Hola!
I will be traveling to TDP in about 3 weeks and will be hiking the W circuit. I would like to mostly camp and have read there are free camp sites. My questions are:
1) Can I just show up or do they need to be pre-booked?
2) Are there free camp sites all along the W?
3) Can you eat meals at refugios/store bags even if you haven't booked with them?
The free ones belong to CONAF and have no food available. There are only four and usually at least one is closed at any given time. You cannot pre-book them. Pre-booking is highly recommended for the paid ones. You cannot do the W just staying in free ones. You can eat meals at the refugios if you are using their campgrounds. Note that if there is a lot of demand they have 2 sittings and booking a place as soon in the day as possible is a good idea.
Thank you so much! Do you have any suggestions of which I should stay in if I am doing the W and what website I should use to book ahead of time?
You have three options for free campsites:
- Campamento Los Guardas (at glacier grey).
- Campamento Italiano (at the start of the french valley).
- Campamento Torres (at the base of the towers).
You can theoretically stay at free ones for the duration of your trek (its possible but theres a few long days in there). TO make it more enjoyable, you might need to stay a night at a refugio campground.
You don't need to book a camp spot for refugios - turn up and pay your fee. They'll give you a sticker to put on your tent. Food doesn't need to be prebooked either. You only need to pre book if you are staying in the refugios itself (in a dorm room/single room etc).
Be careful about not booking a camping spot at a refugio. Although it has usually been possible without a problem, last year some people were turned away from paid campgrounds. One was squeezed in when she cried a lot but you can't count on that.
You now need to book Campamento Torres through the Conaf office in Puerto Natales or at the Laguna Amarga entrance. Obviously better to do it in PN. This is new since last year.
http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/en/planifique-su-viaje
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