Patagonia - exploring Calafate & El Chalten. Top things to do

After our adventure packed trip in Torres Del Paine, completing the O Trek and spending some time horse-riding in the mountains , we had planned to cross the border to continue our adventure on the Argentinian side of Patagonia. We spent time exploring El Calafate and El Chalten and this is how our adventure looked...

El Chalten

This beautiful little town is found in Los Glacieres National Park. Known as the hiking capital of Argentina, it certainly felt like an adventure lovers playground from the second we arrived. Even the drive from El Calafate was jaw dropping, we had to keep pulling over to take photos of the stunning mountain views. Although a downside to this is you will see an incredible amount of dead guanaco that had been caught up in jumping over the fences. Although all hikes are very well signposted I used Alltrails+ and downloaded the routes just in case (you can never be too careful), I have linked the appropriate routes. You can get 30% off Alltrails here.

Laguna Torre & Maestri Lookout

A rewarding hiking trail that gives you views of Cerro Solo and Glacier Grande. The hike to Laguna Torre is 11miles (18km) all round and will take around 4 hours, and if you wish to continue further to the Maestri viewpoint, which I would very much recommend, it will be 12.7miles (22km) and take around 6 hours. This is a much shorter and simpler trek then Laguna de los Tres. After about 15 minutes of walking you will reach the first viewpoint giving you panoramic views of the mountains ahead. Upon reaching the moraine you will have the option to trek down to the lagoon or to continue along to ridge to the Maestri viewpoint where you can look down on the Torre Glacier - we did both. If you are lucky with the weather you will be treated to amazing views of the glacier, see bits of icebergs floating in the water and marvel at the iconic Cerro Solo standing tall - something about that mountain blew me away, I would love to climb it one day.

Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Sucia

The Laguna de los Tres is a lake situated at the bottom of Cerro Fitz Roy, the hike here is one of the most popular hiking trails in Patagonia so prepare for it to be busy but it is sooooo worth it. This 13.7 mile (23km) hike also comes with a 960m elevation gain, almost half of which is done in the last 1km - so you will need to be pretty fit.

We decided that we wanted to be at the view point for sunrise in the hopes of seeing the mountains turn orange in the morning glow (and boy did it pay off). There are two ways to do this, one is to leave super early in the morning and time it well and the other is to grab some camping equipment and stay at a campsite at the base of the viewpoint. We opted for the latter and rented everything we needed from a store in town and set off to reach Camp Poincenot before dark. The hike on the way to the campsite was pretty simple, the excitement was building and the views were getting better and better!! The campsite was pretty busy but we found a spot in the woods, went out to gaze at Fitz Roy under the stars and full moon and then settled down to try to get some sleep.

From this point were only 2.5km away from Laguna de los Tres but 450m so the mornings hike in the dark was going to be tough - and that it was with the last 1km covering 400m of elevation. Thankfully the route is well pathed and you could take your time. We made it to the viewpoint with plenty of time to spare, waiting for the sunrise was super cold so I would take lots of layers or a bivvy if you can. When the first light came and the mountains started glowing orange I could have cried, in fact I think I maybe did. What a sight!!! This was definitely a bucket list hike for me and one that will stay with me forever. We spent considerable amount of time here and hiked down to the side of the lake.

Once you have marvelled at the big three - Mt. Fitz Roy, Poincenot and Torre you could take a small side quest to Laguna Sucia a stunning alpine lake and totally worth it, it is bright blue and almost doesn't look real.

Laguna Capri

We took a small detour on the descent from Laguna de los Tres to stop at Laguna Capri which gave epic views across the lake and to Mount Fitz Roy. It is easy enough to add this to the above hike, but also for people who maybe don't want to hike the full way, this is achievable and still gives big views. The hike to Laguna Capri is 6 miles all round (10km).

