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Hiking to Mirador Las Torres
One of the most famous hikes in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile is to Mirador Las Torres. The Paine massif, giving the National Park its name, is an iconic spot in Chilean Patagonia, and offers many great hiking trails. A lot of them are multi-day hikes, but one of the most famous ones, to Mirador Las Torres, can be done in a day.
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When to hike Mirador Las Torres
Patagonia’s weather is characteristically windy, and can change in a heartbeat. The best time to visit and hike to the famous Mirador Las Torres lookout is during spring and summer, which is October – March in the southern hemisphere.
- Tip: The hike to Mirador Las Torres is very popular so to have the trail to yourself I’d recommend traveling off-season.
How difficult is the trail?
The Mirador Las Torres hike is considered a moderately difficult trail, which means you don’t need to have hiking experience, but it helps.
Parts in the beginning of the trail lead over a narrow pass, called Windy Pass, and it has its name for a reason. If you’re doing this hike as part of a tour, depending on the weather and how windy it is, it may be cancelled.
The last bit of the hike is a rock climbing experience and you’ll ask yourself repeatedly if the end is near.
- Tip: buy or rent walking sticks. The way down can be strenuous on the knees as it’s quite a steep walk.
How long is the hike to Las Torres?
To get to the bottom of the towers, or Las Torres, it’s approximately 4 – 4 ½ hours of hiking through forest and over rocky patches. The last part before reaching the lake at Mirador Las Torres is very rocky and requires a certain amount of climbing over huge boulders.
What to pack
If you’re hiking to Mirador Las Torres as part of the famous W-trek you’ll probably already be well equipped for this last stretch of the trail.
Hiking Mirador Las Torres as a day-trip means packing light but being prepared for the quick weather changes Patagonia is known for.
Shoes
Let’s start with the most important part of a hiking outfit: the shoes.
To hike Mirador Las Torres it doesn’t matter whether you wear hiking shoes or boots, as long as they’re sturdy, light-weight and have good grip. The last part is especially important if the weather isn’t super dry during the hike. Muddy paths and slippery rocks create a terrain where every bit if grip is needed.
We bought ours specifically for the 4 day Inca trail to Machu Picchu and adventures in the Peruvian Amazon.
Backpack
Hiking Mirador Las Torres is a full-day trip, so a light-weight backpack that fits water, snacks, changes of clothes, sun screen and a hat, is essential. During our time in South America we used this Northface one. It lived through torrential downpours on our 4 day Inca trail hike to Machu Picchu, 90% humidity in the Peruvian Amazon, and speed boat rides between the Galapagos Islands.
Clothing
Since the weather in Patagonia can change quickly, packing light-weight clothing that you can layer is key. Leggings or comfortable hiking pants are a great base. The hike to Mirador Las Torres is quite steep and rocky at times, so you’ll work up a good sweat. No need to layer pants at all.
Tip: if you’re not hiking often don’t break the bank by buying expensive gear or clothing. Workout wear like leggings, tops and breathable shirts are just fine on this hike.
Speaking of layers, tops with a light-weight jacket or sweater are enough to hike to Mirador Las Torres.
Tip: most heat escapes through the head, so wearing a hat will keep you nice and warm. Just hold onto it during the Windy Pass!
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Hi, I’m Nadine
Part-time traveler with full-time wanderlust.
I explore the world one weekend and one vacation at a time and share my experiences, travel and photography tips, and food recs on this blog.
I believe the answer to (almost) any question is traveling.
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