Thru-Hikes of South America: Patagonia to the Andes

South America's long trails are fewer than North America's or Europe's, but they include two of the most spectacular alpine circuits on the planet and the single most famous short trek in the Americas. Everything here is about mountains: the granite towers and ice fields of Patagonia at the continent's southern tip, and the 6,000-meter peaks of the Peruvian Andes, where entire routes stay above 4,000 meters.

These four routes come from our Thru-Hikes of the World overview. Because the Andes run north–south for the whole continent, seasons flip: Patagonia is a November-to-March destination, while Peru's dry trekking season is May to September.

Torres del Paine O Circuit — Torres del Paine National Park, Chilean Patagonia, ~80-mile loop, 7–10 days, challenging to strenuous. The full loop around the Paine Massif combines the famous W (the granite towers, French Valley, and Grey Glacier) with the quieter backside over John Gardner Pass, where the Southern Patagonian Ice Field spreads to the horizon. Patagonian wind is the defining hazard, and campsites must be booked months ahead through the two concession operators. Go in December or January for the longest days, or March for autumn colors and fewer people.

Base yourself in Puerto Natales beforehand. Erratic Rock hostel runs a free daily talk at 3 p.m. covering current trail conditions, gear, and the campsite booking maze — it's the best hour of planning you'll do. Afterward, Last Hope Distillery, a tiny gin and whisky bar run by two Australians, is where half the hikers in town compare notes.

Huayhuash Circuit — Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru, ~80-mile loop, 8–12 days, strenuous. Widely rated among the best alpine treks on Earth, the circuit rings a compact range of 6,000-meter summits — including Siula Grande, of Touching the Void fame — crossing a pass a day between 4,600 and 5,000 meters. It is entirely at high altitude, so acclimatize in Huaraz for three or four days first; the day hike to Laguna 69 is the standard warm-up. Most trekkers go with a Huaraz agency and donkeys, which keeps packs light enough to enjoy the view over Laguna Carhuacocha, where three giants — Yerupajá, Jirishanca, and Siula — line up across the water.

Huaraz itself is a scruffy mountain town with one essential stop: Café Andino, a third-floor coffee house with a mountaineering library and the best trail intel in town, and the place to find partners if you're trekking independently.

Inca Trail — Cusco region, Peru, ~26 miles, 4 days, moderate to challenging. The most famous short trek in the Americas: original Inca paving, cloud forest, ruins at nearly every stage, and a finish through the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) above Machu Picchu at dawn. Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 meters on day two is the crux. Permits are strictly limited — 500 per day including porters and guides — and sell out months ahead; licensed guided groups are mandatory, and the trail closes every February for maintenance.

If permits are gone, the Salkantay trek reaches Machu Picchu over a higher, emptier pass without a permit, and the quieter ruins at Huchuy Qosqo, reached by a two-day walk from Tambomachay above Cusco, see a fraction of the visitors.

Greater Patagonian Trail — Chile and Argentina along the southern Andes, 1,900-plus miles of network, multiple seasons, expert. Less a trail than a crowd-sourced route network through volcanic backcountry, gaucho country, and temperate rainforest. Packrafting sections, no marking, and full self-sufficiency make it one of the most demanding "thru-hikes" anywhere — for veterans who have already done the established trails and want something beyond them. Most people walk sections between Santiago and the Carretera Austral over several summers.

Wind, sun, and altitude. Patagonian wind is not an exaggeration: gusts on John Gardner Pass and along Lago Nordenskjöld regularly knock hikers over, and the park closes the pass when it's severe, so build a spare day into the O. In Peru the danger is altitude — Huayhuash never drops below 4,000 meters once you leave Llamac, and most agencies carry oxygen and insist on a day's rest if anyone shows symptoms. The equatorial sun at that height burns in minutes; a brimmed hat and high-SPF lip balm are as essential as boots.

Planning notes. Fly into Punta Arenas for Torres del Paine (three hours by bus to Puerto Natales, two more to the park) and into Lima then Huaraz or Cusco for Peru. Peru's dry season, May through September, is cold at night but reliably clear; Patagonia is best December through March, and even then pack for four seasons in a day.

← Back to the overview: Thru-Hikes of the World.