Best places to stay in El Chalten: incredible hotels and apartments
El Chalten is the hiking capital of Argentina, there’s no doubt about that.
And since it’s one of the most popular places to visit in Argentinian Patagonia, there’s lots of accommodation for every taste and budget available.
Yes, although El Chalten is a place that is popular with hikers, the best places to stay in El Chalten range from hostels to extra-luxury hotels.
So, if you are wondering where to stay in El Chalten, these are some of the best accommodation options, I’d say.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything via them, we might earn a small commission – at no extra cost to you. Check our affiliate disclaimer for more information.
Top 3 Picks: The best places to stay in El Chalten
#1 TOP PICK
#2 PICK
#3 PICK
The best area to stay in El Chalten
The town itself is really so small that it’s hard to separate it into specific areas. If I really tried, though, I’d say they would be like this: closer to the Fitz Roy trailhead or closer to the bus station.
The town really is quite small, and most of the life is concentrated around Avenida San Martin. That means, all the restaurants and everything else you’d need for a pleasant stay.
For me, the best area to stay in El Chalten then is definitely the one closer to the trailhead to Mount Fitz Roy.
But really, you can walk from the bus station to the trailhead in 20 minutes, and that’s from one end of the town to the other.
Did I mention El Chalten is small?
Apparently, we weren’t taking almost any pictures in town, so enjoy the pictures from our hike to Laguna de Los Tres and outside of El Chalten, as well as pictures that I was able to source from different photographers
Best places to stay in El Chalten
So, as I mentioned, there are many different hotels in El Chalten, from really luxury lodges to backpacker’s hostels.
And there are many hotels altogether in the small, small town! So it is, honestly, not so easy to choose one of them.
But I really tried and chose these ones to show you!
The hotel we stayed at in El Chalten – Hotel Poincenot
Hotel Poincenot has a very good location – it’s close to the Los Glaciares National Park and thus all the popular hiking trails. Speaking of hiking – when we wanted to hike the Laguna de Los Tres (the best hike in El Chalten), the staff arranged a transfer for us so that we could do a point-to-point, not there and back hike.
Since it’s on the main street, all the best restaurants and stores are close by as well.
The hotel itself is simple but homey. The rooms are quite big and comfortable, and you get all the necessary amenities, such as free toiletries.
The breakfast was quite simple really, though, but it was tasty and with both savoury and sweet options. So we consider this to be the best hotel in El Chalten.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Luxury El Chalten hotels
Destino Sur Hotel and Spa de Montaña, 5*
Destino Sur is located just off the Avenida San Martin and is 500m from the Los Glaciares National Park. That means you get easy access to all the most interesting hiking trails around El Chalten.
It’s a spa hotel with lovely rooms and even lovelier views of the surroundings. There are pools, saunas, and massages available, which are all nice to have after a long day of hiking. The breakfast is very good according to most of the reviews, with lots of choices.
You get all you need for a comfortable stay in the hotel. This includes things such as toiletries, towels, pool towels, packed lunches, and more.
The restaurant in Destino Sur – Destino Resto – serves regional Patagonian food in a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Los Cerros del Chaltén Boutique Hotel, 4*
Located atop a small hill, Los Cerros del Chalten boutique hotel is in a great position to offer nice views of the surrounding area. Depending on the room you get, you might have views of the town itself or of the surrounding mountains. Both are good, by the way.
There is a small spa in the hotel with a hot tub, relaxation area, and sauna. But the coolest thing is that there are actually hydromassage baths in the rooms! So after a day of hiking, you don’t have to worry about many people being in the wellness area or about making the allotted time, you have your own hot tub!
Other than that, you get the standard hotel rooms with a minibar, toiletries, kettle, etc. The windows are big, though, which means – views!
An interesting thing that I can see on booking.com and hotels.com is that they have yoga classes available at Los Cerros del Chaltén Boutique Hotel, which is cool. It’s important to stretch after hiking! And they offer guided excursions if you don’t want to hike the trails on your own.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Chalten Suites Hotel, 4*
Chalten Suites offers comfortable and cosy rooms with chic décor. The hotel is located on the main street – Avenida San Martin, so it’s close to everything you might need.
