Must-see activities in El Chaltén

If you are looking for adventure, fun, and nature; a dream holiday where entertainment is not lacking, this is the ideal destination for you. Thus, this top of must-see activities in El Chaltén confirms it, being appropriate to remember that we are talking about the “Argentine Trekking Capital”.

This means that the walks are the protagonists of the place. This village is full of mountain peaks at whose summit you get the best landscapes of the Patagonia Argentina. Let us remember that El Chaltén is located, nothing more and nothing less, than within Los Glaciares National Park.

The best thing is that there are trails for all kinds of travelers. Thanks to the diversity of mountainous terrains, this place offers trekking of all kinds of difficulty. In addition to that, there is the opportunity to carry out water activities and visit other types of attractions of the place. Gastronomy, for example, is a delight. But, before we dig into that, let’s take a look at what El Chaltén’s must-see activities offer us.

•         FULL DAY ICE TREK CAGLIERO GLACIER

His name speaks for itself. This tour consists of a trekking over the Cagliero Glacier, not without first taking a magnificent walk through the native forest of the Devil River Valley,in Estancia Los Huemeles. It also includes an adventure on a rock, bound to Ferrata road.

Moderate difficulty, it translates into a demanding although magnificent route! It is a total of 10 hours of excursion, departing at 8:00 hrs and returning at 18:00 hrs. However, it is suitable for travelers from 15 years of age and older. In the case of minors, these must be accompanied by an adult.

The visit to this “unexplored” place of El Chaltén (a path that is away from the most popular), is made in groups of up to 12 people, starting with a forest of lengas to the south. The imposing silhouette of the north face of Cerro El Chaltén will accompany us to Laguna del Diablo.

Now, we continue to contour the edge of the lagoon, down a cobbled path. Once on the Ferrata track, the guides place the harness on us and give the instructions to follow. It is a sector of rocks –of little difficulty– prepared with artificial steps and steel cables that help climb.

This road leads to a viewpoint with spectacular view of the South Cagliero Glacier, a natural monument that descends between the hills Neumayer, Cagliero and Loma del Diablo. But hey, don’t think you’ll just see it from afar, no! The walk continues to this majestic monument, on whose base the grampons are put to tour it.

Depending on the climate and physical conditions of the hikers, an ice climbing (initiation practice) is carried out. The experience culminates in geodesic domes to share a hot drink and the return is made by the same route, this time descending. This full day is operational from October 10th to April 20th.

•         FULL DAY KAYAK, RIO DE LAS VUELTAS

Aquatic exploration. You will get to discover from the waters one of the most beautiful valleys of Patagonia Argentina. It is the perfect combination between the river, the mountain and the Patagonian Andean forest, an indescribable experience among the magical nature of the region! Funny, but very different from the one you live on the trails.

The adventure takes place on Río de las Vueltas, which is born on Desert Lake and descends to Lake Viedma. Its name is due to its large number of curves between the lush forests of lengas and vertical walls. This means you’re going to experience exciting descents.

Do not worry! The activity was designed for both beginners and experts of this sports practice. In fact, participants are not required to experience rowing; the only important thing is to have a good physical condition. Equipment testing is carried out and, of course, the appropriate clothing and safety elements are placed on it. Training is also carried out using the basic techniques.

Besides the adrenaline, the views are magnificent. This tour gives incredible panoramas of Fitz Roy and its satellite waters. There are options with a “moderate” (full day) and low (half-day) demand level. You choose the one that best suits your time, needs and, above all, physical conditions. Check details of each itinerary and other activity with our travel specialists.

If you are interested in this activity, we tell you that it operates from October 20th to April 15th. Do not hesitate to include it in your travel itinerary, you will love it. That’s why it’s one of the must-see activities in El Chaltén.

•         FULL DAY RESERVA LOS HUEMULES

Maybe you haven’t heard much about Los Huemules Reserve, which is a primitive place that very few visitors come to. However, the experience it offers is unmatched; beyond the secluded part of the place and through the beautiful forests that make it up.

Located about 20 km from El Chaltén, Estancia Los Huemules is one of the must-see places for mountaineers visiting this Patagonian destination. It is a trekking of natural interpretation on a network of trails of Los Glaciares National Park, a little far away but perfect for those who spent a few days in the village.

