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- Laguna Cerro Castillo: The headline sight. A milky turquoise lake sits directly below the castle-like peaks, with hanging glaciers dropping into it. Most day walkers aim for this and nothing else, and the scale of the wall behind the water justifies the climb.
- Cerro Castillo Spires: The serrated ridge that gave the mountain its name. Its dark volcanic towers look like battlements, and you see them from multiple angles on the loop, each one different. On clear mornings the rock turns sharp and detailed.
- Paso Peñón: The high point of the circuit, crossed over loose rock and open ground. The pass gives long views over the valleys on either side. It is exposed and often windy, so it demands an early start and a solid weather window.
- Campamento Neozelandés: A forest camp beside a stream, a natural
- Laguna Cerro Castillo: The headline sight. A milky turquoise lake sits directly below the castle-like peaks, with hanging glaciers dropping into it. Most day walkers aim for this and nothing else, and the scale of the wall behind the water justifies the climb.
- Cerro Castillo Spires: The serrated ridge that gave the mountain its name. Its dark volcanic towers look like battlements, and you see them from multiple angles on the loop, each one different. On clear mornings the rock turns sharp and detailed.
- Paso Peñón: The high point of the circuit, crossed over loose rock and open ground. The pass gives long views over the valleys on either side. It is exposed and often windy, so it demands an early start and a solid weather window.
- Campamento Neozelandés: A forest camp beside a stream, a natural overnight stop. The trees block much of the wind, and it comes after the lake and the Morro Negro ridge. It is among the more pleasant places to cook dinner on the trek.
- Valle de la Lima: The river valley at the start of the trek near Las Horquetas, with forest, a wide gravel floodplain and rushing meltwater. It is quieter than the high sections and gives you a different side of the landscape, with a decent chance of spotting condors circling overhead.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.