We arrived in Patagonia full of expectations. We were looking forward to amazing views and rewarding hikes! What we didn’t expect was to find a charming little town at the foot of the mountains with truly spectacular views everywhere you look. You will find yourself going “wow” multiple times during your visit. The world class hiking trails start in all directions from the town, making it the perfect base for your adventures. The locals are friendly, the tourists have shared interests, and the cafes/bars/restaurants deliver. If you are considering a visit to Patagonia, El Chalten should be number 1 on your itinerary list! Read on for some tips and recommendations based upon our delightful stay!
Visiting El Chalten? Here’s a few of our recommendations..
Note – this isn’t a ‘complete El Chalten guide’.. we didn’t visit for long enough to hike all of the trails or try all of the attractions. However, you know we like to research our trips well, and we wanted to share our excellent experience, and research, with you to help your planning!
A word on the hikes in El Chalten – some of Patagonia’s best!
LONGER HIKES in El Chalten: appropriate for “full day” hiking options
- Laguna de los Tres (hike to Fitz Roy) – 22-24kms / 8-10 hours / 1km+ elevation: The jewel in the crown of El Chalten and a must do hike. Consider the weather, distance, and your ability to tackle the elevation, but the experience, and the views are worth it. Read our full guide here.
- Laguna Torre: – 20kms / 5-8 hours / 500m+ elevation: The second most popular trail in El Chalten is also worth visiting! Gorgeous valley views lead up to the incredible glacial lake. It’s not as strenuous as Laguna de los Tres and won’t take you as long to finish. See our guide to Laguna Torre here!
- Loma del Pliegue Tumbado – 20kms / 6-8 hours / >1km elevation: Another great trail you can start from El Chalten. While not as heralded as the 2 aforementioned hikes, it offers spectacular panoramic views. An important consideration is that this trail is only recommended on clear weather/sky days, as cloudy weather would mean obstructed views, somewhat defeating the purpose of this trail. Additionally, there isn’t as much ‘coverage’ on the end part of this trails, exposing you to the elements.
- Lago Diseirto: Not technically in El Chalten, there is the beautiful lake ‘Lago Diseirto’, which is beautiful in it’s own right, along with the Lago Huemul Lagoon Hike. Access to the lake and trails are via a 1 hour drive from El Chalten.
SHORTER HIKES in El Chalten: appropriate for half day/shorter options
- Laguna Capri – 8kms: Part of the Laguna de los Tres hike, Laguna Capri is a beautiful, shorter trail worth hiking on its own or for those that aren’t keen on the epic 20km+ hike that is ‘de los Tres’. Located around 4kms into the trail (8km round trip), the lake is beautiful, and the incline is only moderate. Well worth it for views of the lake and Fitz Roy in the background.
- Mirador Los Cóndores – 3kms: An easy trail that offers an ok view of El Chalten. Enter the trailhead from the Los Glaciares National Park ranger station. Good for a short sunrise hike.
- Chorrillo del Salto waterfall hike – 1-2kms each way (2-4kms total) – easy trail to a waterfall near El Chalten. Located near the entrance to Laguna de los Tres, this trail can be reached via walking along the dirt road that winds along the river (~500m-1km walk). The trailhead exits off the dirt road. Note: there is no parking near the trailhead, and rangers will check if cars are parked illegally on the road.
- Mirador Cascada Margarita – 2kms: A view point located on the Laguna Torre hike.
A few restaurants, bars & café’s to try in El Chalten!
- Maffia: Located in the heart of El Chalten, this restaurant pops up on every guide, and you can easily see why. Cues form for the authentic ‘al dente’ pasta and Argentinian vino. The vibe is great, the food excellent, and the price is ‘reasonable’ by El Chalten standards. Be prepared to wait or book in advance!
- El Muro: Located at the end of the main street (Av. San Martin) is a cozy, and excellent restaurant.. El Muro. Specializing in lamb dishes, stews and pisco sours (you know we tried a few!), this restaurant is definitely worth visiting. Plus, the service staff are super friendly! It’s not cheap, but we think worth the cost!
- PAISA Mountain Coffee: There were numerous café’s in El Chalten, but PAISA takes the cake! Offering specialty coffee and good vibes, it’s a 2 Cups of Travel recommendation!
- La Roti: This little restaurant / deli offers great lunch options, including empanads, quiches, sandwiches, lasagna and more! The food was tasty and reasonably priced!
- Panderia Querika: Want to mix it with the locals? This little bakery is no frills, and takes cash only, but it’s where the locals go.. you know that means its good! It’s located near the entrance of town adjacent to Marco Polo bookshop (also worth a little visit).
- Fresco Bar: There’s no shortage of good bars to check out for your well earned post-hike beverage. The one we enjoyed the most was FRESCO bar, located on Av. San Martin. With a light filled indoor space, and a cute outdoor beer garden, it has a ‘not trying too hard but brining the vibe’ kind of feel.
Where to stay in El Chalten:
Here are a few good options located in town. Be aware, accommodation is often slightly higher priced in El Chalten due to the scarcity and location.
Or have a look on the map below for options!
How long should you stay in El Chalten? This is highly variable, pending your planned trip. We met a few people staying for 1-2 months, while others visit for only a day trip (not recommended). We’d advise a minimum of 2 days (even this is short), but ideally 3-7 days to truly experience the main hiking trails and enjoy the town.
Enjoy the drive from El Calafate to El Chalten
The road transporting you between the southern El Calafate up to El Chalten is truly spectacular, possibly the most picturesque driving we have ever experienced. Imagine a straight road, blue glacier lake to your left, mountains to your right, and at your front the iconic ‘Patagonia logo’ of Fitz Roy and surrounding mountains. The pictures below barely do it justice! But don’t just take our word for it, part of the drive is the iconic Ruta 40, considered the ‘spine of Argentina’ and one of the most picturesque roads in the world! We think hiring a car over a tour/bus is worth it purely for the experience of driving along this road. Make use of the multiple stops along the way, including La Leona (historic rest stop/hotel/café) and the amazing view points. This was one of the highlights in itself and we highly recommend!
Keep you eyes peeled for wild animals on your road trip. We spotted the iconic guanaco (similar to a llama), an armadillo, rhea birds (similar to emus/ostrich), horses roaming the paddocks, and don’t forget the fearsome yet majestic condors flying overhead.
A few more considerations..
- Cost / expenses in El Chalten: Those that have visited mountain towns before will appreciate they can be a little expensive. We found this to be the case with El Chalten, particularly when it came to eating out for dinner, and accommodation. But, you can make things work to save money. Most restaurants have tasty, cheap options like empanadas, bars run happy hours at great prices, and there are a plethora of hostels if you want to save $$ on accommodation. However, don’t expect things to be budget friendly like some other parts of South America.
- Tipping: Like all of Argentina, tipping is expected. Generally 10-15% is acceptable, pending the service.
- Getting to El Chalten: As mentioned above, we recommend driving the Ruta 40 and Ruta 23 roads from El Calafate up to El Chalten. Hiring a car is relatively affordable, and the roads are very easy to drive. Alternatively, there are busses running between the towns, along with tours, or expensive taxis.
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