How we spent four days in El Chalten
El Chalten is known as the hiking capital of Argentina and is considered one of the top hiking destinations in the world. Its most famous senderos include Laguna de los Tres, which gives hikers amazing views of Cerro Chalten (also known as Fitz Roy).
We spent four days in El Chalten in March. This is everything you need to know about visiting this small Patagonian town.
Where is El Chalten?
El Chalten is in Argentinian Patagonia, within the Los Glaciares National Park. The town is small and remote, with roads and airports connecting it to Chilean Patagonia and other towns in the region.
How to get to El Chalten?
We caught a bus to El Chalten from El Calafate which cost about £30 per person plus a 4,000 peso (£2) boarding charge per person. It took longer than the stated time on the website, which said 8:00 to 10:40. Realistically, we left soon after 8am and arrived at about 12:30pm.
You can also fly into El Calafate and catch a bus from the airport if you’re not already in the area. El Calafate is the closest airport from El Chalten, about 2 to 2.5 hours away by car.
Buses run to El Chalten from various towns throughout Patagonia, so check the options from your starting point.
What is there to do in El Chalten?
El Chalten is considered one of the hiking capitals of the world, and the small town is based around this. You can walk from the town itself into iconic hiking routes including Laguna de los Tres and Los Cóndores.
Other than that, activities are fairly limited, but there are lots of places to eat and drink, and the green, mountainous landscape makes it a great place to relax outdoors between hikes, if the weather is on your side.
The best things to do in El Chalten
These are the best things to do in El Chalten:
Laguna de los Tres hike (20 km)
Laguna Torre hike (18km)
Los Cóndores hike (3-5 km)
Chorillo del Salto waterfall walk (3 km)
Laguna Capri (10 km)
Drive to Lago del Desierto
Eat and drink in the local cafes and breweries
The best hikes in El Chalten
There are so many hikes to do in El Chalten that in four days, with a few days of bad weather that meant trekking wasn’t possible, we wouldn’t have been able to complete them all. But these were our favourites, and a few of the other most popular treks in El Chalten.
Laguna Capri - 10 km
This 10 km hike follows the same start and end path as the 20 km sendero to Laguna de los Tres. You’ll start at Portal Cerro Torre Base Fitz Roy on the northern edge of the town, and will be asked to show or pay for your pass to enter the National Park (45,000 pesos for one, or less if you buy a flexipass).
We completed this hike in about 3 hours and 20 minutes, including time relaxing at the small beach on the shore of Laguna Capri.
If you’re short on time like we were, or just aren’t up for a 20 km, 8-10 hour hike, this route is still a great way to see the impressive towers of Cerro Chalten/Fitz Roy without completing the full circuit. It is steep in places, but overall an easy enough hike. It takes you through forests, boulder fields, and along the edge of the lake if you choose. And there are a few miradors along the way that make good stopping points for breaks if you need them.
There were people of all ages, from small children to 70+ hiking this sendero at the same time as us.
The weather is also fairly changeable, so even if it’s warm and sunny in the town, you may find you need extra layers as you gain elevation.
Laguna Torre - 18 km
This hike starts with an uphill 1-2 km, but then flattens out until the end which makes it fairly easy despite its 18 km length! The day we completed this walk, it was snowing lightly and visibility at the Laguna was basically zero! But despite that, it was still a beautiful walk through forests and mountain paths, and there were plenty of people out even in ‘bad’ weather as the trail is sheltered and safe.
Reviews say it takes 6-8 hours, but we completed it in about 4 hours and 15 minutes… Part of the reason for this is that there was no reason to spend any time at the summit, as there was no view! But as it’s not a challenging walk, we would have been hard pushed to make it over 6 hours.
You enter this hike from the eastern side of the town and there is no check point so a park pass is not needed.
Chorrillo Del Salto - 6 km
This flat and easy walk takes you to a waterfall in the woods. From our Airbnb in town our total time was about 1 hour 40 minutes so it’s easy to fit into your day.
You enter the route to the right of the path that takes you to the Laguna de los Tres starting point and follow the gravel road for 1km or so before walking into the woods and through a couple of meadows. We arrived at the waterfall within about 45 minutes and stayed for a while as it was impressive to see from such a close distance. You can sit on rocks that are in the river where the waterfall ends.
Other hikes in El Chalten
We didn’t have time to complete these popular trails:
Laguna de los Tres (20 km, 8-10 hours, similar start and end to Laguna Capri)
Pliegue Tumbado (20 km, 7-8 hours)
Mirador Del Torre (7km, 1-2 hours, half way to Laguna Torre)
Los Cóndores and Las Águilas (4-6 km, 1-2 hours)
Where to eat and drink in El Chalten
For a tiny town, El Chalten has no shortage of great places to eat and drink. You can find traditional Patagonian food, modern dishes in the brew houses, and relaxed brunch vibes in many of the cafes. Many of the bars also host daily happy hours.
These were some of our favourite places to eat and drink in El Chalten:
La Wafleria
Bourbon Smokehouse
Cerveceria Patagonia
Fresca
La Cerveceria Chaltén
Malbec & Macchiato
Where should I stay in El Chalten?
El Chalten is full of hostels and Airbnbs. We stayed in a Tiny House Airbnb in Rivendel, next to La Wafleria which was the perfect location as we could easily walk to the trailheads, cafes and bars, and also to the bus terminal when we arrived and left.
The town of El Chalten is small, so wherever you stay is likely to be fairly central and accessible.
How long to spend in El Chalten
We spent five days in El Chalten, because we were moving fairly slowly in our travels. This turned out not to be a bad thing, because day two and three were write-offs due to heavy wind and rain. When the weather is bad, trekking isn’t advisable as the routes become riskier and the views are mostly covered in cloud anyway. Having a few extra days means that once the weather cleared we still had time to do more hikes.
You could easily see El Chalten in three days with a hike every day (weather permitting) and this would be enough time, if you don’t have longer to spend here. The town is small and the hiking trails are the main thing to explore.
Do I need to rent a car in El Chalten?
Many people choose to rent a car in El Chalten as it’s an easy way to get between other Patagonian towns like El Calafate and Puerto Natales without relying on a bus. It also means you can easily reach trailheads that start a little further out of town, and can visit sites like Lago del Desierto which is about an hour out of town.
What to pack for a trip to El Chalten
Whatever time of year you visit El Chalten, you’ll need to bring a variety of clothing and layers. The town itself is very laid back and casual, so you won’t need anything fancy. But you may prefer to spend evenings and days when you’re not on the trails in casual clothing that you wouldn’t wear for hikes – although you’ll find the bars and restaurants full of people in their hiking gear too.
El Chalten is in Patagonia, so it’s not really a place to dress up. It’s more important to be practical. This is what I packed for four days in El Chalten:
A waterproof shell coat
A fleece jacket
2 pairs of leggings
A pair of casual trousers
A casual jumper
Three thermal long-sleeve tops
Two T-shirts
Two vest tops
Three sports bras
One pair of socks per day
One warm pair of socks for nights
A long sleeved top for nights
A pair of trousers to sleep in
A wool hat
A cap
A pair of gloves
A neck warmer/buff
Sunglasses
Hiking shoes
Trainers
A day pack
Water bottle
Battery packs and adapters
Daily toiletries and SPF
Find out more about how we spent two weeks in Patagonia including my full packing list here.