Refugios and Campsites in Torres del Paine

Go to sleep under a star cover. Wake up, crawl out of your tent, and enjoy a thousand years old glacier just hanging off a mountain. Campsites in Torres del Paine offer just that.

If you’re an avid hiker, the famous W or O treks in Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia are definitely on your bucket list. They offer some jaw-dropping views of towering mountains and endless-looking glaciers, and even the South Patagonian ice field.

But yes, when hiking the W or O treks, you do need to stay in campsites or refugios.

We didn’t do the W trek during our visit to Patagonia, so obviously we didn’t stay in a campsite. But for those of you who did, I researched what’s on offer and put it all neatly together in one article.

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What you need to know about camping in Torres del Paine

Not all of them are created the same.

Some are privately owned, so you need to pay to stay in them, some are owned by the government and are free (although – at the time of writing this article, April 2021, you can’t overnight in these).

Some of the accommodation on the W trek offers both campsites and refugio, some have only camps.  

There are 2 private companies that operate refugios and campsites in Torres del Paine: Vertice and Fantastico Sur (Las Torres). Both of them have rather good facilities and options available.

The prices of the campsites do not include the Torres del Paine park entrance fee. The ticket to enter the park can be bought either at the main bus station in Puerto Natales (credit card only) or at the Torres del Paine entrance gate (cash only, can be Eur and USD as well). If you want to hike the W or O trek, or you’d like to spend more days in the park, you should buy the 3 day ticket.

Refugios in Torres del Paine along the W trek

Since most of the campsites are part of the refugio, I’m gonna describe them first.

Refugio in Torres del Paine is basically a hiking hostel. They are located all around the hiking trails, and thus have the most spectacular views.

Refugios provide you with a warm and soft bed, breakfast, and dinner. They even have packed lunches for you! So you don’t need to pack bedding or food, just your backpack. And, obviously, snacks, as those are always good to have when hiking.

You share the bedroom and bathroom with other people, and the dining area is not private as well, which might be a disadvantage to people who like their privacy.

Some of the refugios offer campsites as well, if sharing your private space with other people does not sound pleasant to you.

There are 7 refugios in Torres del Paine. They are operated by two companies: Vertice and Fantastico Sur. Fantastico Sur has cabins and French domes relatively close to two of the refugios, so I’ll briefly describe them as well.

There are some other refugios near Torres del Paine, like refugio Laguna Amarga or Goiien house, but they are n

Refugios in Torres del Paine operated by Vertice

Vertice used to be known as Vertice Patagonia before – just so you are not confused.

They have three refugios in Torres del Paine, and all three of these have camping spots available as well.

Refugio and camping Paine Grande

Refugio Paine Grande is located on the shores of lake Pehoe. It offers views of the Los Cuernos del Paine and the Macizo Paine Grande. This mountain hostel is located at the starting point of the Torres del Paine W trek and the O trek. You can access the trails to Glaciar Grey and the Valle Frances from refugio Paine Grande

It’s one of the biggest refugios in Torres del Paine, with a capacity of 100 people. There are mixed dormitory rooms which house 2, 4 or 6 people. You can choose a fully made bed (sheets and a blanket) or bring your own sleeping bag. All of the rooms have lockers available.

The prices are as follows:

• Simple bed (using your own sleeping bag): US$54 per night, per person
• Made-up bed: US$85 per night, per person

The heating of the refugio is done by wood-burning stoves that are located in the common areas. Sit in the comfortable armchairs in one of the common rooms and enjoy the views after a day of hiking!

There is a restaurant and a café on site. You can have a la carte in the restaurant (sandwiches, baked goods, pizza, coffee, tea) or get ingredients in the convenience store for your next meal. You can purchase souvenirs and mountain equipment there as well. There’s a cooking area (quincho) at the campsite.

Alternatively, you can book (in advance!) a full board meal plan, which includes dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch to-go. You can order single meals as well. During Christmas and New Year’s, the prices are higher.

You need to let the refugio know during the reservation about any dietary restrictions.

There’s a bar on the second floor of the refugio which offers different beverages and panoramic views of Lake Pehoé, Cuernos del Paine and the Paine Grande massif.

