7 best hikes in El Chalten: short walks and day hikes

Hiking in El Chalten, Argentina, is like a dream come true for any hiking enthusiast out there. Or even nature enthusiasts, to be fair. Patagonia itself is a hiker’s paradise, and El Chalten is its capital.

And you don’t even have to be in perfect shape to hike in this corner of Patagonia! Some of the best hikes in El Chalten are rather flat and short – in fact, we did a day hike to Laguna de los Tres (hard) and quite an easy walk to the Mirador Los Condores and Las Aguilas (short and easy), the next day. And you know, I was in pain – my muscles were begging for help after the Laguna hike. But the El Condor was very manageable.

So, for the best short hikes, I’d recommend the Mirador Los Condores and Las Aguilas, as they offer a great view of Lago Viedma and the town of El Chalten. For the full-day hikes, Laguna de los Tres is our favourite – there are so many beautiful sights both on the way to the lagoon and at the laguna, too. But Laguna Torre is a strong second-best.

At the end of the article, I’ve listed some things that you should pack with you for these hikes, such as good hiking shoes and a good hiking backpack. Make sure to prepare properly, as no one wants anyone to get hurt.

Anyways, let’s dive in!

Short hikes in El Chalten

Let’s start off with the easy, shall we?

There are quite a few short hikes in the hiker’s paradise that you can do even if the weather doesn’t want to cooperate – as happens quite often in Patagonia.

1. Los Cóndores and Las Águilas

Distance: 4 or 6 km | Time: 2 hours | Difficulty: easy | Trailhead: The Visitor’s Center at the edge of town

The Mirador Los Condores and Las Aguilas is a basically double hike. At first, go to the Mirador Los Condores where you can see a lot of condors flying from the Fitz Roy River to the De Las Vueltas River and back.

You’re going to walk through nice hilly fields almost the whole time. We visited the trail in the afternoon, which meant we met only one other single person – another photographer.

At one point, there are crossroads which have signs – one way, you go to the Los Condores viewpoint 10 minutes away, and the opposite is the Las Aguilas viewpoint 30 minutes away.

2. Laguna Capri

Distance: ~8km | Time: 4-5 hours | Difficulty: easy | Trailhead: end of San Martin Avenue

Laguna Capri is a very beautiful lagoon which offers nice views of the Fitz Roy mountains. It’s actually a part of the Laguna de los Tres hike – if you don’t feel confident doing the whole Laguna de los Tres, this might be a good alternative.

We went to Laguna Capri on our way back from the Laguna de los Tres – it was just a tiny bit out of the way, so definitely worth it. After having a bit of a snack and enjoying the views, we continued on to our hotel – it was definitely convenient to have a hotel just by the trailheads.

It’s great that the trail to Laguna Capri is relatively flat so even if you have great muscle pain, it’s not that much of a problem. Plus, the lagoon is quite quiet – there were not too many people here, which was nice after the quite crowded Laguna de los Tres trail.

3. Glacier Piedras Blancas viewpoint

Distance: ~10km | Time: 3 hours | Difficulty: moderate (~350m elevation gain) | Trailhead: El Pilar Mountain lodge (take transfer)

Since El Chalten is part of the Los Glaciares National Park, there are many, many glaciers that you can see from different angles. Just like Laguna Capri, this trail is part of the Laguna de los Tres hike.

The best way to get to it is to take a transfer to the trailhead, just like when hiking the Laguna de los Tres. Ask your hotel for more information, as they’ll be able to arrange all the transfers necessary.

The trail more or less follows the Blanco River, going uphill a little until you reach the viewpoint. Hiking through the forests lets you enjoy the flora and maybe even fauna of Patagonia!

Best Full-day hikes from El Chalten

By day hikes I mean ones that are around 8h long. And when hiking El Chaltén, one of your hikes should definitely be a day hike! They are just too beautiful to pass up!

1. Laguna de Los Tres

Distance: 23km | Time: 8-10 hours | Difficulty: hard (960m elevation gain) | Trailhead: Hosteria Pilar or Rio Electrico bridge (take transfer or taxi)

I’ve mentioned Laguna de los Tres multiple times in this article already, and that’s because it’s definitely one of the best hikes in El Chalten and a must-do. And it offers incredible views on the way.

It’s also one of the most famous hikes in Patagonia, though, so expect it to be crowded. The beginning part of the Laguna de los Tres hike is relatively easy – you ascend quite a bit, but still, it’s over quite a long distance. Once you reach the last hour, on the other hand… it’s pretty much ascending a vertical wall. During that last hour (some 1,5km), you ascend 300m!

On the way, if you read about the hikes before, you get to enjoy the viewpoint of Glacier Piedras Blancas. The hanging glacier is gorgeous, so make sure to not miss the view!

In the end, you get to enjoy an incredible view of the three peaks that are behind the “tres” in the name of the lagoon – Mt Fitz Roy, Poincenot and Torre. A bit to the side of the main lagoon is Laguna Sucia, which is equally as beautiful as Laguna de los Tres.

On the way back, go and see the Laguna Capri – it’s a bit off the trail, but then again, the view of Mt Fitz Roy is worth it. And taking the sidetrail saves you a half a day hike to this gorgeous lagoon.

We saw some kids ascending the trail to Laguna de los Tres, but it did take them really long – we managed to pass them, enjoy the two lagoons, have lunch, and still meet them on the way back down. So if you’d like to do this hike, make sure to get in quite a good shape.

If you’d like to, you can stay in one of the camping places on the way to the lagoon, for example, Campo Poincenot. That way, you can ascend the trail in the very morning and enjoy sunrise colours on Mount Fitz Roy.

And yes, the colour of the lagoon really is that blue.

