Where is Torres del Paine?

In the Magallanes region of southern Chilean Patagonia, north of the town of Puerto Natales and close to the border with Argentina.

How did the Torres del Paine form?

Molten rock intruded beneath older sedimentary layers roughly 12 to 13 million years ago and cooled into granite. Uplift and glaciers then stripped away the overlying rock and carved the granite into towers.

Why are the lakes turquoise?

Glaciers grind rock into a fine powder called glacial flour. Meltwater carries it into the lakes, where it stays suspended and scatters sunlight, giving the water its milky blue-green colour.

How long is the W trek?

It usually takes about four or five days. Campsites and refuges must be booked in advance, and walkers should be prepared for strong winds and rapidly changing weather.

Can I explore Torres del Paine in the app?

Yes. You can explore a landscape modelled on Torres del Paine, with its granite towers, glaciers, turquoise lakes and steppe, in interactive 3D.

Granite towers, blue glaciers and turquoise lakes in the wind-blasted heart of Patagonia

Torres del Paine

3D landscape · Patagonia, Chile

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Torres del Paine National Park lies in the Magallanes region of southern Chile, between the Andes and the plains of Patagonia. At its centre is the Paine Massif, a compact cluster of mountains crowned by three granite spires, the Torres, and the dark-capped Cuernos, or horns. Around them, glaciers pour from the vast Southern Patagonian Ice Field into lakes of startling colour. In this app you can explore a landscape modelled on Torres del Paine in interactive 3D: granite peaks, hanging glaciers, turquoise lakes and windswept grassland.

The park was created in 1959 and was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978. Today it is managed by CONAF, Chile's national forest and parks agency, and attracts hikers from around the world, many of whom walk the famous W trek. The word paine is often said to mean blue in the language of the Tehuelche, or Aónikenk, people, the original inhabitants of this part of Patagonia.

Key facts

Location: Magallanes, Chilean PatagoniaNorth of Puerto Natales, near the Argentine border
Centrepiece: Paine MassifIncluding the three Torres and the Cuernos del Paine
Granite age: About 12–13 million yearsIntruded as molten rock beneath older sediments; dates are refined by ongoing research
Highest peak: Cerro Paine GrandeCommonly given as around 2,900 m or more; published heights vary
Ice: Southern Patagonian Ice FieldFeeds Grey, Dickson and Tyndall glaciers among others
Lakes: Pehoé, Nordenskjöld, GreyColoured by glacial flour
National park: 1959Managed by CONAF
Biosphere reserve: 1978Designated by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere programme
Signature hike: W trekUsually walked in about four or five days

Granite towers and the Cuernos

The Paine Massif is made largely of granite that formed when molten rock pushed up into the crust and cooled slowly several kilometres underground. Studies date this intrusion to roughly 12 to 13 million years ago, which is very young for a large granite body. The magma did not reach the surface; instead it spread out beneath layers of older sedimentary rock, shales and sandstones laid down on an ancient sea floor, baking them hard where it touched them.

Since then, uplift of the Andes and repeated glaciations have stripped away most of the overlying rock and carved the granite into sheer spires and walls. The three Torres are almost pure, pale granite. On the Cuernos del Paine, the dark sedimentary caps still sit on top of the pale granite, giving the horns their striking two-tone look: grey-white below and almost black above. The contact between the two is a visible snapshot of the roof of a magma chamber.

Glaciers and turquoise lakes

To the west of the park lies the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, one of the largest bodies of ice outside Antarctica and Greenland, shared between Chile and Argentina. Grey Glacier flows from the ice field into Lago Grey, where its front breaks into blue icebergs that drift down the lake. Like most Patagonian glaciers, it has retreated significantly over recent decades.

The glaciers grind the rock beneath them into an extremely fine powder called glacial flour, or rock flour. Meltwater carries this powder into the lakes, where the tiny particles stay suspended and scatter sunlight, giving lakes such as Pehoé and Nordenskjöld their milky turquoise and emerald colours. The colours vary between lakes and seasons depending on how much sediment they receive and how far they are from the ice.

