road to el chalten

Gorgeous views!!! Road well kept. Only one place to stop though (but a quite nice, homely feel one - La Leona)

stop and take some pictures. PAINT if you are capable... notice the change of colors when cloudy////

Like most visitors, we traveled to El Chalten from the airport at El Calafate. This road is now surfaced all the way to El Chalten, replacing the stretches of gravel and dirt of the past.Initially you travel north, skirting Lago Argentina, before swinging to the west, eventually sighting Lago Viedma, also to the left. Most forms of transport stop off at La Leona, - a little hosteria on the bank of a river, somewhere about halfway on the 230 K trip.We considered 3 forms of travel - Remises Condor offered a remis (taxi-type transport for 1-4 people) service from the airport for $230 one way; El Chalten Travel have a luxury bus service from El Calafate itself for about $25 per head while Las Lengas offered a minibus ride from the airport to your hotel in El Chalten at about $35 per head. We opted for the latter as you could pre-book and expect Las Lengas to await a reasonable time if your flight was somewhat delayed. They are very responsive to emails. We used El Chalten Travel for the return trip as the bus departed from the Rancho Grande, right next to our hotel.The scenery is great, with plenty of rolling scrub-land, lake, river and hill panoramas. The colours of the lakes were made even more beautiful by sunlight and passing cumulus clouds. We saw lots of wildlife, including guanacos and rheas (also called nandos). We even saw a couple of condors as they soared gracefully, hardly moving their wings at all but still gaining height. Towards the El Chalten end of the trip, you should see the iconic Cerro Torres and Cerro FitzRoy in their majesty, towering over the area. FitzRoy, in particular, though, tends to have a cloud cap from late morning onwards.As connecting journeys go, this must be one of the best!

We were so fortunate to be on this road on two lovely days going to and from El Chalten from El Calafate. We saw a flock of Rhea (large flightless birds) and a group of guanacos (llama like animals). They are all brown and blend into the scenery so watch for movement. When you get closer to El Chalten you will be absolutely stunned by the views of the mountains. I don't think I've ever seen such a lovely area. We must have stopped and taken thousands of pictures. We loved having the car for the flexibility and it allowed us to go to some more out of the way, less crowded trails. Just go. You won't be sorry. We spent 3 nights in El Calafate and 5 in El Chalten. I could have used even more time in El Chalten, there are so many hikes it truly is mind boggling. Lago Argentina nearer El Calafate is a surreal blue green and very beautiful. I was surprised going in January to find no issues with booking hotels (in advance), getting a car and eating at restaurants. Not crowded at all in this area. Fabulous weather in January. Be aware, take snacks and water on the trip, also fill your tank with gas to the top. There is absolutely NOTHING inbetween the towns. When leaving El Chalten there is a tiny gas station on the way out of town that looks like a mobile home. This is the only gas in El Chalten and they do at times run out so be prepared.

Take the bus, sit on the top - right at the front if you can manage - and keep your camera ready! Its spectacular - the view is unbeatable. Patagonia is lovely but this part of Patagonia you can do no wrong - just point your camera and shoot and its exhibition worthy!

Such a nice ride from Calafate to El Chalten. We took the bus and were amazed by the Lago Argentino and the mountains ahead.

I didnt find the road much interesting except last 15 minutes before reaching El chalten , one can see superb scenery ..The road from El calafate to el chalten , one come across steppe and dry vegetation but last 15 minutes before reaching El chalten , the views are superb of glacier and el chalten itself with clear peaks if weather is sunny ..and you are lucky :-))..

We rented from Hertz which is the only company that offers complete insurance. The road was fine but the week we rented was very high wind. The rental agent warned us about opening the doors in high winds on the road and to stick to the right side of the road. The drivers in Argentina do not pay any attention to the double yellow lines or curves in the road and pass when they feel like it. We were also warned by the agent about the animals on the road but we only saw 4 in the distance along the way. It was nice to be able to stop when we wanted to stop. Most of the hikers take the bus to Chalten,I'm glad we had a car that we picked up at the airport upon arrival. When we turned in the car they went over every inch to make sure there were no dents or cracked windows (windows are not covered by insurance). We booked in the states before we arrived. People who tried to book at the airport couldn't get a car, they were all taken. It was fun to drive and the roads were good and we felt safe driving.

Since we were three people it made sense to rent a car vs. taking the bus. You see all the Patagonian landscapes - Caribbean blue lakes, rivers, arid plains, Ireland green hills, Arizona steppe mountains, glaciers and snow capped mountains. We also saw guanacos, rhea, wild horses and cows. We stopped at the lone restaurant about mid-way for a quick coffee and bathroom break. We also got our first taste of Patagonian wind whipping the small rental car about. It was a great start to the vacation.

When I first boarded the 3-hour bus journey from El Calafate to El Chalten I honestly thought nothing of the trip. I had no expectations and hoped it would pass quickly so I could hit the trails at the other end. For the first hour of the trip my thinking didn't change as the journey up to that point was fairly uneventful. Patagonian pampas in all directions with some mountains in the distance. And then there was a turn in the road and the bus turned left westward. From that moment on it was two hours of awesome! Luckily, it was a clear day and visibility was good enough to see right out in the distance toward the rugged spire that is Fitz Roy towering dramatically above all other peaks. As the bus kept getting closer and closer I could start to make out the glaciers peeling off of Fitz Roy. On the left are the Andes with Glacier Viedma squeezing between mountains and feeding into the deep-blue Lago Viedma. The scenery is stunning. Your eyes will be glued to the window all the way to El Chalten. If I could do it again I would hire a car and drive there. What a spectacular welcome!

We were very lucky to arrive from El Calafate on a beautiful day. We had the road for ourselves from La Leona and even had fun lying on the road to take photos. The sun was shining on Fitz Roy and all the mountains around, just the most spectacular arrival in El Chaltén! Very lucky. Some people never see Fitz Roy..

I read once that Ruta 40 is the loneliest road on the planet. The road to El Chalten is mostly on Ruta 40 and yes, it is one of the loneliest places we have been. The views towards the mountain are spectacular, the road nicely paved and easy to drive. However, between El Calafate and El Chaltén there are no side roads, no gas stations, no amenities, nothing. There is a hotel halfway, but otherwise you will drive miles and miles without seeing another vehicle on either direction. Oh, and there is no speed limit!

There are many possibilities from Hosteria El Pilar: you may choose to walk to Laguna De Los Tres during your first day, as long as it's not too windy or rainy 'cause the last part is very steep. Remember to take you walking sticks and good quality shoes. Doing this, you'll see the Piedras Blancas Glaciar and Poincenot. Or, you may choose from Poincenot to turn to your left, and visit Capri Lake and then continue to El Chalen. It's a good idea to follow the trails, take water and remember to go back before it gets dark (9-9:30 pm)

The sunset on this road was one of the best I've ever seen. It's easy to understand why this road is so iconic because the scenery, the colours, the lighting are just breathtaking. I wish I have done it with my own car so that I could stop and take pictures but we had to take a bus. Definitely worth the trip!

Many of our friends have asked about transportation in Patagonia and I want to stress how easy and comfortable it is to travel by bus. We traveled this way several times, and were always pleasantly surprised about their comfort and punctuality. The drivers are courteous and helpful, and they will get you from El Calafate to El Chalten with no difficulty.