose from about 8 activities each day. They picked us up from our Punta Arenas hotel and delivered us back to the airport at a convenient time for our flight at the end. They only offer 3 night, 4 night and 7 night packages. Changeover days are (I think) Sunday and Wednesday. Expensive, but one of the highlights of my trip. (explora.com)

 

The roads are not good, but almost empty! Don't miss the Milodon cave on your way in or out. If you drive then there is an interesting restaurant on the road into the park called the Rembrandt (I think) It is a sort of truck stop cafe, very friendly and nice food. Sit down tables with table cloths for the tourists and a less fancy room for the truck drivers. The Explora vans stop there for lunch.

 

If you like being outdoors and don't mind strong wind and possibly rain then it is well worth visiting. The scenery and wildlife and the sky are all breathtaking. I would advise staying in a hotel or hostel that could arrange guides, or booking guides through a local travel agent (I used a UK one and don't know who their Chilean contact was). The trails are not marked and the weather is so unpredictable that it could be unsafe and unsatisfying to go it alone.

 

In early February the weather was just all over the place. On any one day it could go from rain and wind to blazing sunshine. One of the hotel staff said to me that it was a TdP joke that you got all 4 seasons in one day.

 

I thought it was a beautiful place and I would love to go back.

 

I spent 4 weeks in 2002 doing a circuit of southern patagonia (plus side trip) - BA - Calafate - Ushuaia - Beagle Channel cruise - Punta Arenas - Torres del Paine - Santiago - Easter Island - Santiago - Puerto Montt - lake crossing over the Andes - Bariloche - BA. If you are thinking of visiting any of those places let me know if I can help with any more information.

[LibLively]

Fiona

We are considering a pre-cruise trip to Easter Island in February that is offered by SilverSea. We fly from Santiago and stay for 2 nights at a hotel Ionora. Are you familiar with it? We are supposed to have guided tours each day to the different areas of interest. What do you think? Any advice?

[fiona508]

I'm trying to remember, but I'm a bit low on names a couple of years on.

 

Hotels: I don't recognise the hotel name. I believe that none of the hotels in Easter Island are luxury as we would understand it, but we stayed in a decent mid-price hotel that was comfortable, clean and friendly. more of a guest house than a hotel. The whole island is really poor - the only industry is subsistence farming and tourism.

 

Food; there are quite a few charming and friendly cafes with small menus of locally caught fish, plus chicken and pork. Almost all vegetables I ate were tinned, but you can get some local vegetables like sweet potato sometimes. If you like grilled tuna, I do, you will eat very well. One night our hotel did a traditional meal where the food is baked all afternoon on hot stones in a covered pit they dug in the earth. There was also a tour group that asked for a barbeque one lunchtime, but we were out on a trip. There is a "french" restaurant, which is pricey. The food is restaurant rather than cafe standard - unusual dishes and good wine list - BUT - the man that runs it is extremely unpleasant, and I did not think the food made up for it.

 

Trips - yes do use organised trips. They know the best places to go and the best order to do it in and they can tell you the context of what you are seeing. The Moai are awesome (even though they are reconstucted from the bits that were toppled to the ground). Things not to miss - walking up the volcanoes, the quarry where the half finished statues are still lying, the view of the island where the young men would swim once a year. and of course, all the important groups of the Moai. One of the organised trips had a couple of hours at a beach - I would skip the beach time if it meant you could see something else. We were taken around in a group rather than with a private tour and it was fine.

 

We had most of one day free as a cruise ship came in that day and so all the resources were diverted to it (small island) so our half day tour started at about 4pm and went on til late. That gave us time to go to the museum on our own and to walk around the area. I would choose seeing another bit of the island over a museum visit. most of the exhibits were replicas of things in the British Museum or displays that could be found in books.

 

On Sunday morning we went to Catholic mass - which was conducted in the Island language. The inside of the church is extremely interesting - as all the imagery is Polynesian in style.

 

There is a very interesting television programme by David Attenborough that may be on DVD in the US about Easter Island and the provenace of a wooden carving that he owns. If you decide to go I would recommend trackiing down a copy to watch before you go (or before you decide) as it gives so much history and explanation as to why the civilisation declined from its earlier heights.

[LibLively]

Fiona

Thank you so much for the helpful information. I shall look for the Attenborough program. I have loved all the programs he has done, so this should be a real treat if I can find it.

[NCP]

we stayed in hotel Explora - which is a fully inclusive activity based hotel in the park. Totally wonderful food and atmosphere and everything, including the bar, completely free. They organised hikes and horse riding every day and you could choose from about 8 activities each day. They picked us up from our Punta Arenas hotel and delivered us back to the airport at a convenient time for our flight at the end. They only offer 3 night, 4 night and 7 night packages. Changeover days are (I think) Sunday and Wednesday. Expensive, but one of the highlights of my trip. (explora.com)

 

The roads are not good, but almost empty! Don't miss the Milodon cave on your way in or out. If you drive then there is an interesting restaurant on the road into the park called the Rembrandt (I think) It is a sort of truck stop cafe, very friendly and nice food. Sit down tables with table cloths for the tourists and a less fancy room for the truck drivers. The Explora vans stop there for lunch.

 

If you like being outdoors and don't mind strong wind and possibly rain then it is well worth visiting. The scenery and wildlife and the sky are all breathtaking. I would advise staying in a hotel or hostel that could arrange guides, or booking guides through a local travel agent (I used a UK one and don't know who their Chilean contact was). The trails are not marked and the weather is so unpredictable that it could be unsafe and unsatisfying to go it alone.

 

In early February the weather was just all over the place. On any one day it could go from rain and wind to blazing sunshine. One of the hotel staff said to me that it was a TdP joke that you got all 4 seasons in one day.

 

I thought it was a beautiful place and I would love to go back.

 

I spent 4 weeks in 2002 doing a circuit of southern patagonia (plus side trip) - BA - Calafate - Ushuaia - Beagle Channel cruise - Punta Arenas - Torres del Paine - Santiago - Easter Island - Santiago - Puerto Montt - lake crossing over the Andes - Bariloche - BA. If you are thinking of visiting any of those places let me know if I can help with any more information.

 

 

Hi Fiona!

After reading your post I am ready to pack my bags and visit Torres del Paine.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

NCP

[fiona508]

you're both welcome! Typing the words brought back some very happy memories.

 

Fiona