All the rooms except the basic one offer views of Mount Fitz Roy and the surrounding mountains. All the common areas are designed in such a way that you can enjoy the views at all times of the day. You can enjoy Fitz Roy while having breakfast!
The rooms at Chalten Suites have all you might need for a comfortable stay, including free toiletries, a bathrobe, a minibar, and a kettle. The superior rooms have a hydromassage bath!
Each morning, breakfast is served, and you can get a boxed lunch to take on your hikes. There’s a restaurant called Cesarino named after the Italian mountaineer and writer Cesarino Fava where you can have typical Patagonian dishes.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Best mid-budget places to stay in El Chalten
One of these is, of course, hotel Poincenot where we stayed when visiting Patagonia. Since I described it already before, though, I’m not going to repeat myself.
Hosteria Senderos, 3*
Hosteria Senderos is located just opposite the El Chalten bus station, which means that it’s a bit further away from the main hiking trails than other hotels.
On the other hand, you’re just a 5-minute walk away from the visitor’s centre where some other trailheads are, such as for Mirador Los Condores and Las Aguilas hikes.
The Hosteria has huge windows which offer views of the mountains, including Fitz Roy and Torre Hill.
The rooms themselves are not too big, but not too small either. Each of them has a private bathroom and plenty of storage space.
The breakfast is quite highly rated, offering rich choices of cakes, fruits, and many other lovely things.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Posada y Cabañas El Barranco, 3*
Posada y Cabañas El Barranco offers both hotel rooms and bungalows. It’s located a bit off the main street.
The rooms at Posada y Cabañas El Barranco come with a private bathroom that has a shower and free toiletries. Bungalows have a bath and a fully equipped kitchen.
There’s a magnificent view of the surrounding area – the valley and the hills – which you can enjoy both from the accommodation’s premises and the huge garden.
The continental breakfast provided at the inn includes juice, yoghurt, cereal, bread, butter, jam, and cheese. Bungalows get only a dry breakfast, though. And, as in other hotels in the area, you can ask for a packed lunch to take with you when going hiking.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Hosteria Kaulem
Hosteria Kaulem is located just a little bit off the main street. It’s almost in the middle between the bus station and the trails, so you kind of get the best of both worlds.
This charming little inn offers only 4 rooms with exquisite views of Mount Fitz Roy so it might be quite a perfect place to stay in if you’re travelling in a small group. Just book the whole place and enjoy everything Hosteria Kaulem has to offer in privacy.
It has a charming lounge decorated with wooden beams and a fireplace. It even has a little library that is concentrated on local animals and plants.
The rooms are not too big, but they are nice and cosy. And they are decorated in quite a lovely, traditional way.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Best apartments in El Chalten
What I consider “budget” in terms of price is dependent on the locations. For El Chalten, it would be up to approximately 80 euros a night for two people with breakfast included.
There are not so many good-quality budget hotels in El Chalten, so I’m instead providing apartments.
The prices of these are a bit more budget, plus, in an apartment, you can make your own meals, thus saving some money.
Senderos Aparts & Suites
Located just off the Avenida San Martin, Senderos Aparts & Suites offer, as you can imagine, apartments and suites. Basically, these are serviced apartments for short-term rental.
There are studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments available. They come with a fully stocked kitchenette that has an oven, dishwasher, fridge, kitchenware etc.
The rooms are bright and well-equipped with all you need for a comfortable stay. One thing some reviews say is missing, though, is a TV if it’s important to you.
Senderos Aparts & Suites provides a small breakfast as well, which is nice. But pretty much all of the reviews rave about how nice and helpful the staff is.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Aguila Mora Aparts
Aguila Mora Aparts is only 100 m from the path to Torre Lake and 500 m from the path to Cerro Fitz Roy. It has a minimum stay of 2 nights.
The apartments come with a seating area and a full kitchen, equipped with an oven, stovetop and microwave, a toaster, a refrigerator, as well as a kettle. So, pretty much all you need. If you don’t feel like cooking in the morning, though, you can have breakfast as well.
The rooms are quite big. There are lovely views of the mountains from the windows, which is always a nice thing.
The only bad thing about the place written in the reviews is that the Wifi is quite slow and unreliable. But really, that’s a thing in the whole of El Chalten – it’s quite remote, after all.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Andino Aparts
Located right at the start of the Cerro Torro trail and other trailheads, the Andino Aparts offer fully equipped apartments with either one or two bedrooms. It’s located a bit off the main street, but that means that the location is quieter.
