The three Torres — Towers of Paine — are the defining image of Patagonia: near-vertical pillars of pale granite rising over 2,500 metres and reflected in a turquoise glacial lake at their base. Getting to the viewpoint requires a strenuous day hike (roughly 8 hours return from the Chileno refugio) up a long valley followed by a boulder scramble in the final half-hour. The effort is proportional to the reward.
The standard approach is to start at the Ascencio Valley trailhead (accessible from the Torres Central or Las Torres refugios) before dawn, aiming to reach the lake at first light when the towers glow pink in the sunrise. The lake itself sits in a cirque scoured by glaciers, and the water's milky turquoise colour comes from rock flour suspended in the meltwater. Allow a full day, start early, and carry waterproofs regardless of what the morning sky looks like. Patagonian weather changes without warning.