2. Laguna Torre (Also known as Cerro Torre)

Distance: 17,5km | Time: 7-8 hours | Difficulty: moderate (500m elevation gain) | Trailhead: end of Los Charitos street, well marked

The other most famous and popular, and definitely one of the best hikes in El Chalten is to the Laguna Torre. It can be done as an out-and-back trail, starting from the town itself, so you save on transfer costs.

The Laguna Torre hike is not that hard, really, but it is a long one. You ascend 500m, which is not so bad compared to the Laguna de los Tres. Still, make sure to be in good shape for this. This is kind of a sister-hike to the Laguna de los Tres showing you the other side of the mountains.

Going to Cerro Torre, you follow the route of Rio Fitz Roy up until the source. The whole time, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to enjoy Torre Massif. The route is steep at the very beginning and at the end, for the last kilometre or so. Otherwise, it’s rather easy. Some parts sandy, some parts rocky – as it should be. The route has different viewpoints along the way, for example, Mirador del Torre which offers a magnificent view of the Adela range and Cerro Torre.

But in the end, you’re rewarded by an incredible lagoon. Granted, it’s not the blue glacial water of Laguna de los Tres, but you get actual icebergs that have fallen off the Grande glacier floating in the water.

You can descend down to the lagoon or continue on a couple of kilometres to the Maestri viewpoint. It offers a beautiful view of the Cerro Torre and the glacier. Maybe do both?

3. Loma del Pliegue Tumbado

Distance: 21km | Time: 8 hours | Difficulty: moderate (1100m elevation gain) | Trailhead: The Visitor’s Center at the edge of town

The beginning of the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado hike is at the visitor’s centre – the trail on the left goes to Los Condores and Las Aguilas viewpoints, and to the right – to Pliegue Tumbado and Laguna Toro / Paso del Viento.

If Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre hikes are all about the lagoon, then Loma del Pliegue Tumbado is all about the views. This hike offers some of the best panoramic views that you can get when hiking in El Chalten.

The hardest part about this hike is that you’re constantly ascending. It’s not like the previous two where you do short bursts of ascent. But, on the other hand, you’re almost constantly rewarded with incredible views.

Some of the highlights include Pampa De las Carretas with views of Mount Huemul, Lago Viedma, and Mount Torre and Mount Chaltén; then there’s the Río Túnel Valley at the end of the trail, of course.

A bonus – Lago del Desierto and the Huemul glacier

Distance: 3.2km | Time: 2 hours | Difficulty: easy (200m elevation gain) | Trailhead: 37km from El Chalten, by Lago del Desierto

This short hike is not really in El Chalten – it takes approximately 90 minutes to get to the trailhead. You have to drive on the Ruta Provincial 41 for some 37km. At the end, there’s a free parking lot, but the hike itself is paid, as it’s on private property.

The hike itself is quite easy, through a Lenga forest and a moraine ledge. You get magnificent views of the De las Vueltas River Valley and Mount Fitz Roy. On the other side, there’s Lago del Desierto and the Cordón Del Bosque mountain range.

Huemul Glacier is one of the easiest accessible glaciers by El Chalten. You get to enjoy the blue glacial lake and the tongue of the glacier descending into the lake.

If you can’t do the Laguna de los Tres hike, this is a nice and easy alternative.

What gear do you need for hiking El Chalten?

Here is a part of what should be on your packing list for Patagonia. The hiking gear will keep you safe, but there are definitely some more things you shouldn’t forget.

Hiking boots

Many of the trails are no joke. There is uneven terrain, loose rocks, and stones. And they can get very slippery in the weather – which, in case you’ve forgotten, is very unpredictable. That means that you can experience a snowstorm on a sunny day.

Make sure that you have high and sturdy hiking boots to protect your ankles. A toe protector is good to have, too. And waterproof ones are definitely a plus.

Hiking poles

If you’re going on one of the steeper trails, make sure to pack hiking poles with you. Since El Chalten is a tourist town and a hiking capital, you probably can rent them if you can’t pack them with you.

Hiking backpack

Yes, a proper hiking backpack with straps across the chest and stomach. I recommend 30l or bigger so that you have enough space for food, water, a change of clothes and layers, and a first-aid kit.

A hiking backpack that has a place for hiking poles when you don’t need them is definitely a plus.

Layers

As I said, the weather is quite unpredictable. Plus, when hiking, you might get quite hot.

So pack layers. We had long-sleeve t-shirts, a fleece jacket, a wind- and waterproof jacket, and a winter jacket on top. For the pants, we just had normal hiking pants that are wind and waterproof.

It was good having layers, as sometimes, it was summery hot on the trails, especially when the wind didn’t blow and there were no clouds, and sometimes, when the sun was covered and the icy wind blew, we, well, I, had the winter jacket on.

Some hats and scarves are good, too.

And that’s why I recommend the bigger-sized hiking backpacks so that you can store the things you’re not wearing.

Miscellaneous

• Bottle for water – if you don’t feel like carrying many litres of water with you, consider getting a bottle with a filter that you can fill up in the streams.
• Where to sit – some lightweight travel blanket or towel, yoga blanket, or something else where you can sit down to have a snack, get some rest, or enjoy the views.
• Little fitness towel – I hate having sweaty and dirty arms, so it’s always nice to be able to wash and dry them

Best hikes in El Chalten – conclusion

Were these all of the hiking options in El Chalten? Of course not. There are many more available, some shorter, such as Chorillo del Salto, and some multi-day treks as well, for example, the Huemul circuit which actually allows you to enjoy the Southern Patagonian ice field up close.

But these, in my opinion, are the best hikes in El Chalten which give you the most amazing views.

If you have only a few days in the town and have similar physical endurance to us, these are the ones that you can do.

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