Day 1: Arrival, The Patagonian Adventure Starts
The trip begins with you being picked up from your hotel in Punta Arenas or from the Punta Arenas airport in the morning and driven to Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of "Seno de Ultima Esperanza.” The whole drive takes you past great scenic views and lookouts. Upon arrival in Puerto Natales, you will be dropped off at your hotel and will have the rest of the day to relax and prepare yourself for the race.
Overnight at 3-star hotel in Puerto Natales
Day 2: Patagonian International Marathon - Competition Day
The day has come! After a light breakfast, you will be driven to your start point of the marathon. The event features four race distances: ultramarathon (60 km), marathon (42 km), half marathon (21 km) and 10km. Each race distance will have different starting points, however, everyone finishes in the same location.
The race route has magical and breathtaking landscape with mountains of granite and ice rising more than 2,500 meters above the race route. Multicolored lakes and wildlife are abundant including condors, guanacos, foxes, huemul, pumas, and rhea, among others. The road surface of the race route is a winding gravel road with a total climb (ascent + descent) of 2,400 meters (for 60k). Be aware that Torres del Paine is known for his high winds.
After you cross the finish line you will be picked up and driven back to Ecocamp. Of course, if you want to stretch out your legs you're welcome to walk back!
An evening with Dinner and overnight at Ecocamp Patagonia.
During days 3 & 4 you will join our Wildlife Safari program activities, and you will have the chance to choose between treks or nature walks.
Day 3: Excursions
Choose one of the following excursion options:
Trek Cerro Paine:
We leave after a tasty breakfast at EcoCamp and head to Cerro Paine, a nearby mountain characterized by its two imposing peaks. This is a demanding trek of 16km with a max altitude of 1200m and an estimated hiking time of 7hrs. Highlights include the lenga forest, mountains, glaciers, the pampa and an unforgettable lookout of the towers and the Ascencio Valley. After taking in one of the most striking views of the national park, we backtrack along the same trail and return to EcoCamp.
Nature Walk to Salto Grande & El condor Lookout:
After breakfast we head westwards by van, taking a route along the southern shore of Nordenskjold Lake. Our first stop is the magnificent Salto Grande waterfall, with its impressive cascading waters falling from Nordenskjold lake into Pehoe Lake. From here it's a short walk to Cuernos viewpoint, with a panoramic view of the mighty Horns. From the viewpoint, we drive to Pehoe Lake and begin the two-hour round-trip walk to El Condor Lookout from its shores. We go gently uphill through the steppe vegetation; a great opportunity to learn about the local flora. Here we witness the piercing blueness of Pehoe Lake and the Paine river. On a clear day, we can see the immensity of the Southern Patagonian ice fields in the distance. We reenergize taking in the whole Paine Mountain range and its stunning snowcapped peaks. After a hearty lunch in the perfect location, we backtrack along the same trail and drive back to EcoCamp.
Day 4: Excursions
Choose one of the following excursion options:
Nature Walk to Laguna Azul:
On our way to Laguna Azul we will have the chance to enjoy some marvellous views of the famous Torres, as well as passing through the Pampa Guanaco, where we will be lucky enough not only to spot many elegant guanacos but also to hop out of the van and walk amongst them. After soaking up these beautiful surroundings, we will continue our drive to Laguna Azul, where a picnic lunch will have been prepared for us! We will enjoy our picnic lunch looking out over the lake, with a view of the three granite towers in the distance. After lunch, we will walk south to Macho Cañon, where we can observe the typical fauna of the Torres del Paine National Park, including more guanaco herds. From here we will jump into our van again, heading back to the EcoCamp in time for cocktail hour.
Trek to Base of the Towers:
After a hearty breakfast we set off from Ecocamp towards Hostería Las Torres and join the uphill path to Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Dry mountain spots, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. Our big challenge comes as we climb the steep moraine, a mass of boulders leading us towards one of the world's most famous views overlooking the Towers. The famous Torres del Paine (2,900 m/ 9,400 ft) consist of three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After an uphill slog, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and our picnic, we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp.
Day 5: Departure Day
We board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas on time to catch the evening flight to Santiago. On the way, we will make a stop in Puerto Natales to have a delicious lunch.