If you’d like to go on day hikes from Paine Grande, there is baggage storage available. It’s free for the guests of the mountain lodge but has a cost per backpack for campers.

There’s Wifi available. You can pay for it with PayPal – and you must contact the accommodation for the rates.

Refugio and camping Dickson

Refugio and campsite Dickson is located deep in the Torres del Paine, under the Dickson glacier and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. It’s the most secluded mountain hostel in the park.

Refugio Dickson has a capacity for 27 guests. There are shared dormitory rooms with bunk beds. When booking, you can choose a fully made bed or use your own sleeping bag.

The prices are different if you want:

• Simple bed and use your own sleeping bag
• Fully made bed

Only the common areas are heated (with wood stoves), the bedrooms are not.

The bathrooms are communal, and the showers have hot water available. There are towels available for rental.

You can book (in advance!) a full board meal plan, which includes dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch to-go. And just like in Paine Grande, you can order single meals as well. During Christmas and New Year’s, the prices are, again, higher. You need to let the refugio know during the reservation about any dietary restrictions.

If you wish to cook your own food, there’s a cooking area near the campsite. There is a convenience store as well, which sells pasta, sauces, rice, bread, soft drinks, chocolates, cookies, and other various snacks. You can purchase souvenirs and mountain equipment there as well.

There’s no WiFi available at the refugio and camping Dickson, and the electricity is turned off at night. But there is a bar which sells beer, wine, and pisco sour!

Refugio and camping Grey

Located just a few minutes walk from the Glacier Grey, refugio and camping Grey connects the W trek to the Torres del Paine Circuit (O trek).

The capacity of the refugio Grey is 60 people. There are 4 or 6 people shared rooms with bunk beds. Prices for staying in the refugio Grey depend on if you want a simple bed and use your own sleeping bag or a fully made bed.

The bedrooms are not heated, only the corridors and the common areas are by wood stoves.

There are same-sex shared bathrooms available which have toilets, sinks and showers with hot water. If necessary, you can rent a towel here.

You can book (in advance!) a full board meal plan, which includes dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch to-go, or you can order single meals as well. During Christmas and New Year’s, the prices are higher. You need to let the refugio know during the reservation about any dietary restrictions.

If you wish to cook your own food, there’s a cooking area near the campsite. There is a convenience store as well, which sells pasta, sauces, rice, bread, soft drinks, chocolates, cookies, and other various snacks. You can purchase souvenirs and mountain equipment there as well.

There’s a bar in refugio Grey that has a variety of drinks available for a nice and relaxing evening.

Refugio Grey has two computers with a LAN connection if you need to use the internet. You need to consult a cashier at the store to learn about prices and availability. There’s no Wifi available.

The electricity is turned off at night.

If you wish to go on day hikes from the refugio Grey, know that it has free luggage storage for all guests.

Refugios in Torres del Paine operated by Las Torres

The refugios by Las Torres have mixed dormitory-style accommodation with bunk beds. The rooms have a capacity of six to eight people.

There are only shared bathrooms available. Refugios are heated, though, which is nice, considering that the nights can get rather cold.

You can choose the kind of bed you want: made up, which means you have a pillow, sheet and bed cover; simple bed, which means you get just a bed and have to use your own sleeping bag; or book a bed and rent a sleeping bag from the refugio.

If you’d like to have meals, you need to book them as well – they are not included in the price of the bed. You pay for them at the time of the booking. Depending on the refugio, you can order full or half-board meal plan, that is, breakfast, lunch and dinner or just breakfast and dinner. It’s possible to order a vegetarian option as well, but make sure to do it at the time of booking.

If you don’t feel like ordering a meal plan, you can purchase individual meals. An extra cost is charged per dinner on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Refugio Torre Central – the Central Mountain Hostel

Refugio Torre Central is located at the trailhead of the W trek on the trail that leads to the Las Torres. Thus, it’s quite a perfect place to stay to start the trek bright and early.

The easiest way to access it is to take a shuttle from the Laguna Amarga entrance of the Torres del Paine National park that will take you to the Las Torres sector.

The capacity of the refugio is 60 people. It has 10 rooms with 3 bunk beds in each (6 people rooms). The beds are made up in refugio Torre Central, as in, they have sheets, pillow and bed covers.

