Road to El Chalten
Road to El Chalten
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623 reviews
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Patrícia V
Belo Horizonte, MG343 contributions
Nov 2022 • Friends
Boring like all Patagonia.
After visiting Ushuaia and El Calafate, Perito Moreno, me and my friend took a bus from El Calafate to El Chalten.
After 3 hours in a bus, we were in our way to do the trek to Laguna Capri when I decided to come back to El Calafate and then Brazil.
So I took the bus back to El Calafate, bought another air ticket and gave up of my trip after 5 days in Patagonia (I was supposed to stay 14 days, visit Torres del Paine, Puerto Natales and Puerto Montt, San Martin de Los Andes etc).
It was the best decision I've made in my life even if I had a lot of financial loss.
After going to El Chalten, just thinking about spending hours on a bus to visit Torres del Paine made me shiver.
And these trekking in this arid place doesn't look attractive to me.
Patagonia is boring, is arid, is like hours and hours of roads, is expensive.
What I like are the animals I saw: one Grey fox and few pinguinos and huemuls, guanacos.
After visiting Ushuaia and El Calafate, Perito Moreno, me and my friend took a bus from El Calafate to El Chalten.
After 3 hours in a bus, we were in our way to do the trek to Laguna Capri when I decided to come back to El Calafate and then Brazil.
So I took the bus back to El Calafate, bought another air ticket and gave up of my trip after 5 days in Patagonia (I was supposed to stay 14 days, visit Torres del Paine, Puerto Natales and Puerto Montt, San Martin de Los Andes etc).
It was the best decision I've made in my life even if I had a lot of financial loss.
After going to El Chalten, just thinking about spending hours on a bus to visit Torres del Paine made me shiver.
And these trekking in this arid place doesn't look attractive to me.
Patagonia is boring, is arid, is like hours and hours of roads, is expensive.
What I like are the animals I saw: one Grey fox and few pinguinos and huemuls, guanacos.
Written November 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dwills1
Arlington, VA48 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
Absolutely stunning drive into and out of El Chalten. We unfortunately had a delayed flight and ended up driving to El Chalten during the night (luckily we did not run into any guanacos at night!). However, the drive out was amazing. 100% recommend making it out here if you’re in the area around El Calafate.
Written November 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IN_Travelers47906
West Lafayette, IN4,716 contributions
Jan 2020
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.
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.
Written January 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jordan D
Houston, TX33 contributions
Dec 2018 • Friends
We had a rental car and were going to hike in El Chalten, so we took the 2-3 hour drive up there. We stopped 4 or 5 times along the way because the views were so incredible. Don't miss this if you can help it!
Written January 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hikermaman
Bishop, CA20 contributions
Jan 2016 • Couples
The 3 hour bus trip between El Calafate (town or airport) and El Chaltén is more interesting than one might think. If you're not exhausted from traveling, keep your eyes peeled for herds of guanacos as well as solo ones; flamingos and other birds in lagoons; many estancias with sheep, cattle, horses; and the beautiful Lago Viedma and stunning Chaltén Massif on approach to El Chaltén. The stop at La Leona is a must, with good to-go food, drinks, and a plaque with the origin of the location name as well as photos, a wanted poster and other documents regarding the stay of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid during their flight from the law. The desert vistas are beautiful, with the many colors of rock, stream, mountains and clouds. You don't have to go into El Calafate town if you're heading back to the airport. Just make sure to check the schedule to determine which bus company goes to your destination at what time. There are also busses that go straight from FTE to El Chaltén. We used Las Lengas both ways and paid a little more to accommodate our schedule.
Written January 31, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alejandro F
Buenos Aires18 contributions
Jul 2012 • Friends
El Chalten is a very little village sorrounded by mountains. The Chalten, also named Fitz Roy is an stunning mountain that erupts between others small.
