How to Eat Vegan While Traveling to Torres del Paine (Day Hikes)
Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia is one of the most breathtaking places we’ve ever visited, with rugged mountains, glaciers, and endless open spaces. For vegan travelers, finding plant-based food can be challenging without careful planning.
It’s remote, expensive, extremely windy, and not vegan-friendly by default. If you’re visiting Torres del Paine for day hikes rather than the full W or O trek, this guide will show you how to eat vegan, stay energized and full throughout the day while hiking several miles, and enjoy Patagonia without relying on refugios.
In this post, I’ll cover:
- What vegan food is (and isn’t) available near Torres del Paine
- How to plan cheap, quick vegan meals for day hikes
- Where to stay to make vegan life easier
This guide is based on real experience traveling in Torres del Paine as a vegan, where planning ahead is key to enjoying Patagonia without overpaying for limited plant-based meals or resorting to expensive convenience food. Though honestly, a plate of well-salted and crispy fries and a glass of Red Bull at Lago Grey is totally worth it to add a little pep in your step. 😉
Quick Picks
- Fly into: 📍Puerto Natales (gateway town for Torres del Paine)
- Best Place to Grocery Shop: 📍Supermercado Superfrut – well-stocked for vegan staples like pasta, beans, fresh produce, snacks (everything we needed on our trip!). If you have to go to the bathroom, you can find one at the entrance of Unimarc (100m away from Supermercado Superfrut).
- Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant: 📍La Ensaladeria – fresh salads, sandwiches with fresh hummus, and tasty soup
- Easiest Vegan Day-Hike Strategy: Pack protein bars, nuts, and snack lunches; prep simple breakfasts and dinners at your accommodation
- Best Accomodation for Day-Hikes: 📍Refugio Vista al Paine - Parque Nacional Torres del Paine - cozy, near trailheads, perfect for early starts
- Top Day Hikes: 🥾 Lago Grey, Mirador Cuernos, Base Torres, and the Rio Serrano–Rio Grey area where the rivers merge (watch out for boggy sections!)
Click to interact with map
There’s no good vegan meal options in Torres del Paine
Torres del Paine National Park is not vegan-friendly by default.
Inside the park:
- Refugios are extremely limited for vegans. I didn’t really check every menu, but from the brief time I was in one, I didn’t see any clearly marked vegan options.
- Vegan meals usually must be requested far in advance. From my research before the trip, it seemed possible, but we didn’t actually use this option.
- Food is very expensive and portions are small. I’d highly recommend carrying a camelback with electrolytes to cut costs and avoid spending money on bottled water.
If you are doing Patagonia day hikes, the best move is to cook your own vegan meals using food purchased at a supermarket in Puerto Natales.
Once you’re in Torres del Paine, there are no grocery stores.
You can find some food at Lago Grey, which has a main cafeteria that may have a vegan meal, or at the very least, their fries and a Red Bull are worth it.
Other than that, be prepared to shell out cash at an expensive restaurant in the middle of nowhere. On holidays like Christmas, you might not even be able to eat at a hotel restaurant. We got turned away on Christmas at one of the hotels even though we were dressed non-hiking and planned on buying food and drinks! Treat any vegan food inside the park as a bonus, not a plan.
Grocery Shopping as a Vegan in Patagonia
Before heading into Torres del Paine National Park, do one big grocery run in Puerto Natales. At Supermercado Superfrut, you can usually find some empty large boxes on the floor. Grab one of those and fill it up (it’s about the size of a Costco box).
We hiked for 3 days with 1 rest day, and this grocery haul served us for all 6 days we were in Torres del Paine and Puerto Natales for 2 people who eat an average amount and hike many miles. Having your own vegan meals for day hikes means you won’t be stuck paying for expensive or limited options inside the park.
Best Grocery Store: Supermercado Superfrut (Puerto Natales)
We stocked up here for our Patagonia day hikes and cabin meals. You can find most of the basics you’ll need for cheap, quick vegan meals. We stayed at a refugio with a full kitchen (fridge, stove, oven), so we weren’t limited as much by what we could cook.
💡I would recommend finding a place with a full kitchen and not rely on restaurants, so you can cook all of your food. Given that, here’s some grocery options to think of what to make and I’ll provide recipes in the next section if you’d like to know exactly what we did.
Staples and easy vegan ingredients you’ll find there:
- Pasta
- Beans
- Oat milk (NotMilk Plant-Based Brand)
- Veggies
- Peanut butter
- Nuts, trail mix, dried fruit
- Vegan protein bars
- Wine and beer
- Cereal
- Coffee
- Olive oil
Hard-to-find vegan items in grocery stores:
- Tofu
- Vegan cheese
- Hummus
I will provide our full vegan grocery list below as well after sharing what we made first, so you can plan what groceries you may want to buy after seeing what we made for our meals!
Vegan Dinners for Torres Del Paine
We had a lot of beer and wine for added calories. If you don’t drink, I’d suggest buying something of equivalent caloric value! Patagonia is cold and windy. You’ll burn more calories than you expect, so don’t skimp!
Vegan Pasta with Spinach and White Beans
Vegan Pasta with Spinach and White Beans
Served 2 nights for 2 people, this simple, high-protein dinner kept us fueled for long Patagonia day hikes.
Mashed Potatoes and Stir Fried Veggies
One night we had mashed potatoes, and another day we cubed hash browns with stir-fried vegetables. Quick, filling, and perfect after a long hike.
