Torres del Paine Yoga & Hiking Retreat: 6 Days of Trekking in Patagonia with Sunrise Yoga

Morgan O'Hare leads the yoga. She teaches in Austin, Texas and runs Present Practice Yoga, and she has taken groups to Siargao, Morocco, Banff, Lake Atitlán, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Bali and Peru's Sacred Valley. The daily practice happens before the hikes, in EcoCamp's yoga dome, which has a log-fire heater. A typical morning is 6:30 to 7:30am on yoga days before the long treks, and 7 to 8:30am on the shorter days, with meditation folded in. She teaches power and vinyasa flow and mixes in yoga philosophy — past students consistently mention her cueing, hands-on assists and the fact that she manages to challenge experienced practitioners in the same room as complete beginners.

What separates this from a standard Patagonia trekking package is the packed hiking schedule plus a guide, transport, park fees and boat tickets all handled, and the fact that you sleep and eat in the park rather than commuting in from Puerto Natales. The group stays at EcoCamp for all five nights, so the evenings are spent in the communal domes around the fire with wine, comparing notes on the day, rather than in a hotel lobby. It also puts you among other travellers from around the world who are staying at the same camp.

The hiking is the substance of the week. Day two is the Pehoe Lake catamaran to the northwest sector and the climb into the French Valley, a steep trail into the heart of the Paine Massif with the hanging bridge over the French River and the valley's rock formations — Hoja, Máscara, Espada, Catedral, Aleta de Tiburón and Fortaleza — then down through grassland and light forest to Refugio Paine Grande. Day three is the Lazo Weber Trail: a 12km walk entered via Laguna Verde, past native flora and wildlife, a break at Laguna Honda, forest of Lenga and Coihue trees, and the 360-degree view from El Toro Lookout over the Paine range, the Patagonian Andes and the surrounding rivers and lakes.

Day four is the one most people come for — the Towers Base Trek. From EcoCamp you head to Hostería Las Torres and take the uphill path into Ascencio Valley on the eastern face of the Towers, through dry mountain terrain, beech forest and small rivers. It is a strenuous climb, and then the Towers appear above a glacial lake, which is where the picnic happens before you retrace your steps. Day five eases off with the Laguna Azul and Fauna Trail, a gentler six miles from the Lago Sarmiento gate past a puma hunting area, 6,000-year-old cave paintings, the Laguna Amarga gate, Cascada Paine, and Cañadón Macho, where guanacos, rheas, gray foxes, condors and eagles live. It finishes with a hike through the Masle mountain range to Laguna Azul.

Each hiking day includes a picnic lunch packed by EcoCamp, an English-speaking guide, and transportation. Evenings end back at camp with multi-course dinners and wine. The retreat opens with a welcome circle and ceremony on arrival day and closes with a ceremony on the last morning before an 11am departure.

What's included

- 5 nights accommodation at EcoCamp Patagonia in a standard or suite dome - All meals at EcoCamp, including picnic lunches on hiking days - House wine with dinner - Daily yoga and meditation with Morgan O'Hare - All retreat excursions and full-day hikes - English-speaking local guides - Transportation during excursions and boat tickets - Torres del Paine National Park entrance fees - Transportation to and from El Calafate (bus tickets and van transfers between hotels and the bus terminal) - Shared transport from Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales airports - Professional retreat photography - Custom-made retreat journal - Welcome circle and closing ceremony

What's not included

- International and domestic airfare to Patagonia - Travel insurance (recommended, not required) - Souvenirs - Food and drinks outside the included meals - Bar purchases at EcoCamp - Personal expenses