River Rafting

On one of the days where we had hoped to go climbing the wind had other plans(it is terribly windy here so be prepared with a plan B). One of the few activities that was still able to run was river rafting down the Rio de las Vueltas. If you are looking for an adrenaline packed adventure then this is it! The 6mile (10km) rafting starts of pretty slow and scenic giving you a view of the mountains and surrounding areas but then hold on tight as you descend the class 3 rapids! This was such a thrill and I'm pleased to say that none of the people on my raft fell in (5 on the other raft did, and we had a bit of a rescue mission to get them all back to the rafts) but honestly everyone was safe and it just made it a lot more exciting. I'd highly recommend this if you have a spare morning or afternoon. Spaces can be booked here or by popping into the many outlets in El Chalten.

Chorillo Del Salto

A short and non demanding hike will take you to the Chorillo Del Salto waterfall. You can either walk about an hour from the town or drive to the car park where you will reach the waterfall in around 10 minutes. A powerful waterfall and a great picnic spot. In the winter the waterfall can freeze which would be super cool to see.

Rio Canadon do los Torros

If you have a vehicle and a desire to see some more waterfalls or even try a spot of fishing then the drive to this lake is worth it. We stopped several times along the way to see waterfalls and had a lovely walk alongside the lake when we got there. Not to mention the views were pretty epic.

El Calafate

Our stay in El Calafate was short and it was mainly used as rest days after the O Trek. There isn't huge amount to do in the actual town - it is mainly used as a base for exploring the surrounding attractions. One thing I absolutely loved about here was the street dogs - they are basically community pets, everyone loves them and they are treated so well by all the locals. If you love dogs you will absolutely love it here.

Perito Moreno Glacier

Located in Los Glaciers National Park which is around 1.5 - 2 hours from El Calafate. You can book to join a tour who will take you there by bus, but we had a rental car so opted to drive there ourselves, giving us control over our own schedule. There is no shortage of parking when you arrive here as the car park is huge and free of charge, you will however have to pay an entrance fee to access the boardwalks which is currently 45,000 pesos (as of June 2025). There are five different boardwalks for you to choose from to give you different views of the glacier:

• Central Circuit – 600 metres – 1:00 hours – Easy

• Lower Circuit – 1100 metres – 1:15 hours – Challenging

• Forest Trail – 570 metres – 0:45 hours – Moderate

• Shoreline Trail – 1117 metres – 1:30 hours – Moderate

• Accessible Circuit – 565 metres – 0.30 hours – Very easy

In my opinion, Perito Moreno is one of the most impressive glaciers I have ever seen, towering at up to 60m above the waters of Lago Argentino, we stood watching in awe for ages, gasping every time a chunk broke off and hit the water with a loud crash - you could hear the noise long before you could spot the chunk falling away. Perito Moreno is one of the few ice zones in the world that is advancing instead of retreating. Although there were a lot of people here I never really felt as though you had to fight for a good view as the park is really well spaced out.  One thing to be mindful of is that even though you are standing watching a frozen glacier, it is so hot and the sun is really strong here so don't forget your sun cream, and I would also suggest taking some snacks as the queues for food were super long.

For an even more exciting adventure you can also book a trip to trek on the glacier, or enjoy a boat trip for a close up look.

Enjoy an Argentina Parrilla

For meat lovers I cannot even begin to describe how delicious the food is in Calafate. An parrilla refers to grilled meats in an almost barbeque style and many of the restaurants you pass will have the meat on display, roasting over the grill in the window. Delicious. You may also find the opportunity to try guanaco, and I'd highly recommend trying a pisco or calafate sours alongside your dinner.

Top Tips For El Calafate and El Chalten

• There can be a bit of a long wait to cross the border into Argentina - be prepared

• We found it really difficult to take money out of the ATM, we could literally only take like £1 out of the bank machines at any time which is a bit of a nightmare. If you can withdraw your money before you come here, it will save you a lot of hassle

• It can get WINDY and it is no joke. Be prepared with layers and with a plan B in case your first plan falls through

• Signal can be ropey so you should download offline maps before you set off on your hikes - Alltrails+

• Fuel - if you are driving the fuel stations between El Calafate and El Chalten are limited, make sure you fill up before your journey