In the morning of our fourth and last full day in Torres del Paine we decided to drive around to the other side of the park to Laguna Azul and search for wild life on the way. The sun was shining the clouds were mostly high. We started from Rio Serrano and as we drove by, we admired Cuernos and Cerro Grande which we hiked before, and headed further into the park. The views over Paine river near Amarga gate were beautiful and we could clearly see Torres in the back.
Further along on our way towards Laguna Azul we stopped at Paine river waterfalls. A spectacularly beautiful waterfall with lots of water and torres view in the distance.
When we reached Laguna Azul we had a beautiful view of the mountains and lagoon and even horses. We drove over to the parking lot (there is a trailhead here too) and had our little lunch picnic with stunning views and surrounded by flowers.
We thought we would also hike around the lagoon a little but by the time we got their it was a bit too late to start. It took us a few hours to get to Laguna Azul because of all the wild life we were stopping to watch and take pictures of. Which was a good thing.
We saw many guanacos. Guanacos crossing the road, guanacos eating, guanacos alone and in big groups, guanacos chasing each other, guanacos watching out for puma. Many guanacos.
As we were driving a couple km past Mirador Lago Nordenskjold we saw several cars stopped on the side of the road and watching something with the scopes. It turned out there was a puma in the area. We also stopped and joined the watching. We saw a puma with a cub! They were in the distance and according to the guides the mother puma was hunting so everyone was hoping to see that. But there were no guanacos around. Then mother puma with the cub started walking. We tried our best to get a good picture but it was hard as they were really far. Regardless, it was so exciting to see a puma. We did not expect to see one. We though it would be a difficult thing to do – them being so elusive and all. But there they were!
We later learned from another guide that this puma’s name was Rupestre (she was a very famous puma) and she had 3 cubs. They had not seen her for a while and the fact that it was only one cub on the day we saw them was worrisome. Male pumas sometimes kill cubs that are not theirs because they want to mate with a female puma and dont want competition for territory from others. Does not seem like a very good specie survival strategy but thats the way pumas roll apparently.
As we were driving around we also saw a few foxes. And many birds.
As we were heading back to our hotel in Rio Serrano clouds were building over Cerro Grande, it must have been snowing up there.
And then we settled in our very nice Hotel Del Paine in Rio Serrano watching beautiful sunset on our last night in Torres del Paine, at list on this trip.
The next day we left early in the morning for one more drive through the park, to Amarga gate and then on to Ruta 9, Puerto Natales and Argentina border. It was time to see Patagonia’s Argentine side.