We move from Chaltén to the Reserve (by transport) to start a 2-hour walk between a forest of lengas bound for the Laguna Condor Refuge. There we stop to taste an exquisite lunch and do other activities like hot tub or bicycles.

The tour is easy and without difficulty. However, it is long and therefore requires a full day. It’s 7 hours long, leaving at 9:00 hrs. This activity is operational from October 20th to April 20th. If your trip matches these dates, then don’t miss it!

•         LAGUNA CONDOR REFUGE

Half a day of adventure and relaxation in a dreamy landscape! We visited a refuge on the west bank of the Vueltas River (20 km from El Chaltén), combining a wonderful exploration of the rugged area with activities offered in the mountain house.

We leave the town for an easy walk that will lead us to the Laguna Condor Refuge. It is a magical place overlooking the north face of Fitz Roy and a dream cabin, with a cozy restaurant where three-step lunch or dinner is served, depending on the excursion schedule you choose.

Furthermore, you can bike along the local roads or relax in the hot tub of this beautiful place. Without a doubt, a must-see excursion for anyone who visits this villa between 20th to April 20th.

•         LAGUNA CAPRI EXCURSION

As classic as it is unmissable. The Laguna Capri tour is one of the most requested by tourists from El Chaltén. And it consists of a low difficulty walk to one of the most majestic scenery of this village of Los Glaciares National Park.

After traversing places of wonderful landscapes: Valle de Río de las Vueltas, Valle del Arroyo del Salto and Los Ares, you access the Capri Lagoon (on the left) and to the Fitz Roy viewpoint and Laguna de los Tres (on the right). In the latter you will have a splendid view of the mountains and the glacier.

These are 8 kilometers of magical adventure carried out on a half-day tour. This tour operates all year round, but, for more details, every step and every place you will know, we invite you to consult our special article on the Laguna Capri excursion. You will see why it’s one of the must-see activities in El Chaltén!

•         DESERT LAKE EXCURSION

It is another of the most popular excursions of this destination. In addition to giving us natural landscapes of dreams, it allows us to make two types of hike. This means that we go to Desert Lake by car and that’s where the adventures begin. The options are: Huemul Glacier and the Laguna Blanca Border Landmark.

Both trekkings are easy (one longer than the other) and lead to wonderful destinations, not without first entering the magical forest of lengas. You will have panoramic views of Cerro El Chaltén, Valle del Río de las Vueltas, Fitz Roy, Laguna Larga and of course Desert Lake, reaching even the fascinating Huemul lagoon that feeds on the glacier that bears the same name.

It all depends on the walk you decide to take. To give you more accurate details of each and a clearer idea of which one to choose, you can check out our article on the Laguna del Desierto Excursion by clicking on this link.

•         LAGUNA DE LOS TRES TOUR

What better way to close this top of the must-see activities in El Chaltén than the Laguna de los Tres excursion. It is one of the most sought after walks, all due to the majestic views that the Fitz Roy gives us. This natural viewpoint is the one that comes the closest to the walls of the imposing massif and its peripheral granite needles.

It is a full day trekking of medium difficulty, as it is 25 km between round trip for a total of 8 to 9 hours of experience. The adventure begins at the end of Av. San Martín and the first hour of travel is characterized by a steep slope that will give you access to the natural viewpoint of the Rio de las Vueltas Valley.

Just minutes later, you enter the Valley of the Salto Creek heading towards Mount Fitz Roy. The ñires begin to take over the stage and after an hour and a half along the path you reach a rocky viewpoint. It is signposted so that anyone who walks it can interpret every mountain panorama that is presented to them in front of their eyes.

Going back to the Arroyo del Salto, the path continues to the drainage area of the Madre and Hija lagoons. It is a 4-hour excursion that accesses the Poincenot Base Camp and, crossing the White River, the base camp that bears the same name. It is from this stretch that we find another steep slope.

It is 400 meters of elevation that lead to the lagoon of Los Tres. The path ends in a giant formation resembling an arch over the lagoon. This natural monument was created by the action of the advance/reverse of the glacial and, from there, you get an unparalleled view of the lagoon and glacier De Los Tres.

No doubt, all the excursions mentioned above are really must-see activities in El Chaltén. So much so, you probably have no idea which ones to choose and where to start your itinerary. Don’t worry, that’s why we put our travel specialists at your disposal. They will give you all the advice you need under which you make the most of your time without affecting your physical integrity. Most of them are walks, so you have to know how to combine them.