You get everything that’s needed for a comfortable stay away from home, such as bed linens and towels (yes, there are other apartments where those are for an extra charge) and a fully equipped kitchen. There’s even a microwave!
Even more than that, there’s a breakfast provided as well. It’s brought the evening before, so you don’t have to worry about having an early hike and not having breakfast.
The rooms are simply decorated but look nice. And many reviews are stating that the beds were very comfortable.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Best places to stay in the El Chalten area
There are some very interesting accommodation options in the El Chalten area, that is, in the mountains just outside of the town itself.
These are some of my favourites that I found!
Explora Chalten
Explora Chalten is located 17km north of El Chalten out in the wilderness. It is strategically built within the Los Huemules Conservation Reserve and offers views of the Electric Valley and the Marconi Glacier.
It’s a luxury all-inclusive hotel with a spa, world-leading chefs, and custom-built activity itineraries.
Each evening, you plan the next day’s explorations with your guide. Those can be a full-day or half-day and are done in small groups of up to 8 people. You can even do a half-day trip on the day of the checkout.
There’s a full-service spa provided to the travellers, which includes hydromassages, a sauna, and a massage room specially designed to enjoy the views of the hotel’s incredible location.
If you’re wondering how to get to Explora with your luggage, don’t worry. There are transfers available from many places, for example, El Calafate airport, El Chalten hotels, and even Torres del Paine.
Explora Chalten has a sister hotel in Torres del Paine National Park as well, by the way.
Read more information on tripadvisor
Chalten Camp – Glamping with a view
Camping Chalten is just three kilometres outside El Chalten, nestled in a native forest, between Rio de las Vueltas and a huge granite all, beyond the crowds and the lights. The camp is made out of 8 geodesic eco-domes that can house altogether 18 people.
Each dome is 27 square meters big and has a bedroom and a private bathroom. They are equipped with a wood-burning salamander, 220-volt electricity, queen-size beds, generous blankets, and cosy décor. The domes have panoramic windows to the mountain range and Mount Fitz Roy.
Chalten Camp is very serious about environmental impact and sustainability so, for example, hairdryers are not allowed. And wifi is available only in the main dome, which also holds the only common areas – the rest area and the dining room.
Read more information and reviews on booking.com
Aguas Arriba
Aguas Arriba has an incredible location – straight on the coast of Lago del Desierto. The only way to access is by boat or by hiking – it doesn’t really get more secluded than that, right? Even more, if you do decide to hike there, you need a guide to accompany you, as the trail is not marked or not even that obvious.
The hotel can accompany only up to 12 guests (there are only 6 rooms), so you are almost guaranteed peace and quiet there. This is really great, as it then gives you a chance to hear the cracking of the hanging glaciers. Paradise!
The main communal room has floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the lake and the Vespignani Glacier. There’s a fireplace and comfortable seating, which makes it a perfect place to relax after a day of explorations.
The rooms are big and nicely decorated with locally sourced wood. Most of them offer views of the Vespignani Glacier. From some, you can see Mount Fitz Roy in the distance as well. One of the rooms is a connecting one, comprising of 2 separate spaces, and there you have a view of the forest.
Aguas Arriba is an all-inclusive lodge. The minimum stay is three nights and room prices start from 390 USD per person per night, which might seem quite high. But those 390$ include the full board accommodation with three abundant meals a day plus coffee, tea, and soft drinks available all through the day, a boat transfer, and daily guided excursions provided by the accommodation. And, of course, all the perks of staying in the incredibly exclusive location in the only lodge available on Lago del Desierto.
It’s definitely one of the best places to stay in El Chalten.
Read more information and reviews on TripAdvisor
Last thoughts about the best hotels in El Chalten Argentina
It really isn’t easy to find perfect El Chalten accommodation that will not break the bank. Well, honestly, it’s true everywhere in the world, right?
When choosing these El Chalten hotels, I was really choosing places that I wouldn’t mind staying at myself. I hope that you find them interesting as well.
Which of these hotels do you find the best? Which would you never choose? Let me know in the comments!
Save this article for later or share it with others!
