The Base of the Towers is Torres del Paine’s trademark hike. It’s a 22-kilometre out-and-back hike up to three tall towers stretching to the sky above a glassy turquoise lake, one of the most iconic scenes in Patagonia.
I’ve set out some of the practicalities of the Base of the Towers hike first, then I’ve dived into describing what the hike is like.
How do you get to the start of the Base of the Towers hike?
You can start the Base of the Towers hike at the Torres del Paine Welcome Centre. If you’re staying in Torres del Paine, your hotel might have a shuttle service. If you have a car, you can park at the Welcome Centre.
If you are staying in Puerto Natales, you’ll need to make the two-hour trip to the Welcome Centre (and back at the end). There is a bus from Puerto Natales to Amarga – the first one of the day departs at 6:45am. From there, you can enter the park and board a shuttle to the Welcome Centre, and you should be able to start the hike by about 9:30. Annoyingly the return buses are not very frequent so you’ll probably have to wait around for a bus at 7 or 8pm to take you back to Puerto Natales.
If, like me, you are looking for the easy option, you can sign up for a hiking tour. The tour operator will collect you from your accommodation and drive you straight to the Welcome Centre. I did this tour.
What should you wear/bring for the hike?
I advise wearing:
- Warm layers. Patagonia’s weather is very changeable. I recommend thermals, as well as a hat and gloves.
- Waterproof clothes. A waterproof coat is essential and waterproof trousers are ideal if you have them.
- Proper hiking boots. You will struggle in trainers!
In terms of what to bring, there is one place about two hours into the hike (Refugio Chileno) where you can buy snacks and fill up your water bottle. But I suggest bringing your own food anyway, and at least a litre of water assuming you’re refilling the whole lot both times you pass Refugio Chileno.
What’s the Base of the Towers hike like?
Starting from the Torres del Paine Welcome Centre, the hike is flat for the first half an hour.
The next hour and a half alternates between mild slope and steep ascent. You’ll go along a path on the edge of the Paso del Viento (Windy Pass) which is very scenic (more on this below). Thankfully it was not too windy when I did the hike.
About two hours into the hike, you’ll reach Refugio Chileno. Here you can rest, buy snacks if you need them, and fill up your water. You can also use the toilets there for a small fee.
After Refugio Chileno comes an hour through forest, relatively flat, the path weaving over wooden bridges across a river of transparent glacier water, flowing vigorously.
Then you reach some rough benches and a sign which says that the Base of the Towers viewpoint is one kilometre away.
Although this seems close, the final section up to the Base of the Towers viewpoint is the toughest part. It’s very steep and mainly involves clambering over boulders, although there is at least a clear route through them. You can see the Towers for much of this section, and they seem tantalisingly close!
Finally you emerge at the viewpoint…
What’s the viewpoint like?
The viewpoint is entirely worth the steep ascent. When I did the hike, the weather on the way up was absolutely appalling and we could hardly see a thing through thick cloud. But just as we were finishing the final steep section, the clouds cleared and we emerged at the viewpoint to find the three towers as clear as day, and the laguna an incredible turquoise. Despite the rough start, we were very lucky!
Now for the descent
Considering that the visibility on the way up had been extremely limited, my descent felt like an entirely different hike after the clouds had cleared!
Once you’re down the rocky steep section, to be honest the descent is pretty straightforward, other than being a long way. Most of it is a nice gentle downward slope.
My favourite part of the descent was the section along the Paso del Viento. It was unrecognisable from my ascent. Much to my surprise, there were snow-capped mountains behind me, gleaming against the blue sky (invisible in the morning having been completely obscured by cloud). Ahead are lakes of vivid blues and greens. Red and yellow flowers line the hiking trail, their vibrant colours enhanced by the now-warm sun. It was a complete turnaround from the morning’s appalling conditions.
The last section of the return to the Welcome Centre somehow feels oddly longer than the outward trip. But when you arrive you can treat yourself to a well-deserved Torres del Paine beer!
If you’re heading to Argentina as well as Chile, check out my comparison between the Base of the Towers and Laguna de los Tres. Good luck!
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