Torres del Paine National Park is located in southern Chile, five hours north of Punta Arenas, the nearest airport. Puerto Natales has a small airport but flights there are practically non-existent. Where is Torres del Paine
Below is the relevant information about where Torres del Paine is located and how to get there, including flights and buses.
Keep in mind that the buses in Patagonia are quite relaxed and you should not be in a hurry. Try to create a small buffer zone at each end of the trip to allow for rest stops and possible delays.
Closest airport: Punta Arenas-where Torres del Paine is located.
Punta Arenas airport, located 360 kilometers and 5 hours south of Torres del Paine National Park. It is the closest airport to the park and has daily non-stop flights from Santiago.
From Punta Arenas, most people travel by bus to Puerto Natales, which is where many of the accommodations are located (a growing number of luxury hotels are located closer to the park, but most budget travelers end their trip in Puerto Natales.
By bus, it is 3 hours to Puerto Natales and an additional 2 hours to the park. Most of the high-end hotels provide private transportation from Punta Arenas for their guests.
Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales
The easiest and cheapest way to get from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales are the many buses that run daily (private cars start at 50,000 pesos and are not much faster).
Tourist buses in Patagonia are generally comfortable, clean and safe. There are no direct buses from Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine National Park; you must first make a stop in Puerto Natales.
For those traveling to Puerto Natales directly from the Punta Arenas airport, drivers will encourage you to take your transportation to the downtown bus terminal first.
The airport, however, is the last stop when leaving the city, and waiting there for the next bus can save time at both ends plus the cost of transportation.
Upon arrival at the airport, buses usually have empty seats, or you can contact the bus companies to book an airport pick-up service.
Fernandez Buses Schedule 2016 from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales(Cost: approximately 7,000 pesos one way): 8:00, 9:00, 13:00, 14:30, 17:00, 18:30, 20:00
South Buses Schedule 2016 from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales(Cost: approximately 76000 pesos one way): 10:00, 12:30, 15:00, 17:15, 19:00
Puerto Natales: Gateway to the Park – Where Torres del Paine is located.
Puerto Natales, 113 km and 2 hours south of Torres del Paine National Park, is the center of Torres del Paine and where most travelers stay before visiting the park. Two daily buses, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, go from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine.
It is approximately 2 hours from Puerto Natales to the Laguna Amarga ranger station, including a fairly long rest stop along the way.
The buses stop at three locations in the park: Laguna Amarga, Pudeto (the location of the catamaran, whose departures correspond with the arrival of the buses), and finally the park administration center.
Pacheco Buses Schedule 2016 from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park(Cost: 8,000 pesos one way and 15,000 pesos roundtrip): 07:30, 14:30
Return to Puerto Natales – Where is Torres del Paine?
For the 2016 high season, buses leave from the Laguna Amarga ranger station to Puerto Natales every day at 13:00 and 18:00 (to get from the trailhead to Laguna Amarga, shuttles come and go for $ 2,500 pesos, or you can walk the additional 11 km).
Pick-up times in Pudeto are approximately 45 minutes before Laguna Amarga, but be sure to confirm the exact time with the driver on the way.
Bus companies want you to buy round-trip tickets, but you may want to avoid doing so.
To keep your transportation options open when leaving the park. On our recent trip, for example, we booked a one-way bus ticket to the park, ending the “W” loop four days later at Laguna Amarga at 11:30.
Instead of waiting 3 hours for the next bus, we split a van ride to Puerto Natales with another pair for $25 each.
It was a bit more expensive than the bus, but we arrived in Puerto Natales many hours earlier and civilization was a welcome site after several days on the road.
Buses in Patagonia-Where is Torres del Paine?
Be patient when taking buses in Patagonia. They often arrive a little earlier or later, but the deadlines are reliable. Rest stops are common and are calculated in the schedule. For individuals and small groups, traveling by bus is reasonably pleasant and the most convenient and cost-effective form of transportation. Larger groups may consider hiring a private transfer.
By Air
From Santiago, Chile:
The most direct and fastest way to reach Punta Arenas, the city with the closest airport to Torres del Paine National Park, is by air, a 3,100-kilometer flight that separates this city from the Chilean capital.
With LATAM(https://www.latam.com/), the direct flight takes approximately 3.5 hours; the direct flight, with a stopover in Puerto Montt, takes 4 hours 45 minutes. Sky Airlines(http://www.skyairline.cl/) offers similar service, but with less frequency.
From the Punta Arenas Airport you must continue the trip by bus or rented vehicle to the city of Puerto Natales and from there to Torres del Paine Park. For more details, please refer to our inland transportation section.
From Argentina:
There are no direct flights from Buenos Aires to Punta Arenas, so the fastest way to get to Torres del Paine National Park is to take a plane from the Argentine capital to the city of El Calafate and then travel by bus or rental car to the port. Natales, a 350 kilometer trip that can take approximately 4.5 hours. When you reach that city, consider at least 80 kilometers more to reach the nearest gate of Torres del Paine (2 hours drive). For more details, please refer to our inland transportation section.
Land Transportation-Where is Torres del Paine?
From Santiago to Puerto Montt:
Transportation by bus or rented car from the capital city to Puerto Montt and then connect with the city of Puerto Natales.
From Puerto Montt:
From Puerto Montt to the south, the trip is made on the Argentine side and crosses into Chile through Paso Monte Aymond (Paso Integración Austral) near the Argentine city of Rio Gallegos, 192 km from Punta Arenas.
From Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales:
Transportation by bus or rented vehicle to travel the 254 kilometers from this city to Puerto Natales.
From Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine Park:
To get to the park from the city, there are two routes that can be traveled by bus or car.
- From Puerto Natales, take Route 9 that connects with the Sarmiento (112 kilometers) and Laguna Amarga (129 kilometers) accesses to Torres del Paine Park.
- From Puerto Natales take route Y-290 that connects with the Serrano entrance to Torres del Paine Park (80 kilometers).
From Argentina:
From the city of El Calafate, travel by bus or rented vehicle to the city of Puerto Natales, a journey of 350 kilometers that can take 4 and a half hours. Consider a stop at the Don Guillermo border access (Cerro Castillo) for entry formalities.
When you reach that town, consider at least 80 kilometers more to reach the Serrano entrance, the closest entrance to Torres del Paine (2 hours drive).
Seaway
The Puerto Montt – Puerto Natales route can be traveled by sea in almost three days.
By boat, you can reach Torres del Paine Park through the Serrano River. To do so, you must navigate the Ultima Esperanza fjord to the Serrano and Balmaceda glaciers and then trace this river.
