Leave the airport and head to Punta Arenas, capital of the Magallanes Region, located 14 miles south. There, you’ll find a wide variety of lodging, restaurants, and tourist excursions.

We recommend spending the afternoon getting to know the city, whether walking the road along the waterfront to admire the Strait of Magellan, visiting some of the museums––among them del Recuerdo, Salesianos, Braun-Menéndez, and Nao Victoria––or exploring the Municipal Cemetery and the Magallanes National Reserve. Stay the night in Punta Arenas.

30 minutes in car from the airport to the center of Punta Arenas.

Take Route 9 north until you arrive at Puerto Natales, passing through Villa Tehuelches along the way. After 2.5 hours on the paved road, you’ll be in Puerto Natales, where you’ll find various options for lodging, food, and tourist excursions. To stretch your legs, we recommend taking a walk along the shore, where––on clear days––you can get a view of the Paine massif. Stay the night in Puerto Natales.

3 hours in car from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales

Today you can take advantage of what is likely one of the region’s best-kept secrets and sail to the Montañas Channel, a trip that takes you to the heart of Kawésqar National Park, which was long traveled in canoe by the Kawésqar people and is still surrounded by stunningly beautiful, pristine landscapes.

There are various local guides offering different trips to these remote areas. You can do a full-day trip, leaving from Puerto Natales very early in the morning, or choose a longer itinerary and spend a night aboard a boat designed for these expeditions.

During this same day of your trip, you can also see the mountains that are part of the Grupo de La Paz, known as the «False Torres,» given their impressive shapes and the glaciers that descend from the Sarmiento Range down into the fjords. If weather permits, you can stop for short hikes to further explore these virgin landscapes. You can also spot Sea Lion colonies, in addition to various species of birds, before finally docking in Puerto Natales in the afternoon.

10 hours (approximately) in boat to and from Puerto Natales

Get ready to see the Eighth Wonder of the World and one of the most beautiful mountains on the planet in Torres del Paine National Park. We suggest taking Route Y-290 to the park and stopping at the Milodón Cave Natural Monument before continuing toward the park’s southern entrance (Serrano). The total route is 50 miles.

We recommend taking this day to explore the southwestern section of the park, visiting natural marvels like the Grey Glacier, the River Pingo forest, and the view from the Ferrier lookout point. You can also make a stop at the visitor’s center, located on the north shore of Lake Toro. The visitor’s center has a lookout point designed for birdwatching. You can stay in the park (there are various hotels and campgrounds, which should be reserved in advance), or return to Puerto Natales in the evening.

1.5 hours in car from Puerto Natales to the Serrano park entrance, along Route Y-290

Set aside a whole day for continuing to explore Torres del Paine National Park. We suggest using this day for exploring the northeastern side of the park, visiting the Grande and Chico waterfalls and hiking one of the trails that offer views of the beautiful colors of the Paine River, Lake Pehoé, and Lake Nordenskjöld, like the Mirador Cóndor or Mirador Cuernos trail. If you’d like to take some time to try to spot wild fauna, you can also hike the Portería Laguna Sarmiento–Laguna Amarga trail and visit Lake Sarmiento. Along Lake Sarmiento’s shore, you can find strange, primitive calcium carbonate formations––very similar to coral––called thrombolites, which are linked to the first expressions of life on our planet.

If you’re interested in longer hikes, we suggest Base de Las Torres (12 miles), Valle Francés (10 miles), or Glacier Grey (15 miles). For the latter two, you’ll need to coordinate a boat trip and make a reservation in advance for crossing Lake Pehoé: (http://www.hipsur.com/web/).

Stay in the park for the night (remember to make your reservations in advance) or return to Puerto Natales.

45 minutes in car from the Serrano park entrance to the Sarmiento park entrance

Head to Punta Arenas, passing through the town of Cerro Castillo along the way. If you leave the park at dawn, you can see the Torres del Paine reflected in the Laguna Amarga or Laguna Azul––a gorgeous spectacle.

You can tank gas in Puerto Natales, then continue along Route 9 toward the airport for around 2.5 hours.

1.5 hours in car from the Sarmiento park entrance to Cerro Castillo

50 minutes in car from Cerro Castillo to Puerto Natales

2.5 hours in car from Puerto Natales to the airport near Punta Arenas