12/3: Hilltop Rest at Hosteria Pehoe & Salte Chico Trail

Steven and I had spent the last four days here in the magnificent Torres Del Paine National Park in southern Patagonia, a region that spans both Chile and Argentina. We stayed for the first two nights at the Pampa Lodge located just outside the park's southern boundary and the last two nights at Hosteria Pehoe situated on a tiny island in the glorious Lago Pehoe in the center of the park. 

Though many park visitors come to hike the famous 'W' trails in the park over the course of several days, we hiked far less strenuous and shorter trails so we could also take a cruise on the beautiful Lago Grey to view its Grey Glacier and spend precious time driving to the park's northern reaches where we were lucky enough to see waterfalls and many guanacos en route to Lago Azul. Throughout our time in this magical park, we were constantly gobsmacked by its spectacular blue-green lakes and majestic snow-capped mountains. Never had we seen such a combination before!

That was why on our final full day in the park, we chose after breakfast to climb up the small hill atop the island and simply rest there for a few hours and just take in all the beauty and solitude around us. It was impossible to think of a more serene and exquisite place to be.

When a few clouds finally rolled in, we said adios to our little piece of heaven atop the hill and set out for a final hike in the park.

Wildflowers atop the hill:

The Salte Chico trail was certainly not very onerous, more of a pleasant stroll bordering one of the park's many lakes.

These were the third waterfalls we'd come across in the park.

Late afternoon we arrived back at Pampa Lodge for our final night so we'd have a shorter drive to the airport the next day that was about three plus hours away. For our last dinner in the park, we drove to a nearby campground that put on a lovely spread in their restaurant that was certainly on par with our repast at the Camping Pehoe Restaurant a couple of nights earlier. 

Our window-side table had a view to die for of the park's mountains nearing sunset. How we would miss our sojourn at Torres Del Paine as it had surpassed every notion of the park we had going in. 

Rarely in the last half-dozen years of traveling around the world together have Steven and I ever desired to return to places we've discovered because of wanting to explore new countries and regions in the time we have left. However, having the opportunity to see more of the park and specifically the well known Petit Moreno Glacier, Calafate and Bariloche in Argentina would certainly be fabulous based on everything we've heard and read!

Next post: Leaving Torres Del Paine National Park, hopefully not for the last time, for Santiago, the capital of Chile.

Posted on January 21st, 2020, from a bone-dry and mild Denver.