But the charme of this village is that it is the crossroad of a lot of paths which can allow us to see incredible views and visit the valleys, glaciars, rivers, mountains, falls and whatever you want to see during a treck.There are several degrees of difficulty from very easy to a middle difficulty so a lot of people can enjoy the walks. From 2 hours up to 2 days you have options to practice and obtain endurance along a few days. I usually visit the village on summer and also during the winter which is very hard to spend because is very cold. The summer has a very nice temperature but it can have a little wind.
As the people who visit El Chalten loves mountain, during the day, if you stay at town, you will think it is empty, and as the options to walk are so diverse, you can walk several hours without crossing nobody. The nights are quiet but you have a few options to drink a local beer with friends or to see millions of stars if the sky is clear of clouds.
El Chalen is located at two hundred and thirty kms from El Calafate but the road is new and asphalted, so three comfotable hours in a bus are enough to be there. There are several options to be lodged from four star hotels to simple hostels. I use to rent a lodge to be there five days, more a less, and that is for me the cheapest option, because we enjoy cooking for all the family to enjoy the " after mountain" together. Laguna de los Tres, Lago Capri, Poincenot, Glaciar Piedras Blancas, Pliegue Tumbado, Mirador de las Aguilas, de los Condores, Glaciar del Torre, Mirador del Fitz, Salto el Chorrillo, Salto el Anillo, Rio de las Vueltas, Lago del Desierto are some of the places you can visit by staying a few days in El Chalten
But the charme of this village is that it is the crossroad of a lot of paths which can allow us to see incredible views and visit the valleys, glaciars, rivers, mountains, falls and whatever you want to see during a treck.There are several degrees of difficulty from very easy to a middle difficulty so a lot of people can enjoy the walks. From 2 hours up to 2 days you have options to practice and obtain endurance along a few days. I usually visit the village on summer and also during the winter which is very hard to spend because is very cold. The summer has a very nice temperature but it can have a little wind.
As the people who visit El Chalten loves mountain, during the day, if you stay at town, you will think it is empty, and as the options to walk are so diverse, you can walk several hours without crossing nobody. The nights are quiet but you have a few options to drink a local beer with friends or to see millions of stars if the sky is clear of clouds.
El Chalen is located at two hundred and thirty kms from El Calafate but the road is new and asphalted, so three comfotable hours in a bus are enough to be there. There are several options to be lodged from four star hotels to simple hostels. I use to rent a lodge to be there five days, more a less, and that is for me the cheapest option, because we enjoy cooking for all the family to enjoy the " after mountain" together. Laguna de los Tres, Lago Capri, Poincenot, Glaciar Piedras Blancas, Pliegue Tumbado, Mirador de las Aguilas, de los Condores, Glaciar del Torre, Mirador del Fitz, Salto el Chorrillo, Salto el Anillo, Rio de las Vueltas, Lago del Desierto are some of the places you can visit by staying a few days in El Chalten
Written August 20, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chi L
Cordoba, Argentina240 contributions
I was quite dubitative about renting a car, but since we were a party of 5, seemed to be the best choice to see Patagonia. When we went to pick up the car, (nunatak, good fares and service), I asked the lady about the route to El Chalten, if it was easy to navigate... and she said: " Darling, the only route that crosses the town is #11, to the north is Chalten and the south is the glacier... You just can´t go wrong! The road is pure beauty, cannot be missed!!!
Written March 6, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trypp Adams
Minneapolis, MN9,476 contributions
Feb 2019 • Solo
If you have ever driven through Monument Valley, into Yosemite Valley or approached the Grand Tetons in the US you'll have a sense of what this is like. For about an hour, on a clear day, you have the amazing view of the Fitz Roy and neighboring mountains as you approach El Chalten. I can't think of a better place to be behind the wheel or at least in the front seat. If you are headed hear on a tour bus, all i can say is I'm sorry. The view to the left and right aren't great, but the one straight ahead is amazing! The road is pretty straight, giving you some grace as you daydream about your pending hikes.