The refugio has central heating, which makes the stay that much more pleasant. You can enjoy the lounge and the restaurant without being too cold! There’s a store and a bar as well. The views from refugio Torre Central are incredible.

You can order full or half-board meals when making a booking. If you rather cook by yourself, there’s a cooking area outside by the campsite. You can have a meal plan as well if you’d like.

It’s possible to order a vegetarian option as well, but make sure to do it at the time of booking. The restaurant in the refugio offers hot and cold snacks for purchase from 10am to 10pm.

There’s luggage storage and WiFi available as well. And, if you feel like splurging a bit, get a spa treatment at the nearby hotel Las Torres.

Refugio Torre Norte – Norte Mountain Hostel

Refugio Torre Norte is located approximately 100 metres from the refugio Torre Central. This means you have a chance to use the amenities that the Central Mountain Hostel has, such wifi, luggage storage and a convenience store.

It has pretty much everything the same as Torre Central – the capacity is 60 people, and they have 10 rooms that house 6 people each.

You can choose to have a made-up bed or a simple bed (just the bed, and you have to bring your own sleeping bag).

Unlike Torre Central, there’s no central heating, but there is a slow-burning wooden stove to heat up the refugio. If you’d like to have a meal plan as well, it’s possible to get a full board (breakfast, boxed lunch, and dinner) or half-board (breakfast and dinner).

It’s possible to order a vegetarian option as well, but make sure to do it at the time of booking. The restaurant in the refugio offers hot and cold snacks for purchase from 10am to 10pm.

This refugio has just a lounge – no restaurant, bar, or store, but you can use these facilities in the Central mountain hostel. And there’s no campsite attached as well.

Refugio El Chileno – Chileno Mountain Hostel

Refugio El Chileno is located 2 hours hike from the Las Torres sector on the Base de las Torres trail. From here you continue to the Los Cuernos. It’s the closest accommodation to the Las Torres Base viewpoint, so you have the chance to watch the famous sunrise over Las Torres.

It has a capacity of 32 people. There are 4 dorm rooms with 3 bunk beds in each room. The rooms house 8 people and are mixed. The place is heated by a slow burning wood stove.

You can choose to have a simple bed where you use your own sleeping bag (saving US$5 this way!) or rent a fully made bed. There are shared bathrooms available for the guests of the refugio.

The refugio El Chileno has a shop and a restaurant on site.If you’d like to book a meal plan, you can choose between full board (breakfast, boxed lunch, and dinner) or half board (breakfast and dinner).

It’s possible to order a vegetarian option as well, but make sure to do it at the time of booking. The restaurant in the refugio offers hot and cold snacks for purchase from 10am to 10pm.

Unfortunately, there’s no specific area where you can make your own meals. It’s forbidden to make campfires in the whole of Torres del Paine, and gas stoves are approved only in specific areas. There is no such place at refugio Chileno.

Refugio El Chileno has a campsite.

Refugio Los Cuernos – Cuernos Mountain Hostel

Usually stayed at on the second or third night of the W trek, refugio Los Cuernos is located not too far from the French valley, approximately 4,5h from the Central Sector. It offers a truly spectacular view of the Los Cuernos mountains, plus lago Nordenskjold and the Salto Grande waterfall are close by as well. It offers a 360 panorama of the nearby mountains – truly an incredible scenery!

The capacity of the refugio is 36 people, they have 4 mixed dorm rooms. You can get fully made bed with a pillow and a sleeping bag or bring your own sleeping bag with you. There are shared bathrooms available for the refugio’s guests. The heating is done by wood.

There’s a restaurant (canteen) and shop on site. You can book a meal plan – full board (breakfast, boxed lunch, and dinner) or half board (breakfast and dinner).

It’s possible to order a vegetarian option as well, but make sure to do it at the time of booking. The restaurant in the refugio offers hot and cold snacks for purchase from 10am to 10pm.

If you don’t want to pay for a meal plan, you can cook your own food outside in the camping area.

Refugio Los Cuernos has a campsite as well.

