El Calafate with El Chalten

We can offer the following itinerary that will include accommodation in El Calafate and El Chalten with breakfast, as well as all transfers required. The itinerary will include a visit to the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier, which is 80km west of El Calafate and called the “big one” that everyone comes to see. It has a 5km long, vertical wall of glacial ice face rising to heights of around 60m flowing some 30km from its source in the Andes Mountains. At El Chalten we can also offer an overnight camp on one of the trails with the camping gear ad all meals included, but this is not in the itinerary below.

El Chalten is a very small tourist village located beyond the northern end of Lake Viedma and within the Los Glaciares National Park 200km north from El Calafate. The name El Chalten, which means “Smoky Mountain”,  is the name the indigenous people gave to what is now called the Fitzroy Mount. The reference to “Smoky Mountain” derives from the fact that for most days of the year the peak is shrouded in cloud hence the “smoky” reference. El Chalten mountain peak was then re-named after Captain Robert Fitzroy from Charles Darwin’s ship “The Beagle” and the name El Chalten was adopted to be the name of the settlement.

Mount Fitzroy resembles one of the three “Torres” (towers) in Torres del Paine National Park, reaching a height of 3,400m with vertical sides that create an impressive and dramatic mountain vision. El Chalten is primarily a base for hikers and climbers who wish to hike the trails in the area or climb the challenging peaks.

The village is located within the park itself and in the park ranger welcome centre located at the entrance to the village there is camping and national park information for visitors. There is a limited number of beds at the camp sites, catering mostly for backpackers. However, over recent years the profile of visitor has changed and the resident population has grown, which has spawned some up-market restaurants, shops and new, small hotels in town. The village is nearly deserted during off-season (the Southern Hemisphere winter).

For those who are not ardent back-packers there are options to trek each day and return to your accommodation in the village each night as well as explore the natural, unspoilt beauty of the areas away from the main trails. There is also a way to link back into Chile and join Villa O´Higgins (the southern-most village of the Carretera Austral), but this is fraught with changing weather conditions and can only be achieved if you have spare time on your hands. This route is also on foot, horse and transfer services – not possible to drive.

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Day 1

Arrival to El Calafate
Transfer- own arrangements (use local service) to hotel (or we can arrange this as an extra if required).

Night 1

Hotel in El Calafate, matrimonial or twin-bed room, breakfast included

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Day 2

Pick-up at 08:00hrs – 08:30hrs and transfer to Perito Moreno Glacier. Safari Nautico. Time on the viewing platforms, Return to hotel in El Calafate around 16:0hrs.

Night 2

Hotel in El Calafate, matrimonial or twin-bed room, breakfast included.

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Day 3

Pick-up at 07:30hrs, bus transfer to El Chalten (3hrs), with a short coffee stop en-route. Visit to the welcome centre for local information, rules and regulations. Walk to hotel.

Optional hike.

Night 3

Hotel in El Chalten.

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Day 4

Hike to one of the iconic trails.

Night 4

Hotel El Chalten.

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Day 5

Hike to one of the iconic trails.

Night 5

Hotel El Chalten.

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Day 6

Walk to the bus terminal for bus transfer back to El Calafate, either AM bus or PM bus (we must book this in advance).

DEPART from El Calafate or one more night here and maybe on to Torres del Paine the next morning.

 

NOTE: 

In the event that any of the accommodation on the W trek is not available we will seek to secure alternative accommodation that may involve a different refugio or camping, but with the tent set up on a platform, ground mat, sleeping bag and all meals included. The rate will be the same.