Parque Nacional Torres del Paine: Getting there & around

Aerovías DAP flies a seven-seater to El Calafate, Argentina weekdays from the small airfield north of the city on the road to Torres del Paine.

A highlight for many people is the four-day, three-night northbound voyage from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt through Chile's spectacular fjords aboard Navimag's MV Magallanes car and passenger ferry. For information, contact Turismo Comapa (tel 414 300; www.comapa.com) a couple of days before your estimated arrival date. The ferry leaves Natales early on Friday and stops in Puerto Edén en route to Puerto Montt. Most travelers end up in dorm-style berths, wishing they had opted for a private cabin with a view. Fares include interpretive talks and all meals. Bring playing cards, water, snacks, sea-sickness pills and alcohol. Check online for current schedules and rates.

Puerto Natales has no central bus terminal, though several bus companies use the stop at the junction of Valdivia and Baquedano. Services are greatly reduced during the low season. Most companies shuttle back and forth two or three times daily to Torres del Paine. For El Calafate, note that taking the day tour to the Moreno Glacier and staying in El Calafate after the tour is slightly cheaper than going by regular bus, spending the night and then paying for the tour the next day. Bus Sur goes to Punta Arenas (3-4hr), El Calafate (5-7hr), Río Gallegos (4-7hr), Ushuaia (12-14hr), Coyhaique, Puerto Montt and Río Turbio.

You must take a taxi from the airport to town. Most people get around Puerto Natales on foot and take buses or the Navimag to their next destination. Car hire is expensive and availability is limited; you'll get better rates in Punta Arenas or Argentina. Try World's End for bike hire.

The main pickup and drop-off points in the park are at Laguna Amarga, the Hielos Patagónicos catamaran launch at Pudeto, and at the park headquarters. You can coordinate your drop off at the park with the catamaran schedule, which leaves Pudeto for Lago Pehoé. Another launch plies Lago Grey between Hostería Lago Grey and Refugio Lago Grey.