Cabins Los Cuernos

Cabins Los Cuernos are located in the base of Los Cuernos del Paine, 4,5h trek from the El Chileno or the Central Sector. There’s an incredible view of the Los Cuernos mountains and the lago Nordenskjold. The cabins are very close to the refugio and campsite Los Cuernos but offer you some nice privacy.

There are 8 cabins available, each of which houses 2 to 3 guests. They have fully made single or double beds and even towels available.

The cabins have shared bathrooms with hot that are exclusively for the cabin’s guests. The rooms have a firewood heater making them nice and warm.

This place is perfect if you love your privacy.

Meals are served in the refugio Los Cuernos. You can order a full or half board, or single meals if you wish.

It’s possible to order a vegetarian option as well, but make sure to do it at the time of booking.

*An extra US$31 is charged per dinner on Christmas Eve and New Year’s eve)

Domos Frances – Frances Mountain Hostel

Frances mountain hostel or Domos Frances are located one hour from the Torres del Paine Los Cuernos sector between the campsites Cuernos and Italiano. Leave your things in the domes and head for a day hike up the Frances valley!

Enjoy stunning panoramic views of the nearby mountains Paine Grande, Ferrier, Tenerife and the Balmaceda and Chacabuco Mountain Ranges, as well as Lago Nordenskjold. Maybe you’ll even see the famous foehn winds and hear the avalanches from the Frances glacier?

This unique accommodation offers three domes each of which houses 6 people in mixed dormitory rooms. Each of the domes has a private bathroom with a hot shower (shared between the dome’s guests) and bunk beds.

You can book a bed with a sleeping bag and a pillow or save by bringing your own sleeping bag. You can book a meal plan – full board (breakfast, boxed lunch, and dinner) or half board (breakfast and dinner).

It’s possible to order a vegetarian option as well, but make sure to do it in advance. The restaurant in the refugio offers hot and cold snacks for purchase from 10am to 10pm.

If you’d prefer your own food, there’s a cooking area at the campsite outside.

Domos Frances refugio has a campsite as well.

Campsites in Torres del Paine

Campsites in Torres in Paine are mostly used by people who want to so the most popular trek in Torres del Paine – the W trek (or the extended W treks – O (circuit Macizo Paine) or even longer Q trek).

There are eight campsites in Torres del Paine, and they are operated by three companies – two are private and one is government owned.

The two private companies are Vertice Patagonia and Fantastico Sur. These campsites are paid. The government organization CONAF owns two of the free campsites that are available.

These are the campsites in Torres del Paine along the W trek:

• Refugio and Camping Paine Grande
• Refugio and Camping Grey
• Camping Italiano
• Camping and Domes Francés
• Refugio and Camping Los Cuernos
• Refugio and Camping Torres Central and Torres Norte
• Refugio and Camping El Chileno

The O trek has four more campsites that you might stay at Camping Serón, refugio and camping Dickson, camping Los Perros and Camping Paso.

I’ll now briefly explain what amenities are available in each of the campsites. Since the refugios were already covered, I’m not going to talk about them.

The campsites are grouped by who operates them.

Torres del Paine campsites operated by CONAF

The two campsites that are operated by CONAF are Italiano and Paso. They used to have two more campsites – Las Carretas and Torres, but both of those are closed.

As of 27 April 2021, the Italiano and Paso campsites are not in operation for overnight stays, but only as resting places.

More information is available on the website of Parque Torres del Paine.

As mentioned before, the CONAF-operated campsites are for free.

So, as you could expect, they don’t have any special services and amenities.

Camping Italiano is open from October to April. It’s located right next to the CONAF ranger’s station in Valle Frances.

There are only a few camping spots available, and the only service is a toilet (as I’ve read, it’s quite an unpleasant experience to use it). The Italiano campsite floods when there’s heavy rain and

Most people use this campsite to leave their backpacks with the ranger to hike up to the miradors Francés and Britanico.

Camping Paso is open from November until April. It’s located on the banks of glacier Grey. It’s in the first half of the O circuit, at quite a strategic point. Just like Italiano campsite, this one is located next to a CONAF ranger’s station.

The only service this campground offers is toilets.

