El Chaltén: Hiking Haven Crowned by Fitz Roy

Under the iconic Mount Fitz Roy rests El Chaltén: a vibrantly painted village known worldwide as Argentina’s capital of trekking. It offers good food, great trails and natural surroundings unlike any other.

Fitz Roy

One of the best aspects of El Chaltén is the accessibility of its trails. While in town, we stayed one night at the cozy Tranqueras de El Chaltén and then stowed our bags for an overnight trip to the base of Fitz Roy.

As opposed to our backpacking trip along the Huemul Circuit, we packed much lighter. We breezed up to Laguna Capri, which offers great views of Fitz Roy. We snacked along the shore while taking in sunshine and admiring the scenery.

We finished our day at Campamento Poincenot, where we spent the night among many other campers. The following morning, we’d planned to catch the highlight of Fitz Roy: its reddish hue when hit by the day’s first sunlight. In anticipation, we headed to sleep before dark.

Our alarms went off at 4 a.m. and we hit the trail 20 minutes later. Up we went on the 2-mile, 1,500-foot elevation climb, shrouded by darkness and wind. We arrived to the lookout point, Lago de los Tres, with just a bit of time to spare. Amidst strong winds and driving rain, we waited for the sun to rise and show us Fitz Roy. But the fog didn’t lift, and instead we got a rainbow.

Down the mountain at camp, we promptly settled in for a morning nap. The trail back to town was doused in rain, worsened by driving wind. Fortunately for those of us going down the hill, it was at our backs.

Chorillo de Salto

Another of El Chaltén’s trails is a leisurely walk to Chorillo de Salto, a lovely waterfall accessible at the end of a mostly flat trail. Surrounded by families, we shared empanadas from a panaderia and napped in the sun.

La Cervecería Chaltén

At this microbrewery, you’ll find Pilsner, Bock and Hefeweizen, all brewed in the room behind the central garden. We went for beers and then returned a couple days later to try the house specialties cooked in beer. Don’t miss the pork bondiola and lamb meatballs, as well as our favorite: a hearty dishful of lasagna. 

Bourbon Smokehouse

While eating dinner at this barbecue place, we caught a funk band setting up for a midnight show. The smoked pork was the best we had in El Chaltén, and the drinks ranged from tap beers to specialty cocktails.

Don Manolo

We stopped into this butcher shop a couple of times for smoked gouda and sausage. On top of offering genuinely delicious meats and cheeses, the butchers welcome you as friends; one recognized us and passed his mate over the counter to share. 

Mathilda

I’m a sucker for a cute cafe, particularly one with good wifi. We dropped in to this spot a couple of times to sip on lattes and sort through travel logistics. With only a smattering of tables inside, Mathilda serves a surprisingly robust lunch. Come for the sweet and spicy curry pasta; stay for the hammock overlooking Fitz Roy.