Around El Chaltén travel guide

The main attraction here is the trekking around Fitz Roy, but there is also stunning virgin landscape to explore outside the park, around Lago del Desierto, 37 km north. The long skinny lake is fjord-like and surrounded by forests. It’s reached by unpaved Route 23, which leads along the Río de las Vueltas via Laguna Cóndor, where flamingos can be seen. A mirador at the end of the road gives fine views over the lake and a path runs along the east side of the lake to its northern tip, from where a trail leads west along the valley of the Río Diablo to Laguna Diablo, and north to Lago O’Higgins in Chile .

En route to the lake is Hostería El Pilar, http://www.hosteriaelpilar.com.ar, in a stunning position with views of Fitz Roy. Accommodation is available here but you can also visit for tea or use it as an excellent base for trekking up Río Blanco or Río Eléctrico.

Lago Viedma to the south of El Chaltén can also be explored by boat. The trips usually pass Glaciar Viedma, with the possibility of ice trekking on some excursions.