Patagonia

The park's namesake towers (the Torres) are three granite spikes that spike out of a glacier-fed cirque. The full-day hike to their base, the Mirador Las Torres, is the iconic payoff, best caught at sunrise when the granite glows copper.

The classic multi-day route is the W Trek (4-5 days), linking the three major valleys. The full O Circuit (7-9 days) loops the whole massif for those with time and fitness. Refugios (mountain lodges) book out months ahead; camping is the budget alternative.

Puerto Natales is the gateway town, a windswept base of hostels, gear shops and the best lamb roasts in Chile. From here you can also reach Tierra del Fuego, the Magellanic penguin colony at Seno Otway, and the wild fjords northward.

Further afield, the El Chaltén area on the Argentinian side offers Fitz Roy and some of the best free day-hiking in Patagonia. The Perito Moreno glacier viewpoint is the easiest close-up glacier experience anywhere.

The window is narrow: December to March (Southern Hemisphere summer). Days are long, trails are open and the weather is merely fickle rather than savage. Even in summer, expect four seasons in a day: sun, horizontal rain, snow and calm, sometimes all within an hour.

Shoulder months (November, late March) are quieter and cheaper but risk trail closures. Winter (June-August) is for skiers and solitude-seekers only; most lodges and routes shut.

Fly into Punta Arenas (PUQ) or Puerto Natales (PNT) from Santiago; bus or transfer to Puerto Natales, then to the park. Patagonia is expensive - flights, park fees, refugios and gear rental add up fast. Budget roughly $150-300/day for two, more if you're staying in lodges.

Book early. Refugio beds, the W Trek permits and key domestic flights sell out by October for the following summer. Camping is cheaper but you still need to reserve pitches.