Vegan Breakfasts for Torres Del Paine
- Cereal (we added dried cranberries for natural sweetness)
- Avocado Focaccia Toast (easy to prep and packed with healthy fats for energy on the trails).
Vegan Hiking Snacks
We packed snacks for Torres del Paine day hikes to stay energized without relying on refugios:
- Dried fruit
- Honey-roasted peanuts
- Vegan protein bars
- Peanut butter with crackers
- Potato chips
- Vegan gluten- and sugar-free premade cookies (honestly not great for hiking since they lacked sugar and flavor, but fine if you don’t feel like cooking)
Double Peanut Butter Cookies
Homemade, high-calorie, and perfect for a mid-hike energy boost.
Our Vegan Torres Del Paine Grocery List
Here’s are full grocery list from Supermercado Superfrut. (Our favorites marked with a ⭐). If you buy all of the below it’ll be around 143,483 chilean pesos ($165 USD). This worked for me and my boyfriend for 3 hiking days, 1 rest day, and 2 transit days. At the end, we only had cranberries, some nuts, and a few protein bars left, with all other fresh produce eaten!
Supermercado Superfrut - Side view of groceries
Supermercado Superfrut - Top view of groceries
Essentials
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil 250 ml (we should have gotten 300-400 ml)
- Gourmet Sea Salt Grinder 100 g (salt)
- Copacabana - Café molido 250 g (coffee)
- Sofritos 200g
- Oregano entero 25 g
Drinks and Wine
Torres Del Paine - Drinks
- NotMilk 1 liter x 2 (plant-based milk)
- Odissea amber ale x 2 (beer)
- ⭐ Kunstmann Gran Torobayo 480 ML x 4 (beer)
- 750 ml bottle of cabernet (wine)
- 750 ml bottle of merlot (wine)
Hiking Snacks
- Wild Protein Vegan Chocolate Bitter Protein Bars (5 bars per pack x 3 packs)
- Natural Mix 300 g tub (mixed nuts)
- Kryzpo Original Potato Chips 260 g (chips look like pringles)
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies 150g
- 1 large bag of dried cranberries
- Selz Chia Seed Cracker Cookies 150g
Breakfast
- muesli en linea cacao 700 g (cereal)
Meals
Supermercado Superfruit - Produce
- Porotos Blancos Tetra iansa agro (white beans in a box) 390g x 3
- onions 1.25 kg
- mushrooms .25 kg
- green bell pepper .625 kg
- avocados .37 kg
- fresh spinach .5 kg
- russet potatoes 1.5 kg
- tricolor fusilli carozzi 400 g
- rigatoni carozzi 400g
- tomate triturado dulcor 960 ml (tomato sauce in a tall jar)
Baking/Desserts
- Harina de Trigo de la Sierra 1 kg (wheat flour)
- levadura seca eagle 125g (instant yeast)
- Mantequilla mani chocolate (chocolate peanut butter)
- Mantequilla mani deyco (peanut butter) 340g
- Almag rhubarb jam
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Puerto Natales
We only went to La Ensaladeria, but it was a lifesaver for vegan travelers in Puerto Natales. One of the ladies at the front desk spoke English, which is very rare in this area.
I loved their fresh hummus, which had a great texture, and their vegetable soup of the day, where you could choose a topping. (I went for the crispy fried onions.) They also had a large selection of drinks, including a blueberry aloe beverage, and a variety of vegetarian and vegan options.
We tried a vegan pizza, which wasn’t the best I’ve ever had (a bit like frozen store-bought pizza), but it came with a tasty vegan ranch, and after a long day of travel, it was actually what we were craving since we wanted something reminiscent of home.
The restaurant is a bit small, but the floor-to-ceiling windows make it nice for people-watching while enjoying vegan food in Patagonia. Overall, it’s one of the easiest spots to find friendly, vegan-friendly dining in Puerto Natales.
Cheap Quick Vegan Strategy (TL;DR)
- Book your accommodation early and make sure it has a full kitchen so you can cook all your vegan meals in Torres del Paine.
- Do one big grocery shop in Puerto Natales before entering the park and eat dinner in town.
- Meal prep on your first day in the park and avoid refugio or restaurant food, which is limited and expensive for vegans.
- Plan a rest day after 2 hiking days to relax and catch up on meal prep (Patagonia’s unpredictable weather usually forces this anyway.)
- Know how to change a flat tire. (It’s not a matter of if, but when.) Consider paying extra for a 4x4 or more rugged rental instead of a sedan.
- Brush up on your Spanish or have Google Translate handy for grocery stores, restaurants, and accommodations.
Following this cheap, quick vegan strategy saves money, reduces stress, and keeps you fueled for Patagonia day hikes and Torres del Paine adventures.
What I’d Do Differently Next Time (Day Hikes)
Withdraw More Cash in Santiago prior to Puerto Natales
Many rural accommodations in Torres del Paine are cash-only, and Chilean ATMs outside Santiago often charge ~$8.50 USD per withdrawal. Get a receipt though in case!
- Put a travel notice on your card to being locked out of an ATM
- Withdraw pesos at a bank ATM in Santiago
- Charles Schwab debit cards reimburse fees (with a linked checking account)
- Expect daily limits (~1,000 USD equivalent)
This would’ve saved us both money and stress, we got lucky as we had enough to pay cash for our accommodation, but we only had ~$40 left over!
