My partner and I are self-driving to Torres del Paine from Punta Arenas in early January. We did the W Trek in TdP two years ago and are familiar with the basics of the park. This time we are doing some alternative hiking to explore other parts of the park. We are staying at Camping Lego Pehoe for a few nights.
Last time we came to the park we took the bus. I believe the buses from Puerto Natales use Ruta 9 to get to the Administration building at Laguna Amarga.
On Google Maps, I see there is a second route to the park - via the Y-290. It seems for some time, this route was closed for maintenance. Has it re-opened? Is there anything we should know about this southern route? Is it paved? Is it more scenic than Ruta 9? What guard station would we use to enter the park?
Apologies for asking all the questions -- since we are self-driving I want to make sure we know what we are getting into when selecting new routes! I also can't seem to find a lot of current information online.
Thank you!
