Torres del Paine Lodge Evaluate – Lodge Las Torres
The place horses roam exterior your window beneath spectacular mountain ranges.
The place glacial water is mixed into your night cocktail at Chile’s first sustainable bar.
And, the place your days may be stuffed with photogenic adventures from dawn to sundown.
Welcome to Lodge Las Torres, my house while exploring Torres del Paine Nationwide Park.
A standard estancia and reserve that connects you with nature, Patagonian tradition, and a number of the finest mountain climbing trails on the planet.
Zipping up my jacket (all three of them in reality), I put my digicam bag on my again, walked out the door and hit the path to Mirador Las Torres. A cushty base near photogenic adventures in Torres del Paine Nationwide Park was precisely on my want record, and Lodge Las Torres delivered on that, and a lot extra…let’s take a peek inside my 5-night keep.
A lot greater than a resort – Inside The Las Torres Reserve
To elucidate extra in regards to the resort, I feel it’s necessary to first focus on the reserve through which it’s positioned, the place you’ll discover not solely the resort (the place I stayed) and principal eating places, however mountain cabins, tenting services, and mountain hostels scattered all through 2,422 sq. kilometres of Patagonian wilderness.
Inside this ecological reserve, there are a number of lodging choices that each one fall underneath the banner of ‘Las Torres Patagonia’, and that’s as a result of they’re chargeable for the maintenance, administration, and reservations for some very unbelievable choices in the event you’re eager on mountain climbing the multi-day W or O trails.
At any time when I consider mountain climbing and tenting, I think about roughing it and waking up in mud or bitten by bugs. The services right here although are so spectacular, with picket cabins and refuges ready to welcome you after an extended hike with heat meals, drinks, and lunch packs for the next day.
There may be the Chileno Refuge which you’ll stroll by if finishing the Mirador Las Torres path, right here you’ll discover tents on platforms constructed underneath the cover (like tree homes), and a welcoming refuge with a bar and restaurant. I’ll positively be hoping to e book an evening right here subsequent time, it’s the perfect base for mountain climbing midway, then wandering the remainder of the path for dawn of the towers.
In fact, all hostel, tenting, or cabin bookings may be mixed with a resort room to begin or end your hike, so take into account how you might wish to plan your journey after which take a peek on the choices right here.
The place is Lodge Las Torres positioned?
You’ll discover Lodge Las Torres beneath the peaks of Cordillera del Paine inside Las Torres Reserve in Torres del Paine Nationwide Park, roughly 1.5hrs drive north of Puerto Natales, and 4hrs north of Punta Arenas (with transfers accessible in the event you’re not self-driving).
Straight in entrance of the resort, world-class mountain climbing trails lead into the wilderness of Patagonia, chopping out the necessity to get up early and drive thus far. Actually, solely friends are allowed into the reserve with their vehicles to minimise impression on the surroundings, in the event you’re not staying on the resort, you’ll have to begin your hikes to Mirador Las Torres again on the Welcome Centre, including an additional 2km return. That stated, the welcome centre is a superb place to cease and seize some snacks and be taught extra in regards to the reserve too.
Its location throughout the reserve is exclusive in that you simply really feel such as you’re staying on a conventional estancia, with all the fashionable comforts accessible, but wildlife and pure wonders in each route.
Learn: ‘A Photographer’s Information to Torres del Paine Nationwide Park‘
The Adventures
As a photographer, you wish to be based mostly someplace photogenic, with quick access to dawn and sundown areas, and loads of time to scout areas or wander throughout the day. I can guarantee you, Lodge Las Torress is that preferrred base, the place you’ll be able to have the liberty to do your personal factor, or chat with the staff and use their native data to seek out out the place and when to go for these basic panorama pictures of Patagonia.
When staying with Lodge Las Torres you’ll be able to fill your days with guided excursions and actions like horse driving and mountain climbing or mix some self-paced wanders with a spa session. The staff will craft an itinerary to match your expectations, pursuits and health stage, and you then’ll stay versatile based mostly on the climate situations.
Throughout my keep I opted for the Full Paine Tour which covers loads of floor together with Black Bridge, Nordenskjöld Lookout, Sarmiento Lookout, Lake Pehoé and the Salto Grande Waterfall, earlier than the cruise to Gray Glacier. The cruise isn’t a part of the all-inclusive packages, nonetheless, for an extra price, you’ll be able to enterprise up Lago Gray and get good and near this icy surprise. Having photographed glaciers in Iceland, Greenland and Canada beforehand, that is up there with the most effective, I used to be amazed at how huge it was and the way shut we have been in a position to get!
I additionally took a tour by way of the Regenerative Backyard and, as I’ll share extra about later, the Baqueano Cultural Expertise, spending three hours studying about their conventional Patagonian way of life and the horses.
