Torres del Paine National Park
Chilean national park featuring the Torres del Paine granite peaks.
It encompasses mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers, with the Cordillera del Paine group of mountains as its centerpiece. The park lies in a transition zone between Magellanic subpolar forests and Patagonian Steppes and is part of the End of the World Route.
- foreign_visitors_percentage
- 54%
- meaning_of_name
- Paine means 'blue' in the Tehuelche (Aonikenk) language
Lore & Background
European scientists and explorers including Otto Nordenskjöld, Carl Skottsberg, and Alberto María de Agostini visited in following decades. Gunther Plüschow was the first person to fly over the Paine massif.
Reader's Guide
Torres del Paine National Park is one of the largest and most visited parks in Chile, part of the National System of Protected Forested Areas. It is one of 11 protected areas in the Magallanes Region and Chilean Antarctica, together covering about 51% of the region's land. The park features valleys, rivers, lakes (including Grey, Pehoé, Nordenskjöld, and Sarmiento), and glaciers (Grey, Pingo, Tyndall) belonging to the Southern Patagonia Ice Field. The climate is temperate with cold rain and no dry season, known for strong winds, especially November–January. The park's hydrology drains into Última Esperanza Sound via the Serrano River.
Did You Know?
- The three Torres del Paine peaks are named Torre d'Agostini, Torre Central, and Torre Monzino.
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