Chile Attractions

Venue: Torres del Paine National Park    When: Daily

Spanning both Chile and Argentina, Patagonia has always had a romantic, slightly unreal image, perpetuated by writers such as Bruce Chatwin (who came here in search of mythical monsters). This stunningly beautiful, wild and sparsely-populated land has an almost inexhaustible wealth of incredible natural phenomena, but the jewel in the Chilean crown is the Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

Covering 180,000 hectares, the park's main features are the famous peaks, the torres (towers) and the cuernos (horns) as well as four glaciers. Reaching as high as 2600 metres, the torres peer down on countless lakes, forests, wind-sculpted trees and tumbling waterfalls. Under the protection of UNESCO, they are home to guanacos (a cousin of the llama) pumas, flamingos and armadillos. Condors and eagles swoop overhead and the rather absurd nandues (a type of ostrich) run together in flocks - a strange sight.

There are many attractions here, but none more dramatic than the glaciers. There are four main glaciers in the park, all children of the Campo de Hielo Sur ice cap. Several rivers make their way inland and spill into ice-cold lakes that bob with icebergs like giant gin and tonics. To get really close to the face of the ice, which rises some 35 metres out of the water, take a boat trip through the cold milky water and get as close as you dare. All the glaciers are retreating at an astonishing rate and from time to time large chunks break away into the water, creating waves that could tip a small boat. Trips on bigger boats can be arranged.

To make the most of Chile's showpiece national park, take your time and arrive with plenty of provisions. A typical park visit lasts at least a couple of days, but completing the whole circuit takes over a week. Accommodation is in simple refuges or campsites, so be prepared for the unexpected in terms of the weather, as Patagonia's winds are second only to those in Antartic.

The jumping-off point for the park is a small town called Puerto Natales. From here you can take a (very early) bus to the park's administration centre at Lago Pehoé, where you pick up a map and take off to explore. The best time to visit is from October to April, spring and summer in the southern hemisphere, when there is more sun and less rain.