Torres del Paine campsites operated by Vertice

There are four campsites in Torres del Paine that are operated by Vertice: refugio and camping Paine Grande; refugio and camping Dickson; refugio and camping Grey; and camping Los Perros.

All of these campsites offer camping equipment: set-up tents, sleeping bags, and mats for rental as well for those who don’t like carrying their own things, but it needs to be booked in advance.

There are cooking areas which are protected from wind in all of them. Cooking, if you want to cook by yourself, is allowed only in these special areas, not anywhere else.

None of the campsites have electricity at night to save energy. Plus, since there is basically no cell-phone service in Torres del Paine, most of them don’t have wifi as well.

Camping Paine Grande has spots available for up to 260 campers. There are gender-separated showers with hot water available and bathrooms with cold water. Common areas are available only for the guests of refugio.

The price of the camping spot is US$10 for a night for one person.

Camping Dickson has a capacity of 100 campers. Anyone can enjoy the common areas of the refugio. Same-sex shared bathrooms with hot showers are available.

Camping Grey has a capacity of 120 campers. Anyone is allowed in the common areas. There’s free luggage storage available for all the guests.

Camping Los Perros, the only camping operated by Vertice Patagonia that doesn’t have a refugio, has a capacity for 100 campers. It’s located deep in the Torres del Paine National Park and is the base camp for the John Gardner Pass. There are same-sex bathrooms available, and you can take a cold shower.

The campsite does have a small restaurant available that has a daily menu with vegetarian options. It offers dinner, breakfast and takeaway lunch.

There’s a convenience store that has everything you need for cooking your own meals, including beverages, cereal bars, cookies, soft drinks, chocolates and other various snacks. The market also sells souvenirs and mountain equipment.

Torres del Paine campsites operated by Fantastico Sur

Fantastic Sur has the other 5 private campsites in Torres del Paine. They are camping Serón, camping Los Cuernos, camping El Chileno, camping Central and camping Francés.

There are two types of campsites available: fully equipped and individual. Depending on your camping spot (and the campsite), you’ll get either a wooden platform where to set your tent up or a ground spot.

The fully equipped campsite means that you arrive at the campsite and there’s a tent with a sleeping bag and mat set up for you.

Individual campsite means that you pay for the camping spot. You need to bring your own equipment – tent, bag, mat. But if needed, you can rent the camping equipment as well.

Even when camping, you can book a full- or half-board meal plan for yourself. There is a full board (breakfast and dinner) and a half-board (breakfast, lunch box and dinner) available. It’s possible to order single meals, too. And there is an extra charg per dinner on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Campsite Central

It’s located approximately 250m from the refugio Torre Central in the Las Torres sector of Torres del Paine, at the beginning of the W trek.

Campsite Central has 150 camping spots available, both on wooden platforms and on the ground.

There are shared bathrooms with 24h hot water.

If you order meals, they will be served in the refugio Torre Central. If you wish to cook for yourself, there’s a cooking area available near the campsite.

Campsite El Chileno

Camping El Chileno is part of the refugio El Chileno, which is located 2 hours hike from the Las Torres sector on the Base de las Torres trail. From here you continue to the Los Cuernos.

It has a capacity for 50 tents (camping sites). There are wooden platforms and ground spots available for setting your tent up.

Chileno camping has shared bathrooms with 24h hot water that are for the exclusive use of the campers.

There are meals available at the refugio or you can eat your own food at the camping. There’s no way to cook your meal, though, at the El Chileno campsite. So, either you’ll have to eat cold meals or book a hot meal to have at the refugio.

Campsite Los Cuernos

Camping Los Cuernos is a part of the refugio Los Cuernos. Usually stayed at on the second or third night of the W trek, refugio and camping Los Cuernos is located not too far from the French valley, approximately 4,5h from the Central Sector and the El Chileno.

If you stay here, you get an incredible view of the Lago Nordenskjold and the Los Cuernos mountains.

The campsite has 50 camping spots that are on raised wooden platforms or on the ground.

You can rent camping gear – tents, sleeping bags and mats – so you don’t have to carry your own. There are shared bathrooms and showers available for the campers which have hot water for 24 hours.

If you’d like to, you can order meals during booking. Those are served in the refugio. Otherwise, use the cooking area near the campsite to cook your own meals.

