Day 21: Blue Lagoon in Torres del Paine - Punta Arenas - Santiago de Chile
After the incredible day we spent yesterday in the Trekking at the Torres del Paine Base, we went to bed a little later than usual, but enjoying a master class of Maxi and the Fede at the Pioneer Bar of the Las Torres Hotel, where We have been staying these days in Torres del Paine National Park, we wake up today when it is 6:30 in the morning to enjoy this last morning in this magical land. A land that we are sure we will not forget, and from which we will say goodbye by taking a half-day excursion to the Blue Lagoon in Torres del Paine, then move to Punta Arenas, about 5 hours from here, from where we will fly to Santiago de Chile. And from where tomorrow, we will begin what will be the last stage of this trip to Chile and Easter Island.
After preparing all our luggage again and leaving it at the reception of the Hotel Las Torres, we will have breakfast at the Coirón Restaurant, where we load energies with an incredible breakfast, like these days ago, then go directly to the reception area, to the room where at 9:00 in the morning we have met Martina to make the last departure of these days: the Blue Lagoon Tour in Torres del Paine.
Corner of the Stay
Punctual, when a few minutes past 9 in the morning we ride in a small van, accompanied by the driver and which will be our guide these hours and we make our way to Laguna Azul, as the first point of this exit, where we arrive in about 30 minutes, to find really impressive views, from where we can see the Horns from this other perspective.
Views of the Torres del Paine from Laguna Azul
This exit will take us to 3 of the most incredible locations of Torres del Paine National Park, which we recommend you do not miss, since they can be visited perfectly in one morning, either on a tour or by car and will allow you to have a different perspective of the Torres del Paine.
The stops are made in Laguna Amarga, Laguna Azul and finally at the Paine waterfall.
At this stop in Laguna Azul, where we do not have to walk more than 5 minutes, on a flat land, where the van leaves us, we find incredible views of the Torres del Paine, which unfortunately are not reflected in the water. They tell us that depending on the weather, the lagoon looks like a mirror and they are reflected in the water. An image that we imagine must be incredible. And it is that just by seeing the landscape that surrounds this wonder of nature, it cannot be for less.
blue Lagoon
Panoramic Blue Lagoon
We are here for more than 20 minutes, between explanations and walks in the area, trying not to miss any perspective, then return to the van and make way to the Paine waterfall, another stop on this tour blue Lagoon, but not before, as it usually happens whenever we find such a place in the world, turn around and spend a few seconds to take with us one last image that reminds us how lucky we are, having the possibility of knowing these wonders of the nature.
blue Lagoon
As we get closer to the Paine waterfall, we see how the sky begins to cloud, leaving us with practically covered views of the entire massif, as well as the Towers, returning to remember how lucky we were yesterday in the Trekking to the Base of the Towers, being able to enjoy an excellent day, both in the ascent, and at the time of arrival at the Base of the Towers, being able to see them in all their splendor.
Paine waterfall
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Paine waterfall
After a while in the area, where the wind begins to blow and the cold begins to be more and more noticeable, we return to the van to make the last stop of this midday tour, approaching to Laguna Amarga, another of the locations more Beautiful of the park, where although the weather is not as cheerful as yesterday, we enjoyed a pleasant walk and an interesting explanation about the place and the surroundings.
Bitter Lagoon
Bitter Lagoon
Torres del Paine
It is 11:40 when we start the return to the hotel, seeing how the weather gets worse a little more in the area of the towers, corroborated as the weather and the pachamama They are on our side in travel, allowing us to enjoy this impressive place yesterday.
We arrive at Hotel Las Torres at 12, directly entering the Pioneer Bar to eat, since we do not have much time and we also want to try the menu, after having spent the previous days eating and dining at the incredible Coiron Restaurant.
Pioneer Bar
Although the menu is created by the same chef of the restaurant, in the bar the dishes are somewhat lighter, something that also decides us for this option and more knowing that we now have 5 hours of car left until we reach the airport of Punta Arenas. After an à la carte review, where there is a lot of variety, we ended up ordering a couple of great sandwiches, more soft drinks and two double espresso with which we finished this stage of the trip to Chile in 31 days, which has confirmed the reason why Torres del Paine is said to be one of the most wonderful places in the world.
At 1 o'clock we have the transfer at the door of the hotel, where with Martina (who will stay in Punta Arenas), we make our way back to the airport of Punta Arenas, a trip that takes us 5 hours, in which we share a pleasant talk, with which we know much more about the place, the Las Torres Hotel And of course, about travel, one of the topics, whether we want to or not, always ends up being part of most conversations.
Punctual we arrive at the airport of Punta Arenas when it is 5:30 in the afternoon, after a journey and a farewell, the truth that a little contradictory. And we have a mixture of sadness to leave Torres del Paine, one of the areas that we liked most about this trip, and where we had the immense luck of having unique hosts, such as Hotel Las Torres, with a Part of excitement, since we know that with today's flight to Santiago de Chile we begin the last stage of this trip that will take us tomorrow to one of the most magical places in the world and one of the traveling dreams that we had long wanted to fulfill: Get to know Easter Island.
The Punta Arenas airport is a seen and unseen, since it is quite small and only has three boarding gates, so we check in quickly and immediately pass the security checkpoint to find ourselves at the boarding gates where punctual at 7:20 p.m. we embark on our Sky Airline flight to Santiago de Chile.
The flight passes quietly, taking advantage to review the planning of these next days, in addition to reading for a while and now we have almost three and a half hours to fly from Punta Arenas to Santiago de Chile, the longest flight we have made so far in This trip, arriving practically at 11:00 at night in Santiago de Chile, where after picking up our bags we go directly to the office that has TransVip in the arrivals terminal, since tonight we return to stay at the Manquehue Hotel Santiago Airport, which offers free transfer from the airport to the hotel, just as we did when we passed there after doing several Tours in San Pedro de Atacama, on the way to Puerto Montt to enter Chiloé.
It took us no more than 10 minutes to have both the luggage and the transfer already hired and we set off towards the hotel where we arrived when it is practically 12:00 at night, since although the transfer is at the gates of the airport, Being at a hotel that is right next door, we have to wait until the shared transfer is full, something that makes the transfer take almost 30 minutes.
After midnight we check in, we hire the transfer tomorrow, since we have the Easter Island flight at 9 in the morning and we go straight to the room to rest and it is that although it does not seem like it, today it has been a most complete day.
Day 22: Santiago de Chile - How to go to Easter Island - Hanga Roa
