Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6) | Blog

Patagonia Trek – The Eastern Lakes (Day 6)

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While we had completed the Torres del Paine “W” Trek there was a lot more to see in the park so we decided to take a tour of the Eastern Lakes region. We first headed to Rio Paine Waterfall. During the summer the waterfall is quite impressive due to the shear volume of water that is flowing down from the mountain range and is definitely worth checking out. As we went farther east we encountered large groups of guanacos which are indigenous to the region. To me the guanacos looked like something straight out of a Disney movie since their eyes are outlined in black with long distinctive eyelashes. Not a very scientific description I know but here is how Wikipedia describes them:

The Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is a camelid native to South America that stands between 107 and 122 centimeters (3.5 and 4 feet) at the shoulder and weighs about 90 kg (200 lb). The color varies very little, ranging from a light brown to dark cinnamon and shading to white underneath. Guanacos have grey faces and small straight ears. They are extremely striking with their large, alert brown eyes, streamlined form, and energetic pace. The name Guanaco comes from the South American language Quechua word “huanaco”. Young guanacos are called chulengo(s).

After getting a chance to walk among a heard of guanacos we continued on our tour of the Easter Lakes to Lago Azul (aka The Blue Lagoon). Lago Azul provided us with a chance to look back at the mountain range where we had been trekking with the bright blue of the lagoon in the foreground. Since it was summer there were also patches of gorgeous pink and purple flowers that are indigenous to Patagonia that were in full bloom. Needless to say all the elements of the area added up to a great place to take some departing photos to remember our time in Torres del Paine National Park.