My Time about Puerto Natales

I finally made it to Puerto Natales. The main goal for this place was all for that 4 days boat ride on Navimag along the straits of Chile to Puerto Montt. A long story for the next post My Navimag Journey. Still I was here in Puerto Natales and after getting my tickets for the Navimag Boat which was only due to leave 3 days later I had a choice to make. To track Torres Del Paine or to just laze about.

Puerto Natales

Torres Del Paine

Torres Del Paine was the reason people goes to Puerto Natales. It was the base camp for the amazing track into one of the national park of Patagonia which was filled with breath taking views. The famous peak of Three Fingers and if you read between the lines this place is bound to f*ck up most travellers plan that give them that ave of happiness. Torres Del Paine was actually a hikers and campers heaven not a backpackers one.

Welcome to Patagonia where nothing is predictable. You need a good 5 days to do Torres Del Paine and proper camping gear to survive it. That or a hell a lot of money a good luck. Everything could be rented in Puerto Natales for a price or one could go luxury on cottages they call Refugio only bookable from local agents all along the park. One thing for certain is that nothing is confirm till you get to Puerto Natales and then you have to be lucky in three parts to be able to see amazing Torres Del Paine.

Lucky part one is weather …. Pray to all gods that you get good weather else that will be the first torment of the beautiful National Park. Lucky part two is gear or cottages. Hope there is space on camping ground or cottages else you will have to hang around in Puerto Natales till there is and that is tied to lucky part 3 which is that you have time to hang around. I was not lucky in all three parts.

Day Trip’s On a Minivan to Torres Del Paine

I chose the next best alternative, instead of hiking inside the Torres Del Paine National park I decided to go old folks and kid’s day tour on a minivan. This is not the same as hiking the majestic national park and seeing the glaciers up-close and getting that amazing sunrise view at the peak of three fingers and getting in touch with nature camping in the wild. But it was the only time frame activity that permit for me.

So I stupidly buy a ticket for a day trip to Torres Del Paine. With the amount of tourist visiting Patagonia surely the old and very young won’t be trekking around with heavy backpacks on their backs. So day trips were invented nowhere near the tracks of Torres Del Paine but along the road towards the national parks and many detours to high vantage Viewpoint that would make viewing possible but photo taking useless as a tiny prick.

Worst is if you happen to be on a bad weather tour you will only see …. Bad weather.

I don’t grudge the tour for they depart every day. I guess it’s destined I’m not to see Torres Del Paine National Park …. At lease this round.

Torres Del Paine - On a Bad Weather day you only see Bad Weather ....

Lazing About Puerto Natales

……. To kick me in the nuts while I am down, I got a delayed Navimag boat for on the day of departure. I have to wait for another three days in Puerto Natales meaning I had a total of 6 days in Puerto Natales. I could have done Torres Del Paine …… *ARGHHH*

Still I got a good 6 days of lazing around done in Patagonia, catch up on reading, downloading, guitar playing ( the hostel had one) and just pure stoning. It helps when the hostel gives you free breakfast which came with home cooked omelettes every morning.