Camping Frances – Frances Valley campsite

Camping Frances is located approximately an hour hike from the Torres del Paine Los Cuernos sector between the campsites Cuernos and Italiano. It’s near the Domos Frances – Frances mountain hostel.

It has a capacity for 50 tents. The camping spots are either on raised wooden platforms or on the ground.

You can rent camping equipment – tents, sleeping bags and mats – so you don’t have to carry your own. There are shared bathrooms and showers available for the campers which have hot water for 24 hours.

If you wish to have meals prepared for you, you can order them while booking the camping spot, just like with other campsites operated by Fantastico Sur. Alternatively, there’s a cooking area available where you can prepare your own food.

Seron campsite

The Seron campsite is located at the beginning of the O circuit on the eastern side of the Torres del Paine.

It has 100 camping spots available, both on the ground and on the wooden platforms.

There are toilets and hot showers at the campsite. If you don’t wish to carry camping equipment, it’s available for rent.

Just like with other refugios and campsites in Torres del Paine run by Fantastico Sur, you can have a meal service – full or half board – booked in advance. Alternatively, there’s a cooking area as well.

How to book refugios or campsites in Torres del Paine

As you know, there are three companies providing accommodation services along the W and O treks in Torres del Paine.

That means that there are 3 separate places where to make direct reservations for campsites and refugios that you need while hiking.

Luckily, all of the bookings can be done online.

And you MUST book a campsite before hiking the W and O treks.

How to book a campsite operated by CONAF

For now, as of May 2021, the campsites Italiano and Paso are not allowing overnight stays. The booking system is under maintenance anyways.

You can, and should, double check it, of course, on the official website of Parque Nacional Torres del Paine.

How to book a campsite or refugio operated by Vertice

Vertice has refugio and camping Paine Grande, Dickson, and Grey, and camping Los Perros.

For booking proceed directly to the website of Vertice and select “Reservation” from the menu.

In the first window select how many people are going to visit (Passengers for some reason). Then in the next line, if you’re not Chilean, select “Another”. The currency automatically changes to USD then.

The next window will make you choose the circuit you want to do – either W or Circuito Macizo Paine (the O circuit). Just click on the one you’d like.

Next, you choose the accommodation you’d like. If you checked the “W circuit”, you can choose between Paine Grande and Grey refugios and campsites. For the O circuit, there’s a choice between Dickson, Los Perros, and Grey.

For both of the choices, you must select dates, choose the accommodation type, and select how many people are going to stay.

If you run into any problems and need help, the best option is to contact Vertice directly by writing to ventas[at]verticepatagonia.cl.

How to book a campsite or refugio operated by Las Torres

Fantastico Sur operates the Refugio and campsite Torre Central, Refugio Torre Norte, Refugio and campsite El Chileno, Refugio, campsite and cabins Los Cuernos, Domos and campsite Frances and campsite Seron.

For booking any of these, you need to visit their website Las Torres, choose the type of accommodation, then choose which one specifically, and click “Reserve”.

When booking, first you select if you’re Chilean.

Then, in the next step, you need to select the sector and places you want to stay at, dates, meal plans, if you’d like to rent any equipment, etc.

Fantastico Sur has a very straightforward booking process.

If you have any questions, you can write directly to them at info@lastorres.com or call/WhatsApp.

Another way of booking some Torres del Paine refugios – booking.com!

Two of the refugios appear on hotels.com as well!

For example, you can book the Vertice-operated Refugio Grey and Refugio Paine Grande on hotels.com.

If you feel like splurging a bit for your first nights on the W trek, you can book a room in the hotel Las Torres instead of refugio and campsite Torre Norte or Central on booking.com.

In conclusion

Staying in a hostel or camping in Torres del Paine is definitely a special experience. You can see views that a few other people get to enjoy, test your hiking abilities, and just enjoy the incredible views available during some of the best hikes in Patagonia.

Honestly, on the one hand, I regret that we didn’t get to experience this side of Torres del Paine. But, on the other hand, I know that physically I’m not capable of finishing these treks (yet!).

Which campsite or refugio do you like the most? Which one would you definitely try to avoid at all costs? Let me know in the comments!

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