Torres del Paine

Way down at the very tip of South America, where the wind sings a loud and chilly song, there is a land of icy rivers and jagged, snowy peaks. If you look up, you will see three giant stone fingers pointing straight to the sky. They are so tall they seem to scrape the clouds. For a long, long time, I kept my beauty a secret, shared only with the wind and the soaring birds. I am a wild and wonderful place. I am Torres del Paine National Park.

My story begins a very long, long time ago, about 12 million years ago. Deep under the ground, hot, melted rock called magma pushed its way up but didn't break through the surface. It cooled down and became super-hard granite. Then, giant rivers of ice called glaciers slid across the land. Like giant ice cream scoops, they scraped away all the softer rock around my hard granite heart. When the ice melted, my tall towers were left behind for the world to see. For thousands of years, the first people to know my secrets were the Aónikenk. They hunted here and knew every river and mountain path. Much later, in 1879, a brave explorer from England named Lady Florence Dixie rode her horse through my valleys. She was so amazed by my beauty that she wrote a book about me, telling people all over the world about my pointy peaks, which she called 'Cleopatra's Needles'.

As more people heard about me, they knew I had to be protected. So, on May 13th, 1959, I officially became a park. At first, I had a different name, but in 1970, I was given the name I have today: Torres del Paine, which means 'Towers of Blue'. In 1978, I received a very special honor. I was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. That's like getting a gold star for being one of the most important natural places in the whole world. Today, people come from everywhere to hike my trails. They watch the fluffy guanacos munch on grass and see giant birds called condors glide on the wind. They look with wonder at my blue glaciers and my tall, granite towers.

I am a reminder of how strong and beautiful our planet is. My stone towers have stood for millions of years, and my icy rivers still flow. I promise to keep my wild heart safe for everyone who comes to visit. I want children just like you to be able to listen to my wind, watch my animals, and dream with my mountains. By keeping me safe, we remember to care for all the wild and wonderful places in the world.