The small Argentinian town of El Chaltén may be one of my favorite towns of all time. I went from El Calafate, which had thousands of people and dozens of stores to El Chaltén, a town of 1,500 people and only a few streets. Nestled right in the Andes Mountains, it’s a small, cute town in southern Patagonia. This colorful town had such a relaxed vibe to it, and everyone seemed to enjoy the outdoors.
After walking around the town, I was surprised to see they had a school, park, and sports center. There were plenty of locals out in the town, especially because they were celebrating a holiday. They even had a makeshift dance floor with lights at the local park when I was walking back from dinner.
Something to note if you plan on visiting El Chaltén is many stores and hotels are closed in the winter (which is June through August in Argentina). You can still find a few places to stay, but I’d recommend coming during more popular times of the year since there are already so few businesses. It’s also more fun to talk with the locals, who tend to go on vacation during the winter.
Read more: How to Travel to Patagonia on a Budget
Table of Contents
Fuel
There’s only one gas station when you’re coming into town, so fill up before you head back to El Calafate. There’s literally nowhere else to get gas for hours, so don’t chance it. I heard the line can be hours long during popular times like the summer, so don’t necessarily expect to stop by and be on your way within a few minutes.
Money
Very important tip – get money before you come here! There is an ATM, but it doesn’t accept foreign cards. Many places won’t even take cards, so not having Argentinian pesos isn’t a question. Hit up the ATM in El Calafate before you head here.
Read more: Tips to Know Before Camping in Patagonia
Stores
You can find a variety of stores to stock up on supplies here. That includes a clothing store, spa, salon, and several supermarkets. I explored a few stores that had handmade pottery and jewelry, and loved that the owners were making the pots right in the shop.
Restaurants
There is surprisingly a wide selection of food here, including vegetarian, pizza, pasta, and empanadas. Several cafes lined the streets, which looked like the perfect place to enjoy a cafe con leche in the warm sun. There are also many local watering holes to go to at night.
For amazing pizza and beer, I recommend going to La Cervecia. It’s the only brewery in Patagonia, and the recipe comes from the Czech Republic from 1673. A Czech family moved over to start the brewery when nothing else was here opened in the 90s. Today the daughter runs it and you can tell it’s her pride and joy, as it should be – the Pilsner is delicious!
Read more: The Ultimate Patagonia Packing List
What to Do
The main attraction is hiking to Mt. Fitz Roy from town, especially since it’s Argentina’s trekking capital. You can walk right into the mountains and choose from one of the many trails to go on. If you’re really adventurous, you can stay overnight and go camping. If you’re a little wary of doing this on your own, stop by the company Walk Patagonia in town to get set up on one of their guided tours.
I recommend alternating hiking days with relaxing days walking around the town, grabbing a coffee, and hitting the spa. You’ll want to rest your muscles after hiking so much!
Where to Stay
I stayed at Hosteria Senderos when I was in El Chaltén and loved it. It’s at the edge of town so a little quieter at night (not that the town is loud by any means). They had a huge breakfast spread in the morning and I slept well in their comfy bed with my window cracked open to get some fresh air in.
There are affiliate links in this post at no cost to you.
Read More:
A Guide to El Calafate, Southern Patagonia’s Gateway
Camping in the Mountains of Patagonia
Exploring the Historic City of Cartagena
It looks like such a quaint little town, I would love to visit one day. Your photos make me feel like I am there.
I wanted to stay longer!
I love small towns like this instead of busy tourist spots. It looks like a cool place to see!
Same, I prefer places like this!
Awww what a cute little town! I actually never realize that the seasons were reversed in Argentina. Makes sense!
I forgot about the reverse seasons as well!
How amazing to find a Czech brewery and pizzeria in El Chaltén – and it looks rather good. Where is the spa? Is it part of your hotel?
El Chaltén is adorable! I haven’t visited Argentina, but my husband and I want to do a Peru/Chile/Argentina trip soon (or two of the three). I love visiting those small, quiet types of towns that are a little touristy, but not overrun.
Because I like to visit these smaller towns, I appreciate knowing about the gas and ATM situations. It’s good to know if you don’t fill up, you won’t make it to the next gas station!
This is definitely my type of place and I like it less crowded with plenty of nature and no crowds to share those nice hikes and amazing views. Love the whole look and vibe of the place.
Argentina is still on our bucket list! I think one of the best ways to explore is getting outside hiking. And what a great find, La Cervecia we love beer & pizza!
No it was a separate business.
The first photograph stole my heart! WHOA! Simply magical! No wonder it is your favourite town! Even the stores of this town look so quaint! My gosh. Love the colours! I am so glad the retros offer vegetarian fare! What I loved best was the use of wood throughout! Looks so elegant and rustic:)
Beer and pizza is the best after been hiking all day too!
Thanks so much! It is a very quaint but magical town.
What an adorable town. I can see why El Chaltén stole your heart as its own destination instead of just a trekking jumping off point! I’m dying to hike Mt. Fitzroy, so I’m sure I’ll eventually become acquainted with this cute town and hopefully it will steal my heart as well.
After reading your post I have marked the picturesque El Chalten on my list 🙂 I have never been to Argentina but I sure hope to some day. So much so I have started learning Spanish too. 🙂
Learning Spanish will help!
What a beautiful and unique looking town! I have never been to Argentina before, but I’d love to visit El Chaltén if I ever do.
It’s definitely worth stopping in.
That is a well written detailed guide on El Chalten. It is a beautiful, colorful small town. I love the eating options they are serving here. Hiking to Mt. Fitz Roy is what we would love to attempt.
It was challenging at times, but definitely worth it!
I still have to make it to this part of Argentina. Would love go to El Chalten and the rest of the Patagonia region. Great post!
If you love the outdoors, you’ll love this area!