The 10 Best Free Things to do in El Chalten, Patagonia

March 5, 2022 Deane Carmody

The postcard-perfect landscape of El Chalten sets the scene for some incredible hiking and horseback riding. Trails of varying degrees of difficulty crisscross the national park, winding through beautiful stretches of greenery inhabited by rare birds. Recharge after a long trek with a visit to a local brewery or chocolatier.
Restaurants in El Chalten

1. Cerro Fitz Roy

El Chalten Argentina http://www.elchalten.com
Excellent
91%
Good
8%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 2,867 reviews

Cerro Fitz Roy

Reviewed By Cjs800 - Shanghai, China

The Fitz Roy hike is absolutely amazing. It begins through varied terrains and finishes with a steep climb up to beautiful lake with views over the mountain peaks. Words cannot do this place justice.

2. Laguna Torre

Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, El Chalten Argentina http://www.elchalten.com/esp/actividades/lagunatorre.php
Excellent
80%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,515 reviews

Laguna Torre

Reviewed By watergirls2 - Cardiff-by-the-Sea, United States

Beautiful scenery, the hike was relatively easy to moderate. Recommend this hike if you are in El Chaltan for a few days. Mount Fitz Roy hike was our favorite! As others have said, the weather is unpredictable and you may start out with sunny weather and by the time you get to the Laguna Torre or other destinations it can be clouded over. We were lucky with abnormally warm weather and mostly clear good weather; however, if you can plan to spend some time at Laguna Torre or Fitz Roy since the weather changes so quickly you will likely be rewarded with clear views at some point during the day!

3. Sendero Loma del Pliegue Tumbado

Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, El Chalten Argentina +54 2962 49-3359 http://patagoniahikes.trekksoft.com/es/activity/40678/loma-del-pliegue-tumbado-vistas-panoramicas
Excellent
85%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 264 reviews

Sendero Loma del Pliegue Tumbado

Reviewed By CerroHike - San Francisco, United States

We waited for clear day for this hike based on the other TA reviews and the wait was well worth it. The hike itself is easy when compare to Fitz Roy or Cerro Torre because it gradual up hill (expect when you are inside forest and second viewpoint). When we were at first summit, the wind was super crazy, making hike hard. Since wind was crazy we didn't go second mirador. It was clear day so can't complain :). It was cold!!!. This is the best view among all the hikes, I would recommend this if you have extra days and clear day to make it worth your time.

4. Amanecer en El Chalten

El Chalten Argentina
Excellent
91%
Good
7%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 70 reviews

Amanecer en El Chalten

5. Road to El Chalten

El Chalten Argentina +54 2962 49-3155 http://www.facebook.com/zonaaustral.turismo?fref=ts
Excellent
69%
Good
25%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 611 reviews

Road to El Chalten

Reviewed By IN_Travelers47906 - West Lafayette, United States

There is one way in and one way out of El Chalten. Fortunately, it is so intriguing that you don’t need a second route. Stretching 132 miles/200 km from the El Calafate Airport or roughly 145 miles/225 km from El Calafate it is a hard-surfaced high-speed road safe at 110 km/hr except where turns and bridges require a reduction in speed. Traffic in both directions is common but passing is generally easy as long as you pay attention to no passing zones and blind spots. Expect a 3-4 hour trip, perhaps more if you have nice weather for once-in-a-lifetime photos. Getting there from El Calafate Airport is easy. The road follows the path of a backward C so you Just take a left turn every time you have the opportunity. The two largest lakes in Argentina, Lake Argentina and Lake Viedma, stretch east to west with Lake Viedma north of Lake Argentina. El Calafate is south of Lake Argentina, so you leave El Calafate, or its airport, headed east to go around the eastern shore of Lake Argentina and head north toward the eastern shore of Lake Viedma. Once you pass Lake Viedma, you head west into El Chalten. The landscape out of El Calafate is interesting, but not remarkable. Similar to areas of the American southwest. At about the halfway mark you will reach La Leona, a must stop for rest, history, bathroom break and excellent food. Plan on 30 well-spent minutes at La Leona. From La Leona, the landscape gets more remarkable with each kilometer as you get closer and closer to the beautiful peaks of the Andes that make Ell Chalten such a popular place with hikers and climbers. With a little luck, you will see some wild llamas along the way, staying especially alert to the possibility that they may cross the road in front of your car. There are several turnouts provided for photography along the road but that won’t prevent you from wanting to stop every few kilometers for another picture. Keep in mind, the picture opportunities continually improve, so the next picture you take will almost certainly be better than the one you are taking, and the very best photo ops come once you have passed the clearly marked entrance to the park. If the weather is good, perhaps the best photo-op is the last one provided by a large turnout overlooking El Chalten just before you make your final descent into the town. Also be advised that the weather and cloud coverage around the peaks changes literally by the second. If you have a great picture now, it may get worse if you wait, and vice versa. Pay close attention to the El Chalten weather forecast. With luck you will have a few hours with bright blue skies behind the peaks.

6. Laguna Capri

El Chalten Argentina
Excellent
63%
Good
31%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,340 reviews

Laguna Capri

Reviewed By P4117SZstevel - Los Altos, United States

The lake was not hard to get to and was not crowded at all. If you got here by following the trek on the left at Punto de Encuntro, then follow the trek passing the lake and do the loop back up to the Fitz Roy view point (see the map attached in the photo) and then to town if you don't want to hike all the way to Laguna de Los Tres. The view of Fitz Roy along the trek just pass the lake was even more spectacular.

7. Mirador del Torre

5 km along the Cerro Torre Trail from El Chalten, El Chalten Argentina +54 9 2646 70-0061 http://www.elchalten.com
Excellent
67%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 456 reviews

Mirador del Torre

Reviewed By Kreber668 - Bentonville, United States

Leaving Hostel Pilar you hike up to this viewpoint and it is amazing. Had some fantastic picture perfect shots of my husband and I from there. It was a nice walk up into the woods. We made our way to the Laguna de los tres trailhead. The river there past the campsite is beautiful and a great spot for light lunch. Decided that my legs would not make the last hour direct ascending to the base of Fitz Roy. Legs were tired from two days of hiking already - you need to be fresh for that.

8. Glaciar Piedras Blancas

El Chalten Argentina
Excellent
64%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 251 reviews

Glaciar Piedras Blancas

9. El Mirador De Los Condores

Avenida San Martin, El Chalten Argentina
Excellent
47%
Good
42%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 792 reviews

El Mirador De Los Condores

Reviewed By paulrW967KS - Barnsley, United Kingdom

This trail leads out from the town past the visitors' centre and would be easy to overlook - but it provides outstanding views and a satisfying shorter walk compared to the main longer trails. We saw lots of condors circling around and had fine views of the mountains.

10. Mirador del Rio de las Vueltas

Camino al Fitz Roy, El Chalten Argentina
Excellent
47%
Good
41%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
3%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 58 reviews

Mirador del Rio de las Vueltas

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