Many tourists take tours to El Chalten from El Calafate because El Chalten has got a lot of nature tourist attractions and it is located very close to the border with Chile in the Province of Santa Cruz, 215 km far away from El Calafate and 448 km from Rio Gallegos, capital of the province.

In the valley formed by the confluence of the Rio Fitz Roy and the Rio de las Vueltas is located this town whose main attraction is its proximity to the Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, where experts climbers come from all part of the world. The Fitz Roy is also known as El Chalten, Tehuelche source name means smoking mountain.The town of El Chalten is also the starting point for tours to Lake Viedma, draining the largest glacier in Glacier National Park and Lake Desert. The town was founded in 1985 in order to populate the region due to the dispute with Chile over the Lake of the Desert. With its privileged location, began to grow as a result of the increase in visitors to the area. Today has varied hotels and restaurants.

Excursions in El Chalten

Most visitors arriving in El Chalten do for mountain sports like trekking, mountaineering, rafting, horseback riding, hiking and those interested in the flora, fauna, or fishing, being captive walks round about the towering granite peaks that surround the town.

Among the natural attractions that are located in the vicinity of this small mountain town include:
The Cerro Chalten, Cerro Torre, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, Lake Argentino, Lake Viedma, Laguna Capri, Piedras Blancas Glacier, Glacier Viedma, the Laguna de los Tres, the mating Chorrillo, etc.

Desert Lake

From El Chalten start excursions to nearby Lake Desert, that along with the entire valley, was the subject of a protracted border dispute between Argentina and Chile. The path runs along the banks of the River Las vueltas