Patagonia is considered by many nature’s last untamed wilderness. Charles Darwin fell under the spell of this great land while doing cartography work for the British government on his now famous voyage of the HMS Beagle.It was not even mapped until the 1930’s. Torres del Paine National Park covers most of the rugged area in Chile.
The park is 600,000 acres of wilderness. Within the “confines” of the park there are deep glacial lakes, rushing rivers, gigantic glaciers, fjords, mountains, and plains. The best known mountains in the area, the Cuernos del Paine (the southernmost section of the Andes Mountains (the 5,000 mile spine that runs down South America’s back), are a hot spot for climbers as the colored granite is both a challege to climb and absolutely stunning to look at.
Hiking is very popular in the park. With 600,000 acres and 150 miles of trails to tramp over, nobody will ever feel bored or uninspired. People can also mountain bike, horseback ride, and kayak in the park in addition to the aforementioned activities.
In the park there are many different types of animals. The Andean condor with its 12 foot wingspan can be spied circling the granite pinnacles and spires in the distance. Guanaco, the Patagonian equivalent of a llama, is very common in this area and are raised by the local cowboys (called gauchos). The great, but endangered mountain puma is also found here, but this great cat is so solitary and charismatic, that it is very difficult to see them.
The one problem with this place for some people is that it is in the middle of nowhere. There are very few hotels and those that are in the general vicinity are very, very pricey. Ergo, my advice is to rough it, as that is what most people come out to Patagonia for anyway. All parts of the year have their own unique beauty. In summer (January[ish] in the southern hemisphere) there is a wonderful climate, but the mosquitoes can be oppressive. Winter temperatures are absolutely frigid, but the vistas are worth the cold. Either way, this is one place in the world that I hope will never be tarnished by the modern world so that many subsequent generations can revel and bask in its beauty.