The Patagonian wind

Torres del Paine is famous for its wind. Southern Patagonia lies in the path of the strong westerly winds that circle the Southern Ocean, and as air pours over the Andes and the ice field it can accelerate down into the valleys. Gusts strong enough to knock hikers off their feet occur, especially in the spring and summer months, and spray can be whipped off the lakes in sheets.

Weather can change within minutes, bringing sun, rain, sleet and snow in a single day. Trees on exposed slopes grow bent and stunted, leaning away from the prevailing wind. Hikers are advised to carry warm, windproof clothing in every season and to take extra care on exposed ridges and passes.

Steppe and lenga forest

The park sits on the boundary between wet mountain country to the west and dry Patagonian steppe to the east. In the east, rolling grassland of tussock grasses and hardy shrubs such as calafate, whose blue berries are said to bring visitors back to Patagonia, stretches towards the horizon. Further west and higher up, forests of southern beech take over, especially lenga, a deciduous beech that turns red and orange in autumn, along with the shrubby ñirre.

This mix of habitats, from steppe to forest, lakes and ice, is one reason UNESCO recognised the area as a biosphere reserve. It also supports a surprising amount of wildlife for such a harsh climate.

Guanacos, pumas and condors

Guanacos, wild relatives of the llama, graze the steppe in herds and are among the park's most visible animals. They are the main prey of the puma, and Torres del Paine is considered one of the best places in the world to see wild pumas, often with the help of specialist guides. Andean condors, among the largest flying birds on Earth, ride the strong winds along the cliffs.

The lesser rhea, or ñandú, also called Darwin's rhea, a large flightless bird, runs across the open grassland. Culpeo and South American grey foxes hunt rodents and hares, and the endangered huemul, a small Andean deer, lives in some of the more remote forested areas. Black-necked swans, flamingos and upland geese can be seen on the lakes and lagoons.

The W trek and fire safety

The W trek is named after the shape of its route, which climbs up three valleys on the southern side of the massif: to the base of the Torres, into the Valle del Francés beneath the Cuernos and Paine Grande, and to Grey Glacier. It usually takes four or five days. The longer O circuit loops all the way around the massif. Campsites and refuges must be booked in advance, and walkers must stay on marked trails.

Fire is a major threat in a landscape where trees grow slowly and the wind can spread flames quickly. Large fires caused by visitors burned big areas of the park in 1985, 2005 and 2011–12. The 2011–12 fire, reported to have been started by a visitor burning toilet paper, burned many thousands of hectares of forest and steppe. Lenga forest regrows very slowly, and replanting efforts are still continuing. Open fires are banned, and stoves may be used only in designated areas.

Surprising facts about Torres del Paine

The granite of the Torres del Paine is only around 12 to 13 million years old, young by geological standards.
The black tops of the Cuernos del Paine are the remains of the rock that once sat above the granite magma.
The turquoise colour of the lakes comes from rock flour ground up by glaciers.
Torres del Paine is one of the best places in the world to see wild pumas.
Winds in the park can be strong enough to knock hikers over.
A fire started by a single careless visitor in 2011 burned a large part of the park.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Torres del Paine?: In the Magallanes region of southern Chilean Patagonia, north of the town of Puerto Natales and close to the border with Argentina.
How did the Torres del Paine form?: Molten rock intruded beneath older sedimentary layers roughly 12 to 13 million years ago and cooled into granite. Uplift and glaciers then stripped away the overlying rock and carved the granite into towers.
Why are the lakes turquoise?: Glaciers grind rock into a fine powder called glacial flour. Meltwater carries it into the lakes, where it stays suspended and scatters sunlight, giving the water its milky blue-green colour.
How long is the W trek?: It usually takes about four or five days. Campsites and refuges must be booked in advance, and walkers should be prepared for strong winds and rapidly changing weather.
Can I explore Torres del Paine in the app?: Yes. You can explore a landscape modelled on Torres del Paine, with its granite towers, glaciers, turquoise lakes and steppe, in interactive 3D.

Keep exploring

The landscapes in Ember’s Universe are procedural 3D scenes modelled on real places. The landforms, plants and light follow the real thing, but the details are generated, not mapped.

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