From the Beagle Channel to Torres del Paine

Who it is for

For anyone after glaciers, mountains and backpack trekking who accepts windy days and long roads between one park and the next.

Not for anyone who cannot book ahead, because without a refuge or campsite reservation there is no W Trek, and El Calafate’s boats and tours also fill up in season.

The strategy

Ushuaia comes first and El Calafate second, linked by air: El Calafate airport (FTE) has flights from Ushuaia. In El Calafate, do Perito Moreno and the boat trip to Upsala before heading up to El Chaltén, 220 km by bus, to sleep close to the trails. To cross into Chile, buses run from the El Calafate terminal to Puerto Natales, with a border crossing and passport checks; allow most of the day for the leg. In Natales, use the first day for food, gear and confirming the W reservations made months earlier, and walk the trek from west to east, finishing at Base Torres. Fly home from Puerto Natales airfield (PNT), with flights to Santiago, or from Punta Arenas (PUQ), 3h15 away by bus. December to March is the season that works for all three stops.

What you will see

• Museo Marítimo, Ushuaia. The five radial pavilions of the old reoffenders' prison, built by the inmates themselves between 1902 and 1920 and shut down in 1947.
• Perito Moreno Glacier, El Calafate. With 254 km² and a front about 70 m above the water, the Perito Moreno is seen head-on from the walkways, a set of six paths at different levels on the Magallanes Peninsula, 80 km west of town.
• Mirador Base Torres, Torres del Paine. The viewpoint at the foot of the three granite towers.

Day by day

Ushuaia

1. 1
   Day 1: The city, the prison and the channel

   1. 1Museo Marítimo y del Presidio de UshuaiaHalf a day or moreEssential
   2. 6Avenida San MartínWorth a visit
   3. 7Casa BebanUp to half an hourWorth a visit
2. 2
   Day 2: National Park and the end of Ruta 3

   1. 2Tierra del Fuego National ParkEssential
   2. 5Tren del Fin del MundoWorth a visit
3. 3
   Day 3: East: a ranch, penguins and mountain

   1. 8Cerro CastorWorth a visit

El Calafate

1. 4
   Day 4: The Perito Moreno from the walkways

   1. 6Laguna Nimez ReserveUp to half an hourWorth a visit
2. 5
   Day 5: The cruise to the Upsala and the Spegazzini

   1. 5GlaciariumOne to two hoursWorth a visit
3. 6
   Day 6: The road to El Chaltén and the short viewpoints
4. 7
   Day 7: The Laguna de los Tres at the foot of Fitz Roy

   1. 3Laguna de los TresHalf a day or moreEssential
5. 8
   Day 8: The Laguna Torre or the Viedma, and the way back · if you have more time

   1. 7Laguna TorreHalf a day or moreWorth a visit
   2. Viedma GlacierOne to two hoursIf there is time

Torres del Paine

1. 9
   Day 9: Puerto Natales: bookings, shopping and Puerto Bories

   1. 8Puerto BoriesUp to half an hourWorth a visit
2. 10
   Day 10: Pudeto, the catamaran and the trail to Grey

   1. 4Lake PehoéUp to half an hourWorth a visit
3. 11
   Day 11: From Grey to the Francés campsite
4. 12
   Day 12: The Valle del Francés to the Mirador Británico

   1. 2Valle del Francés and Mirador BritánicoHalf a day or moreEssential
5. 13
   Day 13: Along the Nordenskjöld shore to the Central sector

   
6. 14
   Day 14: Mirador Base Torres and the return to Natales

   1. 1Mirador Base TorresHalf a day or moreEssential
7. 15
   Day 15: Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument (day trip) · if you have more time

   1. 7Cueva del Milodón Natural MonumentOne to two hoursWorth a visit