How we spent four nights in Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales in the south of Chilean Patagonia is one of the closest towns to the famous W hike in Patagonia. As a result, it has a slightly weird vibe that’s set up for the transitory nature of the people who are coming and going, stopping here for one or two nights before and after their hike and to collect and bring back the gear they’ve hired. But it has a calm, quiet feel that’s great for relaxing, especially after long treks.
We spent two nights here before the trek and two nights after – four in a row would be excessive!
What is there to do in Puerto Natales?
Honestly, there isn’t a huge amount to do in Puerto Natales. But most people are here as a stop before and after trekking in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. Some of the best things to do in Puerto Natales include:
Torres del Paine day trips
Perito Moreno Glacier day trips
Take a boat trip to Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers
Walk around the lakefront
Drink local beers in the microbreweries
Try traditional dishes like lamb al palo and local salmon from the lake
How to get to Puerto Natales?
We flew to Puerto Natales from Santiago, which took about 3 hours. There are various options depending on where you’re coming to Puerto Natales from, including different airports. But if you’re coming from Santiago or elsewhere in Chile then a direct flight into Puerto Natales Airport, which is only about 20 minutes from the town, is the easiest option.
Where to stay in Puerto Natales
There are plenty of places to stay in Puerto Natales for varying budgets, but they do tend to get booked up in peak seasons. We stayed at the Wild Hostel before and after the W Hike which meant we were able to leave our big travel backpacks there while we went on the trek for five days.
It cost less than £200 for two people including breakfast and the hostel was well located in the town.
It had a friendly vibe with plenty of communal space though we chose a private room for a bit of a break and privacy before and after the refugios of the W trek! The staff are super friendly and helpful, if you’re staying before and after your hike they will keep your luggage for you while you’re away. They’ll also make up your breakfast to take away if you’re leaving earlier than their service starts.
Where to eat and drink in Puerto Natales
For such a small town there is no shortage of restaurants and bars in Puerto Natales. Our favourites were:
Wild Hostel
El Tejano Tacos
Pizzeria Napoli
Baguales Brewpub
Carneros
Mestia Grande
El Asador
How to get to the W Hike from Puerto Natales
We did the W hike from west to east. How you get to the start of your hike will depend on which direction you’re walking in.
From west to east, the best option is to book a bus that takes you from Puerto Natales bus station to Torres del Paine and then on to Pudeto where you’ll catch a boat to Paine Grande to start the W hike.
The bus takes about 3 hours including the change over and runs fairly often, but you must book in advance. We left Puerto Natales at 6:45am and were ready to start hiking at 11:30am.
On the way back, you catch a bus directly fromTorres del Paine welcome centre toPuerto Natales which takes 2 hours. If you’re doing the hike in the opposite direction then the transport would be the same but the opposite way around. You would start your trek without changing onto the bus to Pudeto and would do that stretch of the journey on your way back.
Just be sure to check the times for when you plan to start and end your hike and then book your transport for timings that fit in with that. It’s better to wait an hour or so for your bus or boat than miss it because you didn’t give yourself enough time to get there.
Find out everything you need to know about the W hike in Patagonia here.
Where to hire hiking gear in Puerto Natales
We hired hiking poles, sleeping bags, backpacks, and daypacks from Rental Natales. This cost about £135 per person and we collected everything the day before the hike for no extra cost. The staff are helpful and show you how to use everything. It’s open until 10pm so you have plenty of time to drop everything off after your hike is done. But if you don’t make it you have until 10am the next morning before you’re charged an extra day.
How long to spend in Puerto Natales
We spent two nights before starting the W hike in case anything went wrong with our flights and luggage so we had a buffer day. And on the way back, we spent another two nights in the town just to chill and sit still-ish after an intense five days in the mountains!
You could spend longer, but the town itself doesn’t have a lot to do and the main attraction is the mountains and lakes nearby.
Find out more about how we spent two weeks in Patagonia here.