Photography in Torres del Paine, Chile

Welcome to the world-renowned natural paradise of Patagonia! Upon your arrival to Punta Arenas via Santiago, you will be greeted by your local guide and transferred to Torres del Paine by bus to embark on the park’s O Circuit trek the following day. 

While on the bus, your guide will give you a breakdown of the next seven days in Patagonia. The ride will take approximately four hours from Punta Arenas; however, the scenery is simply incredible, so make sure you have your camera ready. 

Your Patagonian excursion will begin from Las Torres Hotel. While you’re here, you’ll fill out some personal safety forms as well as watch an informational video. Today you will trek approximately 13 km to Serón Camp and be passing through marvelous beech forests. The scenery on day one makes for some great wide angle shots. 

Joining you on this seven-day journey will be an expert nature photographer as well as a wildlife biologist. This way you can get expert tips in terms of how to capture the best shots as well as receive all the information you need to provide top-notch photo captions. 

After some coffee made over the campfire, start your second day of trekking en route to Dickson Camp. Today you will hike around the crystal blue waters of Paine Lake. While you’re here, you’ll have the chance to take in some impressive mountain views of Cerro Cabeza del Indio and Cerro Escudo. 

Throughout the day, you will be practicing long-exposure photography techniques, focusing on the water and mountains as your primary subjects. Weather dependending, today’s trek can take anywhere from 5 to 8 hours. Once you’ve arrived and set up camp, sit around the fire and get a rundown of the different types of flora and fauna to look out for over the next four days. 

Gear up and get ready for one of the most scenic days you’ll have in Torres del Paine. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife and plants you learned about last night. In addition, the biologist will be sharing insights about any other plants and animals you come across. Utilize this opportunity to practice shooting macro-photography and get a closeup perspective of the area’s native flora and fauna. 

As you continue trekking, take in the stunningly fresh air as you follow the Los Perros River. You will also hike towards the bottom of the Los Perros Glacier, which boasts a beautiful lagoon as its centerpiece. Take a moment and be thankful that you are out in nature, instead of being cooped up in an office amidst a congested city someplace else. 

Brace yourself as this will be one of the more vigorous days you’ll experience on the O Circuit. You will be setting off early in the morning as that is generally the time when the weather conditions are ideal in Torres del Paine. The hiking time today will be approximately 8 hours, so it’s better to get started earlier rather than later. 

Today you will start by trekking through a moderate forested trail before beginning your ascent to cross the John Gardner Pass. During your ascent, you will have unbelievable views of Grey Glacier and the otherworldly Southern Patagonian Ice Fields. Take some time to practice some panorama photography and score some awesome shots of the area. 

After several days of full-on trekking, take a well-deserved rest and wake up slowly. You should probably enjoy a relaxing morning and partake in some light stretching along with a warm cup of coffee. To switch things up a bit, today you will be kayaking around the glacier and icebergs of Grey Lake. 

During this adventure, your guide will be able to give you some background information about the current effects of climate change in this area, as well as how the ice and snow have changed over the years due to rising temperatures around the world. 

On your final day of trekking through the O Circuit, you’ll head to the French Basin. This natural basin is encompassed by mountains and spectacular hanging glaciers. As you walk around Paine Grande, the biologist will shed light on the native flora and fauna you encounter in the area. 

To finalize the excursion, you will cross over the French River suspension bridge before arriving at a lookout point that boasts amazing views of the surrounding glaciers and natural rock structures. Wrapping up, you’ll return via the same track and connect with a boat to take you across Pehoe Lake. Once you’re at the other side of the lake, you head to Puerto Natales via shuttle where you will catch your flight back home.