Villa Cerro Guido is located between Torres del Paine National Park, the Argentine pampas and the Baguales mountain range. Founded under the name of Estancia Cerro Guido, under the auspices of the Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego, this village is currently home to only a few families. It has a rural school, kindergarten, post office and police station, as well as a hotel.

Located in a biological corridor connected to Torres del Paine National Park, there’s an exceptional variety of native flora and fauna nearby. Along with species such as the puma, gray fox, skunk, rhea, guanaco and Andean condor, there is also an incredible diversity of plants and flowers, such as native orchids seen in summer.

At the top of Cerro Guido, a peak at 1,270 meters above sea level, is the highest «chenque,» an Aonikenk (Tehuelche) indigenous cemetery, in southern Patagonia. Cerro Guido is also a global paleontological landmark, home to the most important dinosaur fossil reserve in South America (the Cerro Guido-Las Chinas complex), with records of invertebrates and marine reptiles from 83 to 72 million years old, in addition to evidence of coastal and inland habitats with rivers and lagoons dated between 72 to 66 million years old.

Lodging, Food, and Activities

Villa Cerro Guido has only one lodging, Hotel Cerro Guido. Cerro Castillo and Puerto Natales offer other accommodation options. For more information, check out:

Region

Torres del Paine

Province

Última Esperanza

Population

60

Climate and Rainfall

Cold steppe, 356mm.

Nearest National Park(s)

Torres del Paine National Park

Bernardo O’Higgins National Park

Kawésqar National Park

Don’t Miss

  • Excursions and horseback riding to the Baguales mountains, el chenque and Las Chinas river.
  • Visit Torres del Paine National Park (remember that circuit lodges and camping requires prior reservation)
  • Visit the neighboring estancias carrying out rural tourism activities.
  • Drink mate, a bitter herbal tea, and eat local lamb.

How to get

Route 9 is the main access road connecting with Cerro Castillo (36 km away) and Puerto Natales (107 km away). The road is mostly paved.

The Río Don Guillermo border crossing is another important access route. It connects Cerro Castillo, 36 km from Cerro Guido, with the town of El Calafate in Argentina.

Throughout the year there are two daily bus departures from Puerto Natales to Villa Cerro Guido, passing through Cerro Castillo. For more information, check with Turismo Zaahj at the Puerto Natales traffic circle.

Ferries depart from Puerto Yungay, with some space for vehicles, at the lower end of the Carretera Austral, navigating the Patagonian channels in a trip of approximately 41 hours to Puerto Natales. From there, there is access to Cerro Guido by land.

Multiple airlines have daily services to Punta Arenas. Check national airline websites for flights between Santiago and Puerto Natales.

Dap Airlines offers two flights per week between Balmaceda, near Coyhaique, and Punta Arenas.

Tips

  • Plan your trip in advance due to the lack of some services in Cerro Guido.
  • Phone signals are intermittent in the town and its surroundings. Not all companies have coverage (Entel has the best signal).
    There are no provisions in Cerro Guido.
  • For more information about the community, visit: www.munitorresdelpaine.cl
  • In Chile, the closest airports are in Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas; in Argentina, in the city of El Calafate.
  • There are car rental options in Puerto Natales and at the Punta Arenas airport, with options here

    • .

  • For more information on border crossings, check www.pasosfronterizos.gov.cl
  • It is not necessary to reserve entry to Torres del Paine National Park, but it is mandatory to have a reservation to stay in the camps or mountain refuges located on the trekking circuits.
  • The reservation system of www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl is only for free campsites managed by CONAF. Reserve other campsites and mountain refuges in the park at www.verticepatagonia.cl and www.fantasticosur.com.
  • Confirm entry fees to the Torres del Paine National Park in advance and bring cash in Chilean pesos for payment. Tickets can be bought in advance online or at the point of sale on the Puerto Natales highway. For more information: http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl .
  • There are no banks, exchange offices or gas stations in Villa Cerro Castillo, the closest services are in Puerto Natales.

Basic Services

  • Cell Service
  • Police Station
  • Community Health Center

Visitor’s Center

In Cerro Guido there is no tourist information office,

Torres del Paine Municipality Tourism Office: Due to covid 19, the office will not serve the direct public.
turismo@munitorresdelpaine.cl
+56991954383


Sernatur Puerto Natales Office
High Season Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm.
Low season: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm.
infonatales@sernatur.cl
+569 40018256

Important Dates

«Celebration of the Fiesta a la Chilena in Villa Cerro Castillo»
last weekend of January.
«Winter solstice biathlon»
in June.
«Mistraliana Route Cycle»
February.
«Community anniversary»
October.
For more information visit: www.munitorresdelpaine.cl

Copyright 2018 Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia