What is El Chaltén?
El Chaltén is a small mountain town located on the Argentinean side of Southern Patagonia. It’s a haven for backpackers and known as the National Trekking Capital of Argentina. Some people opt to visit only for a day trip from the larger town of El Calafate, but I spent four days there and could have easily spent more time. If you like to hike, this is the spot for you.
How to get to El Chaltén
To get to El Chaltén from abroad, you can fly into Buenos Aires, Argentina, and then take a shorter flight to El Calafate. From there, you will take a bus to El Chaltén. Buses run quite regularly and are fairly affordable. You can check times and prices here. Some people also fly into Chile first and then travel down to Torres del Paine National Park. They then take a bus from Puerto Natales, Chile, to El Calafate after hiking the famous W Trek.
A guide to El Chaltén’s trails
Since El Chaltén is known as the National Trekking Capital of Argentina, I wouldn’t visit without doing at least one hike. Here are some of the most famous routes; all of these hikes are accessible from the town, and you don’t need a car to get to them.
All-day hikes
Laguna de los Tres (Mount Fitzroy): Roughly 8-10 hrs
The most famous day hike in the area is the Laguna de los Tres, also known as the Mount Fitz Roy hike, although you will not be climbing Mount Fitz Roy, which is a harder, technical climb that few people complete. Instead, this hike takes you to a glacial lake where you can see Mount Fitz Roy in the distance. You have several options for this route which I’ll go over below:
- Option 1: Out and back: 13.7 miles, 22 km. Rated: Difficult. A highly challenging route, it takes an average of 7.5-8 hours to complete. This is a popular area for backpacking, hiking, and mountain biking, so you’ll likely run into other people. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime, but be cautious of ice and snow during the winter months. Occasionally, the final summit will be shut down due to intense wind. Be careful climbing the last part, the final hour is completely straight up and very steep.
- Option 2: El Pilar – Laguna de Los Tres – El Chaltén: 13.1 miles, 21 km. Rated: Hard. According to AllTrails, this variation to the Laguna de los Tres trek requires a transfer from El Chaltén to the trailhead in El Pilar, approximately 17 km away, and then returning on foot to El Chaltén. There is a parking lot at the beginning of the trail, but you will need to arrange transport to the end of the trail, as the route does not end where it started.
- Option 3: El Chaltén – Laguna de los Tres – Laguna Torre: 20.5 miles, 33 km. Rated: Hard. According to AllTrails, this trek takes you through the highlights of Los Glaciares National Park with a loop route that visits both Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre. While you can hike this route in either direction, most begin on the “Senda al Fitz Roy,” which passes by Laguna Capri on the way to Laguna de los Tres. You can set up camp at the Poincenot campground the first night and explore nearby Laguna de los Tres, possibly opting for an early morning hike to check out the laguna at sunrise.
- What we did: El Chaltén- Laguna Madre e Hija- Laguna de los Tres-El Chaltén: 24 miles, 38km. Rated: Don’t do this. Please note: This is not a route we found on AllTrails; it’s a route I invented and would not recommend as it was incredibly difficult and took me 12 hours to complete. However, Laguna Madre e Hija is definitely worth the hike. If you have more time, you can do the short 2-hour hike another day. Or you can do the longer Sendero Fitz Roy – Laguna Madre e Hija – Laguna Torre hike, which I’ll highlight below.
Sendero Fitz Roy-Laguna Madre e Hija-Laguna Torre, 7.5-8 hrs. 16.6 m, 27 km. Rated: Hard.
According to AllTrails, this loop follows the “Senda al Fitz Roy” to Laguna Madre e Hija and then continues to Laguna Torre before returning back to El Chaltén along the “Senda a Laguna Torre.” This trail allows you to visit several highlights of Los Glaciares National Park while enjoying jaw-dropping views of some of the most emblematic peaks in southern Argentina, including Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre.
Laguna Torre: Roughly 5-6 hrs, 10.9 miles, 18km, Rated: Hard.
This hike is the second most popular day hike near El Chaltén. It’s about 11 miles or 18 km and goes through the Río Fitz Roy Valley, passing by several panoramic viewpoints that offer vistas of Cerro Solo, Cordón Adela, Cerro Torre, and Mount Fitz Roy. According to AllTrails, you can hike out-and-back to Laguna Torre during the day or spend the night at the D’Agostini campground to enjoy a sunrise over the lagoon the next morning.
Short hikes
Chorrillo del Salto: 3 hrs, 4.1 miles, 7 km. Rated: Easy.
This fun, winding path from El Chaltén offers a fairly simple route to a beautiful waterfall. You’ll see a lot of families with children along this hike, and I especially recommend it on a hotter day when you can refresh yourself by the water.
Los Cóndores y Las Águilas: 2 hrs, 2.5, 3.7 miles, 4, 6 km. Rated: Easy.
These two easy trails take you past the national park visitor center and out to some scenic lookouts where you may be lucky enough to see an eagle or condor. The viewpoints are strategically located so that you can view one of the frequent condor flights between the valleys of the De Las Vueltas River and Fitz Roy River.
Sendero Madre e Hija: Roughly 2 hrs. 4 miles, 6 km. Rated: Moderate.
An extremely scenic and beautiful route; this is a chill path that is easy to do in several hours. My Swedish hiking partner Kim and I particularly enjoyed having lunch along the lake with gorgeous views of Mount Fitz Roy in the distance.
Multi-day trek
The Huemul Circuit: 4-5 days. 41.8 miles, 67 km. Rated: Challenging.
If I could go back and do one Patagonian trek, the Huemul Circuit would be it. I’d recommend this route for those with limited time and budget for only one epic multi-day hike in Patagonia. Although not as famous as the W or O treks in Chile, this hike is definitely less crowded and worth the effort. However, it is also more technical, and you shouldn’t attempt this as a beginner, at least not by yourself. According to AllTrails, the Cerro Huemul Circuit can be done as a 4 or 5-day trip and offers the possibility of hiking on a glacier without technical equipment, marveling at the views of the Viedma Glacier and the Southern Ice Field, and being amazed by the sounds of the gigantic blocks of ice as they break off and fall into the freezing waters of Lake Viedma. Please note: You may need ziplining equipment to complete some river crossings for this trek, which you do not want to play around with. Make sure your gear is solid and you know how to use it before attempting this route.
Thanks to its accessibility and awe-inducing nature, El Chaltén was one of my favorite hiking spots in Patagonia. The small, mountain town gives easy access to Los Glaciares National Park and some of the most scenic routes in Patagonia, truly living up to its fame as the national trekking capital of Argentina. After a long day of hiking, enjoy a meal at Maffia, a coffee at Paisa High Mountain Coffee, or a victory beer at La Cerveceria Chaltén, and marvel at the mountain views around you.
