Trekking in Torres del PaineRudolf Abraham
Walking guide
Trekking in Torres del Paine
Rudolf Abraham · 2023
Trek guide to the W and O circuits, which start near Pudeto and the short trail to Salto Grande on the Paine River.
Chile · Patagonia
Salto Grande
The outflow between Lake Nordenskjöld and Lake Pehoé crashes through a narrow rock gap with the granite horns of Torres del Paine as a backdrop, making it one of the most photographed short waterfalls in Patagonia. A flat 20-minute trail from the road reaches the main viewpoint.
Patagonia's most iconic waterfall backdrop Essentials guide
Checked September 2026 by David Bussell
Salto Grande drops 16 metres (52 ft) on the Paine, inside Torres del Paine National Park. It is a block-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Puerto Natales, with PNT the closest airport. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
Salto Grande is the third-tallest of the 8 we cover in Chile. As a block waterfall, a wide sheet of water falling from a broad river.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Salto Grande itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Puerto Natales are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Patagonian summer (Nov-Mar) gives the mildest weather for the exposed lakeside trail.
Entry: Included in Torres del Paine park entry
Getting there
- Base town Puerto Natales
- Airport PNT
- Country Chile
- Region Patagonia, Southern Cone, South America
- Access Easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
How it compares
This waterfall
Salto Grande
Chile
Height16 mWidth—
Most similar
Salto do Yucumã
Brazil · Argentina
Height12 mWidth1,800 m
Also a block waterfall, of similar height and in Brazil
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
12 m
16 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Salto do YucumãSalto GrandeVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Salto do Yucumã
1,800 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 61× taller than Salto Grande. Victoria Falls is 6.8× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Salto Grande yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Videos from Salto Grande
2:21
1:10
3:15
Chosen from YouTube; videos belong to their creators and play from YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
Books worth packing
Lonely Planet Chile & Rapa Nui (Easter Island)Mark Johanson et al.
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Chile & Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Mark Johanson et al. · 2025
Covers Los Angeles/Bío Bío for Salto del Laja, the Lake District's Vicente Pérez Rosales park, and Torres del Paine.
Guidebook
South American Handbook
Ben Box · 2017
The one-volume continental handbook, useful for multi-country trips that link falls such as Iguazú, Kaieteur and Angel Falls.
On the map
-51.0677, -73.0066
Quick answers
Where is Salto Grande?
Salto Grande is in Chile (Patagonia), inside Torres del Paine National Park. The nearest base is Puerto Natales and the closest airport is PNT. Its coordinates are -51.0677, -73.0066.
How tall is Salto Grande?
Salto Grande drops 16 metres (52 feet). It is a block-type waterfall on the Paine.
When is the best time to visit Salto Grande?
Peak flow is January to March and November to December. Patagonian summer (Nov-Mar) gives the mildest weather for the exposed lakeside trail.
What can you do at Salto Grande?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
How do you get to Salto Grande?
The usual base is Puerto Natales, and the closest airport is PNT. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there. Included in Torres del Paine park entry.
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