The Rooms
I stayed in a comfortable room with a tub, views over the fields (we noticed horses run by a number of instances!), and a really snug mattress. It was positioned inside the primary wing of the resort, only a brief stroll to the bar space, and every wing has a devoted lounge space the place you’ll additionally discover scorching water, tea and occasional accessible at any time and expansive home windows to soak up the views.
The resort is at the moment present process a beautiful renovation of the room interiors (within the low season so friends gained’t be impacted), so in the event you’re heading to Patagonia in 2025, you’ll be handled to a surprising transformation. I had a peek at one of many new rooms and should say, it’s such an attractive mix of luxurious fittings and décor with pure calming tones to replicate the encompassing landscapes.
All-Inclusive Choices
When exploring Torres del Paine Nationwide Park, the very last thing you wish to do is consider the place to go for dinner after an extended hike or day outside. Lodge Las Torres gives all-inclusive packages that embrace a full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner + drinks!) along with excursions rigorously curated based mostly in your pursuits by the expertise staff.
Previous to arriving, you’ll full a type sharing what you’re hoping to see, do, and to alert the staff of any dietary necessities. I’m gluten-free and was amazed on the high quality of the menu choices, with virtually each meal having an alternate accessible.
They’ll additionally pack your lunch in the event you’re heading out all day on a tour, or in the event you’re planning one of many longer mountain climbing trails.
Regenerative Backyard + Sustainable Tourism
Their dedication to conservation and sustainability is clear upon arrival with one of many largest and southernmost regenerative kitchen gardens. You’ll be able to tour the backyard with one of many volunteers or employees and wander the spectacular and numerous assortment of produce rising throughout the vegetable patches and throughout the greenhouses.
Aiming to go away a small footprint on the surroundings, the staff use sustainable and bio-intensive strategies to preserve heirloom varieties, making certain there are additionally sufficient substances to fulfill the calls for of the resort restaurant.
I used to be blown away by the range seen throughout the backyard, with the staff additionally testing new strategies on how one can develop varied substances in such a harsh local weather, notably when the winter chill units in!
The resort has embraced a number of sustainable practices, corresponding to supporting native conservation initiatives, managing reforestation, path restoration and environmental training of each guests and park rangers.
Mixology Magic + A Sparkle of Glacial Goodness
Freshly grown substances from the regenerative backyard mix with alpine water flowing from glaciers and mountain streams within the cocktail creations served by the staff at Central Bar. Should you’re on an all-inclusive bundle, you’ll be able to pop in for a drink earlier than dinner, or take pleasure in experimenting over a burger at lunch with an unlimited assortment of fragrant vegetation, mild bulbs and bottles forming an intriguing and welcoming area, to not point out the views towards the towers from each desk.
With the reserve’s conservation philosophy on the forefront of the menu, single-use plastic has been eradicated and changed with recycled bottles and loads of talent has gone into crafting an endemic menu that features regionally grown fruits and herbs corresponding to Chilean Firebush (ciruelillo) Magellan Barberry (Calafate), flavours that may solely be skilled on this area.
Horseback Using with Baqueanos
Now, it’s not day by day you get to remain someplace the place conventional cowboys function. A minimum of, I don’t suppose I’ve stayed at a resort the place you’ll be able to share a Yerba Mate with a baqueano and listen to about his tales of driving horses within the mountains, whereas ready for a freshly baked Sopaipilla to return out of the fireplace.
Lodge Las Torres has near 200 horses on the Estancia, you’ll discover them roaming all through the night time, and throughout the day, it’s potential to take a horseback trip alongside one of many trails to Nordenskjöld Lake, and even as much as the Chileno Refuge on the best way to Mirador Base de Las Torres.
I spent just a few hours chatting with Jorge, who had been working at Las Torres for quite a few years and shared insights on the whole lot from the kind of clothes worn throughout winter, by way of to the leather-based for saddles, behaviour of the horses, and, one undeniable fact that I discovered actually fascinating, that they’ve a lone mule throughout the herd as a result of it’s identified to defend them finest towards pumas. Fascinating!
As at all times, I’ll proceed by letting the images do the remainder of the speaking.
To complete up although, Lodge Las Torres exceeded each expectation I had because the employees go above and past to make sure you’re having fun with your self, snug, and have a full day of adventures deliberate. I’d extremely suggest reserving a keep right here in the event you’re aiming to {photograph} Torres del Paine Nationwide Park and provides your self just a few days to really absorb the landscapes, trails, and tradition.
Hey! I’m the founder and photographer behind The Wandering Lens.
With 17+yrs expertise as knowledgeable journey and panorama photographer, all recommendation discovered on this web site is from my private expertise on the highway. I hope it’s helpful in your personal travels and would love to listen to within the feedback about your journeys and experiences all over the world.