Experiences and local guides in El Chaltén

Nature

El Chaltén is a village of 2,000 people founded in 1985 at the foot of Fitz Roy (3,405 m) and Cerro Torre, inside Los Glaciares National Park. Trails start straight from the streets towards glacial lakes, lenga and ñire forests, condor viewpoints and the Southern Patagonian Icefield, the third largest ice mass on Earth after the poles.

Activities

• Laguna de los Tres (Fitz Roy) and Laguna Torre, the two classic full-day treks; Loma del Pliegue Tumbado for a view of both
• Multi-day trekking: Paso del Viento and the Huemul circuit (4 days) overlooking the icefield
• Ice trekking and cruises to the Viedma glacier, kayaking on Lago del Desierto
• Rock climbing and mountaineering in the Fitz Roy massif with licensed mountain guides
• Horseback rides to Laguna Capri and the Río de las Vueltas, craft breweries in the village

When to go

October to April, with long days and all trails open; wind and weather change within hours, even in summer. March and April combine autumn colours and fewer people. From May to September many services close and trails are snowy.

How to get there

No airport: buses from El Calafate (3 hours, several a day) and its airport (FTE), with flights from Buenos Aires (3 h 15) and Ushuaia. From Bariloche via route 40 (24 hours or 2 days by bus). The Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre trails start on foot from the village; Laguna del Desierto is 37 km of gravel road to the north.