Chalten Desert Lake is a spectacular full-day tour in a framework of outstanding natural beauty in which you will travel through the town of El Chalten and the Canyon of Las Vueltas River marveling at views of the Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, sail in Lake Desert (Lago del Desierto) and hike for 1 hour in the forest towards the Vespigniani Glacier.
The tour begins when we pick you up from your hotel in El Calafate at 7:00 a.m. to then head to the legendary Route 40 towards Chalten. This route skirts the Argentinian Lake, crosses the Santa Cruz and La Leona Rivers and arrives, after 1 hour 15 minutes, at the Parador La Leona (almost a museum of Route 40), where you can have coffee with homemade cakes. Afterwards, you continue along the Lake Viedma, having the Andes in the background and, before reaching El Chalten, you will stop at the viewpoint of the Viedma Glacier. From here you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic of the Viedma Glacier, the Andes and the flagship Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. After 3 hours on the bus and 220 km traveled, you will get to the mountain village of El Chalten.
In the city center of Chalten, you must change vehicle to then travel 37 km through the Canyon of Las Vueltas River towards Lake Desert in a gravel road surrounded by a forest. In the journey you make stops at different viewpoints where you can enjoy views of the Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre among others. The guide will wait for you in Chalten while you visit Lago del Desierto and its surroundings.
Upon arrival at Lake Desert, you will embark to sail for 1 hour (round trip) this beautiful water mirror surrounded by mountains and glaciers. After reaching the other shore, you will disembark to start the self-guided mountain trekking. You will visit the nature reserve for 2 hours where you can choose one of the three trails with different levels of difficulty to the Vespigniani Glacier for trekking . The person in charge of the nature reserve will welcome you after disembarking and will advise you about the trails depending on your condition. After a 1 hour hike (round trip) through this spectacular natural landscape very little explored, you can have lunch and take refuge in the dome located in the forest and in front of the lake until you embark again.
About 3:00 p.m. the return to El Chalten starts, where you will be received again by the guide, to then head towards El Calafate where you will arrive at 8:00 p.m. finishing the tour.