Trekking in Los Glaciares

El Chaltén is pocket-sized mountain town tucked under the Fitz Roy Massif. From here you can walk straight from your hotel onto a superb network of trails that lead to some of Patagonia’s most amazing views. 

The most celebrated routes are undoubtedly Laguna de Los Tres and Laguna Torre, both of which get you up close to FitzRoy and Cerro Torre, the national park’s iconic peaks, as well as some exquisite glacial lakes.

Other great day hikes include the dramatic panoramas of the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado route and the forested seclusion of the Los Huemules Reserve, along with a variety of shorter rambles for when you prefer to stick closer to town.

Los Glaciares has some incredible multi-day treks, giving you the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in the national park over a number of days, exploring far away from the main trails.

At its simplest, the Laguna de Los Tres and Laguna Torres day hikes  can be stitched into a single overnight camping trip. But if you prefer to go wild, the four day Huemul Circuit trek gets you brilliantly deep into the park: ​​scaling two epic mountain passes, hiking alongside the ice field and camping next to an iceberg-strewn lake. 

For experienced hikers wanting to push themselves, the Los Glaciares Wilderness Trek spends five nights wild camping in some of the remotest corners of the park, hiking between two historic estancias through river valleys, forests and over mountain passes to Upsala Glacier.

Just the name of Los Glaciares National Park gives a strong clue to some of its most notable geographical features. This is a place where the world’s biggest ice field outside the polar regions spills out of the mountain.

There are two multi-day treks that can take you right up to the ice field. The Huemul Circuit has you climbing windy mountain passes to have you gaze down across the ice field’s near endless expanse, and hike alongside one of its glaciers.

But for those who really like to earn their ice, the South Patagonian Ice Field Expedition offers the chance to hike across its surface, donning crampons and sometimes roping up to cross crevasses and camp on the ice itself.

El Chaltén town is made for hikers. Its location under the FitzRoy Massif means you can step out of your hotel door and onto the trailheads, eat lunch beneath a hanging glacier and be back in time to swap stories with fellow hikers over a craft beer in the evening. If you want to take a break, kick back in its many cafes and bakeries or drop into a gear store to treat yourself to some new kit.

El Chaltén has a great variety of accommodation options, from simple guesthouses (hosterías) to B&Bs, alpine style lodges and upmarket hotels. There are even some seriously cosy luxury lodges and glamping options just outside the town if you want the very best to come back to after a day in the mountains.

The way to truly experience the best of Los Glaciares is to head out from town to spend at least one night sleeping under canvas.

Los Glaciares offers both organised and wild camping. The main site for the former is the riverside Poincenot campsite, which is conveniently situated to join together the two most popular day hikes of Laguna de Los Tres and Laguna Torre. This permanent campsite has wonderful mountain views at both sunrise and sunset.

For multi-day hikes, wild camping is the order of the day. On many of these hikes, you’ll carry part of your tent and food with you, to allow you to head deep into the park. Some campsites are regularly used, others are dictated by the day’s weather conditions, but you’ll always be amid the most dramatic scenery.

Unlike Torres del Paine, there are no organised refugios on the trails in Los Glaciares.