Torres del Paine National Park

Torres del Paine National Park delivers Patagonian drama at its most accessible, anchored by the three granite towers that thrust 2,850 metres above sea level. Established in 1959, this 1,814 sq km UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (designated 1978) hosts pumas, guanacos, and the endangered huemul deer across glaciers and turquoise lakes. Its annual visitation of 250,000 is a quarter of the 1 million who explore #5 Fiordland, yet wildlife encounters feel more intimate. The park's iconic 'W' trek offers hike-in camps beneath peaks that, while shorter than #7 Banff's 3,400-metre summits, rise directly from the pampas for a steeper visual impact.