Can I buy food on the Trail?
Yes, there is a store at almost every campsite.
The items available are limited and very expensive. Diet Coke costs 6 times what it does in Puerto Natales. Wine about 4 times the town price.
We recommend you carry enough food for the trip & use these convenience stores for emergencies only.
The Refugios offer restaurant meals for US$10 too. Reports are that meals are reasonably good.
Are there toilets on the Paine?
Pit toilets and / or flush toilets are available at every campsite. Remember — as is the norm in South America — few provide toilet paper. Carry your own.
Showers?
Hot showers are available at every campsite except those that are free. A treat on a long hike!
What animals will I see at Paine?
Wildlife watching is good. Most hikers see condor, hares, guanaco, fox, nandu (rhea), caracara, swans & geese. Birds were the highlight for us though we did not see the great-horned owl.
Some spot the endangered huemul, as we did.
Two groups when we were there had a good long look at a puma near Dickson. Lucky ducks!
More animals.
More information on TorresDelPaine.com.
Other things to do near the Paine Circuit?
For hikers, the big Patagonian attractions are the Fitz Roy hike & Moreno glacier <photos>. You hop a bus to El Calafate, Argentina (a far better tourist town than Puerto Natales) to see both.
In Paine, you could do a second hike:
- day hikes near the information centre for the views
- Pingo-Zapata (2 days)
- Laguna Azul to Lago Dickson (4-5 days)
Additionally, you could head to Tierra del Fuego. A great hike there is Dientes Circuit on Isla Navarino.
Many hikers add other adventures in the Paine Park. Once in Puerto Natales, dozens of travel agencies offer:
- horseback riding
- glacier hiking
- kayak trips
- glacier boat tour
- catamaran trip
- fishing
- mountaineering
- sailing
- etc.
Unfortunately in 2004 we could not find any independent kayak rentals, our first choice.
Best of all? During the summer you could extend your trip to Antarctica. Last minute stand-by all inclusive 10 day tours by ship as low as US$1200 out of Ushuaia.
