Map

Things to do in El Chaltén See map

El Chaltén is accessed by National Route 40 and the Provincial Route 23 that ends at the Lake Del Desierto. It also makes its way through the northern mountain range, from Los Antiguos to 648 kilometers along Provincial Route 4. You pass by Perito Moreno, Bajo Caracoles, the Cueva de las Manos and Tres Lagos and then continue along Provincial Route 23. The nearest international airport is located in the town of El Calafate and from there you continue by bus to El Chaltén by 215 km.

El Chaltén lives up to its nickname of the trekking capital offering an ideal place for either a simple stroll or for venturing into promotions of several days. It was declared a Trekking National Capital by the Ministry of Tourism of the Nation and its celebration is held the first weekend of February.

Located at the foot of the Andes range, in the confluence of the Fitz Roy and De las Vueltas rivers. Behind the city are the imposing Torre Hill and the Fitz Roy, which are visited by mountaineers and trekking enthusiasts from around the world.

Through well marked paths you can go hiking in the National Park. The walks can be guided or not, and ascends and multi-day expeditions are done.

The trek begins in El Chaltén and moves on trails with spectacular views. The guides help visitors make the trip, going through secret places and explaining every step of the geography, flora and fauna.

Most of these courses require no previous experience of mountain activities and require little time and effort. It is not necessary to have great endurance or aerobic capacity or prior training, always speaking in the case of walking a few hours or minutes. But there are also guided expeditions for which is required to make at least some previous walks to be better prepared.

There are also different land and lake tours to see natural beauties or unique historic sites. To access them the guides provide the means, experience and confidence needed to find sites that are otherwise inaccessible.

The first consultations of visitors to Patagonia are the weather. In the area of ​​El Chaltén in summer are frequent cloudy days or rain and temperature contrasts between day and night is accentuated due to the proximity of the Southern Ice Field. Winds are very frequent, sudden changes in temperature and the sudden appearance of dense clouds and heavy rain. The average annual maximum temperature is 12 °C, the average annual minimum is 3.3 °C and the annual average is 7 °C. For this feature, of unpredictable weather, it is recommended to bring warm and waterproof clothing although the day is splendid.

To go to El Calafate and El Chaltén is important to have a hat, sun glasses, scarf, long sleeve shirt, polar sweater, windbreaker jacket (preferably waterproof), shoes with nonslip soles or trekking boots, gloves and sunscreen.