Driving tips and suggestions for Torres del Paine
 

Driving tips and suggestions for Torres del Paine

We rented our car from Adel Rental Car http://www.adelpatagonia.cl/
and picked it up at Punta Arenas Airport. It was so tiny, that we changed to an Isuzu Rodeo. This was our second trip to Patagonia and we were well aware of car damage from rocks. So this is our first tip for you….take your time and thoroughly inspect the car for damage. This includes checking all the windows, lights, and sides of the car. We thought we had done a very meticulous job but after sitting in the car, we noticed that one of the outside mirrors was cracked. Make sure that you document all damage and we even took photos.

Driving in Torres del Paine is over rough, rougher and even more rough gravel roads. So another tip is to check the tire tread on your rental. Also, check to make sure that not only do you have a spare tire, but it is inflated. When checking out the spare tire, find out where the tire jack is located and ask for a demonstration on how to release the spare and how to jack up the car. Don’t think that if you have a flat in Torres you can call or wait for help. Phone reception is very poor and we spent many days without seeing more than a couple other cars.

Something that we did not do but should have done was to check the battery. One morning in Punta Arenas, we left our hotel and loaded the car for a drive to Estancia Rio Verde. The car would not start. We call the rental agent who quickly came over and determined that the battery was nearly empty of water. A refill didn’t work and he put in a new battery. Had that happened outside of Punta or on a lonely road, we would have been in trouble.

When we left Puerto Natales, we drove to the Milodon Cave and then took the road to the southern entrance of Torres del Paine. It is about 50 miles from Puerto to the park and 40 of those miles are on gravel. Remember this---all the roads in the park are gravel. There is NO gas station at the park. The nearest gas station is in Puerto Natales. So another tip is to fill up your gas tank in Puerto Natales. But what if you run low in the park? Our Isuzu Rodeo gobbled up the gas and after several days of driving about in the park, our gauge was getting low. The only gas that we could find in the southern section of the park was at the Posada Rio Serrano, near the southern entrance Ranger Station. They sell gas in 5 liter containers and the cost is somewhere between $12 to $13 a gallon. Yup. Really.


Since the roads are so rough, rent out the most comfortable car that you can. And even though the distances are short, the constant bouncing on the gravel will often limit your speed to single digits.

With the gravel comes the dust. And there is a lot of dust kicked up by your own car and passing buses. The windshield will quickly get coated with dust and dirt. So another tip is to make sure that your windshield washer works and is full.

Last tip. There are large tour buses speeding about on the roads in the park. When you come to a blind turn or a narrow curve, slow down and be cautious.

Another last tip: take a lot of photos because Torres del Paine is simply beautiful.

Great advice! We ran into the gas issue -- we had a Nissan compact and drove from PN to the Park, drove around the park on arrival day. The next day we drove to take the catamaran and realized on our way back to our hotel we would need gas at some point. Had the same price and sticker shock as u. We were there in March and never saw a tour bus -- guess we were lucky.

Your last tip is especially true -- what a gorgeous place!

Your post was just what I was looking for! Thank you!

Allison

I also want to thank you for the information. We will also be there in March and have rented a minivan in Puntas Arenas. Did you purchase insurance for the car, or just let your own car insurance or credit card cover that?

Great information. We will be there in a month but are going on a tour with a group of 23 people through Odysseys. We never take tours but am now glad we are.

All sound advice. When we returned our rental car, there was a dent found under the front bumper that we were charged $50 for. So, look under the front of the car as much as you can as well.

We talked to some people at the hotel in TdP that had bought gas cans in Natales, filled them and brought them with them. It was a smart idea.

As for insurance we used our credit card to cover it and thankfully didn't need it. We rented in Natales and returned it in Arenas.