Written April 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wags63
Epsom, UK497 contributions
Apr 2018 • Family
If you are lucky like we were, as you approach El Chalten you’ll be greeted by the most amazing view of the mountain range in a huge empty sky. Add in the guanaco on the plains, condors and other birds of prey and the possibility of seeing a fox too. Welcome to Patagonia !
Written April 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sisterpv
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL341 contributions
Dec 2017 • Family
Ok, our kids are actually 20 and 22, so technically not teenagers but adult kids were not an option on this review.
What a fantastically beautiful drive. We drive from El Calafate to El Chalten and back a few days later. There are about 4 scenic pull outs for photos and I would suggest taking advantage of them.
The road is actually pretty decent to drive, just make sure to fill up with gas before you go since there’s only one gas station in El Chalten. Also make sure to bring plenty of cash as the ATM doesn’t always work and many businesses (including the one gas station) don’t accept credit cards.
Enjoy your drive to the end of the earth.
What a fantastically beautiful drive. We drive from El Calafate to El Chalten and back a few days later. There are about 4 scenic pull outs for photos and I would suggest taking advantage of them.
The road is actually pretty decent to drive, just make sure to fill up with gas before you go since there’s only one gas station in El Chalten. Also make sure to bring plenty of cash as the ATM doesn’t always work and many businesses (including the one gas station) don’t accept credit cards.
Enjoy your drive to the end of the earth.
Written January 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Jordan and anyone who has driven from El Calafate to El Chalten, was the road difficult to drive for a compact/economy sedan? Do I need to rent a Jeep or pickup truck? Thanks in advance!
Written October 5, 2022
Caro, vi seu comentário de alguel de carro em El Calafate. Sabe me dizer a companhia em que você alugou o automóvel?
Written December 19, 2018
Olá. Aluguei na Hertz do aeroporto logo que cheguei mas existe uma loja deles na cidade e de outras locadoras também.
Written December 20, 2018
Olá!
É possível comprar passagem e embarcar no aeroporto de El Calafate no mesmo dia (rumo a El Chalten)?
Esse transporte Las Lengas é onibus ou van?
Written March 28, 2018
Hola, me voy en Marzo al Calafate y quiero ir al Chaltén que me recomiendan es mejor ir en auto y o contratar la excursión? Si vas en auto hasta donde se puede llegar para ver el Fitz Roys?
Gracias
Written February 12, 2018
Hola Catalina
Coincido totalmente con Juan Antonio S, podés ir en auto y esta bueno te da libertad, pero no es imprescindible. El Chaltén es para caminar y la mayoría de los senderos salen de la villa misma. Solo reafirmo lo que ya te dijeron.
Saludos y que lo disfrutes
Written February 22, 2018
Are there horse back riding trips to the glacier lake?
Written December 3, 2016
no way with horses
only car or walking
there are horseback rides in other estancias or sites.
enjoy the view!
Written December 6, 2016
Hello, I'm not getting a response from the hotel we booked about options for transport other than the bus. I've got a car reserved, but am wondering about the price for a taxi or car service since we probably won't need the car too much. Thanks
Written September 3, 2016
Taxis are available but where do you intend to travel from and to - the price will depend quite a bit on the route and itinerary you want them to follow
Written September 14, 2016
natalia p
Rosario, Argentina
1-hola! cual es la mejor excursion para relizar en el chalten, considerando que cuento alli con un solo dia?
2-entre navegar haste el glaciar viedma del chalten o Glaciar Spegazzini y el Glaciar Upsala (excursion full day en calafate) cual me recomiendan?
gracias!
Written January 9, 2015
Hola, como estas?
Con que agencia contrataste la excursiòn? Saludos
Written January 7, 2015
Hola el traslado de El Calafate a El Chalten lo contratamos con la empresa Transporte Las Lengas. Para nosotros no fue una excursión sino el traslado ida y regreso durante nuestra estadía en El Chalten.
Espero te sea útil mi respuesta. Saludos.
Written January 9, 2015
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