explora Torres del Paine

Anchored like a ship by Lake Pehoé, at the heart of Torres del Paine National Park, explora Patagonia has a privileged location from where to go out and explore the park. Staying at the Explora is a complete experience and it’s open all year. Justifiably renowned for its pioneering architecture and unashamed luxury, the Explora Patagonia is up there with the very best hotels in Chile. The sensational views of Lake Pehoe, epic Torres Massif mountains and the Salto Chico waterfall can be enjoyed from the lounge, the restaurant, many of the bedrooms and even the open air Jacuzzis. Despite the hotel’s distinctly designer interior and exterior, it is well known for its environmental awareness and sympathy with its surroundings.  All the programs include accommodation, transfers from and to the airport, meals and beverages, and a menu of more than 40 exploration routes designed by our outdoors team. The treks and horseback rides include mountains, turquoise lakes, lenga tree forests, viewpoints, prairies and rivers, in addition to the most iconic spans of the trekking circuit known as “W”. Explora Patagonia is the only luxury hotel located in the heart of the park, so everything is on your doorstep and there are spectacular views of the Paine Massif, particularly striking at sunrise and sunset.

explora was designed as the perfect base from where to explore Torres del Paine National Park. With an exclusive location and unparalleled views, you can choose among 40 explorations –either hiking or horseback riding– to some of the circuits of the renowned W and other less explored routes that will help you get familiarized with the typical geography and wildlife of Patagonia. The rooms are the perfect combination of simplicity and comfort in order to ensure a deep rest after a day of exploration. The 49 rooms and suites are Scandinavian in style and combine rustic charm with unlimited comfort. You will sleep in Spanish bed linen, eat from English chinaware and admire tapestries flown over from New York. They fall into three categories: at the entry level there are the seven Salto Chico rooms, which, as the name suggests, have views over the small Salto Chico waterfall to the west of the hotel; the 36 Cordillera Paine rooms are the same size but offer views of the central Torres Massif; and the six Exploradores suites have the same view but are around twice the size of the other rooms. They are all furnished to the same standards (although the suites do have a larger seating area and extra picture windows), with spacious bathrooms cleverly designed to give you a view from the Jacuzzi bath.

Unlike other accommodation in the park, Explora has full communication facilities; including international television and video (although not in the rooms), telephone, radio and fax, as Wi-Fi in the main bar area. In a separate building a five minute walk from the main hotel you will find an indoor heated swimming pool and spa. There is an open bar policy including some great Chilean wines (and a premium wine list for anyone wanting to splash out on a bottle). Given the location and the sheer logistical issues in getting supplies to the property, the food is amazingly good both in the hotel and while you are out and about in the park.

Designed to take full advantage of the silence, privacy, and spaciousness of the surrounding landscape, ensuring deep rest after a long day of exploration.

Exploradores suite

The six Exploradores Suites measuring 42 square meters feature views of Macizo del Paine.

Salto Chico room

The seven Salto Chico rooms measuring 28 square meters feature views of the Salto Chico waterfall.

Cordillera Paine room

The 36 Cordillera Paine rooms measuring 28 square meters feature views of Macizo del Paine.

The hotel offers a staggering choice of over 40 guided hikes and horse rides. Groups are small (1-8 people, 8 is normal in high season), and are led by experienced guides from the hotel’s own School of Guides. All abilities are catered for, with four levels of difficulty and half- or full-day activities. All excursions are included in the all-inclusive program. explora Patagonia has its own catamaran, which is used exclusively by explora travelers to cross the turquoise waters of the Pehoé Lake towards the Grey Glacier and the French Valley.

Horse Riding
Explora TDP is perfect for riders of all abilities. The hotel has its own stables, located close to the hotel, with horses which are specially bred for the Patagonian weather and geography. It also owns a huge ranch – the Estancia 2 de Enero – so the hotel can offer a truly authentic Patagonian experience in the company of gauchos. There are 16 horse riding excursions on offer, covering a wide range of the park, through pampas (grasslands) and rivers, with experiences to suit all riders, from beginners to the most advanced.

Hiking
Hikes of all lengths and levels are available across the whole park: from half-day walks with lunch at the hotel, to full-day walks with lunch in the park. Some of the hikes offered by Explora cover sections of the famous W trek – to the base of the Towers, the Grey Glacier and the Valle del Francés.

For more information on Explora Patagonia click HERE

Forest Restoration - Torres del Paine National Park.

As many of you know, a catastrophic fire affected the area back in 2011, burning a shocking 17.000 hectares of National Park. Although since then we have worked with the government officials and independent organizations to bring back the native plant species that were lost in the fire, for 2015 we have created a new internal campaign which allows our travelers to participate and take action in our cause.

Explora travelers have always been interested in ways to contribute to preserving the unique areas where we are located, not just for their own visits, but also for the benefit of future generations and the planet itself. With this in mind, we created a forest restoration program designed to include our travelers and allow them to take action. Although it may seem like a mere technicality, there is an important difference between reforestation and forest restoration. The latter, implies a continuous monitoring system of each planted tree in order to follow its progress and health from the moment it is planted until the day it has fully grown. We have bought 700 lenga trees, which travelers can sponsor at the Patagonia hotel shop. All the money we collect from these first 700 baby lengas, will be destined to buy another 700, and so on and so forth. The idea is to run a self-sustaining forest restoration program of which our travelers can proudly participate. Each tree is planted by a local organization, which operates with national and international volunteers who are also eager to help. Preserve the national park for future generations.