Torres del Paine National Park is one of the most important protected wilderness areas in Chile.
Created in 1959 and managed by the National Forest Corporation (CONAF), it covers an area of 227,298 hectares. It includes the Paine massif, with its famous peaks, such as Paine Grande and the well-known towers that give the park its name. Inside the park, there is a great variety of natural geographical landmarks, including valleys, the Paine River, and lakes such as Grey, Pehoé, Nordenskjöld, and Sarmiento. The park also contains glaciers like Grey, Pingo, Tyndall, and Geikie, all part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. In 1978, the area was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Internationally renowned for the scenic beauty of its surroundings, the park receives over 280,000 visitors annually, most of whom are foreign tourists, making it the third most visited protected area in Chile. Among its accolades, in a special edition of National Geographic magazine, Torres del Paine was chosen as the fifth most beautiful place in the world. Additionally, in 2013, the park was selected as the eighth wonder of the world after receiving over five million votes in a competition organized by Virtual Tourist.
