12 Best Day and Short Hikes from El Chalten, Patagonia

El Chalten is known as Argentina’s Hiking Capital for a reason! There are so many amazing hikes that originate from this tiny village in the Patagonia region. This post covers all the best day and short hikes you can do from El Chalten.

1. Laguna de Los Tres

This hike is the crown jewel of all day hikes in El Chalten. It is also the longest day hike on this Best Day Hikes from El Chalten list. This 14 miles out and back hike bring you to the base of Mount Fitz Roy and the stunning glacier lagoon below it.

• Location – town of El Chalten
• Time – this really depends on you. The official guidance is anywhere from 7.5-9 hours
• Distance – 22.5 km/~14 miles out and back
• Elevation gain – ~882m/2,894ft
• Difficulty – Laguna de Los Tres hike is categorized as a moderate to difficult hike
• Cost – ARS 45K Fee as of October 2024 with discounts for multi days – check out more HERE
• Reservations – no reservation needed
• Other names – Fitz Roy hike

Check out this very detailed guide on the Laguna de Los Tres hike.

2. Laguna Sucia

Laguna Sucia is the lagoon that is adjacent to Laguna de Los Tres. To get to it, simply hike the same route as Laguna de Los Tres and then climb the small mount on the left hand side as you face the viewpoint. You won’t see the lagoon until you climb the hill, but once you do….prepare to be blown away!

3. Laguna Capri

This relatively easy hike, brings you to Laguna Capri. From here, on a clear day, you can see an amazing view of Mount Fitz Roy. The hiking path is essentially the exact same as the Laguna de Los Tres hike and the viewpoint is around the 4 kilometer mark of that hike. Given the difficulty of the full Laguna de Los Tres hike, this is an ideal hike for those looking for a viewpoint of Fitz Roy without the distance and difficulty.

4. Mirador Fitz Roy

Close to the Laguna Capri viewpoint is the Mirador Fitz Roy viewpoint. You can easily couple the two hikes into one half day hike. Mirador Fitz Roy also offers a stunning viewpoint of Mount Fitz Roy and is perfect for those who do not want to do the full Laguna de Los Tres hike. Mirador Fitz Roy also follows the first few kilometers of the Laguna de Los Tres hike.

5. Piedras Blancas Glacier

You can either incorporate the Piedras Blancas Glacier as a part of your Lagunas de Los Tres day hike or as a short side hike. If you take the traditional route to Laguna de Los Tres from the town of El Chalten, then you will pass the turn off for Piedras Blancas Glacier just before Camp Poincenot This will add 4 kilometers to your Laguna de Los Tres hike, so I recommend you do it on your way back.

You can also get to the Piedras Blancas Glacier from the Rio Electrico bridge about 17-18 kilometers north of El Chalten. If you only want to see Piedras Blancas Glacier and are not interested in the full Laguna de Los Tres hike, then take this entrance, so that it’s a shorter hike. You will reach the glacier in about 1.5-2 hours from the Rio Electrico bridge. You will have to hire a taxi or drive to this entry point as it is not walkable from the town of El Chalten.

6. Laguna Torre

Laguna Torre is perhaps the second most popular full day hike from El Chalten. This hike brings you to the iconic Cerro Torre and the glacier lagoon that sits right below it. The trail starts with a gradual climb and then flattens out for the most part. On a clear day, you will hike with Cerro Torre and Torre Glacier ahead of you.

• Time – this really depends on you. The official guidance is anywhere from 7-8 hours
• Distance – 18 km out and back. 22 km if you add an optional side hike (see below)
• Elevation gain – ~500m/1,600ft
• Difficulty – Laguna Torre hike is classified as medium difficulty
• Cost – free!
• Reservations – no reservation needed
• Other names – Cerro Torre hike

Check out this detailed guide on hiking Laguna Torre

7. Mirador Maestri

Once at Laguna Torre, you can hike for 2 kilometers one way to get to Mirador Maestri. This viewpoint brings you closer to the glacier tongue. The trail to get to this viewpoint, starts at Laguna Torre. Simply follow the right side rim of the lagoon. The trail is not well marked, but keep going towards the glacier.

8. Mirador del Torre

Don’t want to hike the full Laguna Torre hike or looking for a shorter hike? Then, hike to the Mirador del Torre viewpoint. This viewpoint can be located on the exact same trail as the Laguna Torre hike, at around the 2.5 kilometer mark. It provides a panoramic view of Cerro Torre, Glacier Torre and even a little bit of the top of Fitz Roy!

9. Chorrillo del Salto

Chorrillo del Salto is a waterfall a little over 3 kilometers from the edge of El Chalten town. If you are driving back or taking a taxi from the Huemel Glacier (see #12 of this post), the best way to see Chorrillo del Salto is to stop on the way back. There is a parking lot just off Ruta Provincial 41 (the road to Lago del Desierto). From the parking lot, it is another half a kilometer or so on flat ground.

If you are already in town, then make your way to the end of Avenida San Martin. You will see two paths, one for Laguna de Los Tres and the other for Chorrillo del Santo. It is about a 7 kilometer out and back walk on mostly flat ground. This should take you about 3 hours to complete.

10. Mirador de Los Condores

This short hike starts at the visitor center, just before the start of town. You can park here if you have a car. If you are walking from town, cross the bridge over the Fitz Roy River.

The hike is gradual and brings you to a viewpoint where you can see the Fitz Roy mountain range and the entire town of El Chalten. On a clear day, you may even see condors flying high above.

This is a nice short hike for those who don’t want to commit to a full day’s hike but still want to see some surrounding views of El Chalten!

11. Mirador de Las Aguilas

This mirador is on the same path as Mirador de Los Condores at the start but breaks off just after the initial climb. It brings you to a viewpoint of Lago Viedma. The viewpoint itself is nothing much but the view of Fitz Roy (behind you as you hike towards Aquilas and ahead of you as you hike back) was so amazing! The fields of greenery and wild flowers add to the beauty! It was truly out of a fairytale!

12. Huemel Glacier

Located 37 kilometers from El Chalten at Lago de Desierto, this hike is one that has a huge reward for very minimal effort. To get to Huemel, you have to either drive on a gravel road, take an organized tour or take a taxi.

• Location – Lago del Desierto
• Time – this really depends on you. The official guidance is around 2 hours
• Distance – 4 kilometers or 2.5 miles out and back
• Elevation gain –
• Difficulty – classified as moderate but I found it to be easy
• Cost – ARS $5000 (cash only)
• Reservations – no reservation needed

Check out this post for a detailed guide on how to hike the Huemel Glacier including how to get there!

If you have your own car, you can easily combine this with the Piedras Blancas Glacier hike as it’s on the same road. The combining of the two hikes will make it a full day’s worth of hiking.

Do you have 3 days in El Chalten and wondering how to combine all these hikes? Check out this detailed post on how to spend 3 days in El Chalten covering all these day and short hikes, HERE

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