Laguna Torre is known as one of the most beautiful day hikes from El Chalten, and it did not disappoint! After 9 km of walking through Los Glaciares National Park, you’ll arrive at Laguna Torre and see the incredible Cerro Torre peak in the distance. Paired with the Mount Fitz Roy hike, this is a must do for any traveler coming to El Chalten. Join us as we take you along the Laguna Torre trail and share our experience exploring this part of Patagonia!
Preparing For the Laguna Torre Hike
Torre Viewpoint: 1:15 Minutes One Way – 3km
Laguna Torre: 3 Hours One Way – 9km
Maestri Viewpoint: 4 Hours One Way – 11km
Total Time: 6-8 Hours
The morning we woke up for our Laguna Torre hike we were tired and sore after completing Mount Fitz Roy the day before. Lucky for us, this was a much easier hike overall with no intense steep incline like the Fitz Roy trail. Nevertheless, you should still get out as early as you can to Cerro Torre!
When we left for the day hike around 11am, we stumbled back into town just before sunset and had to skip the Maestri Viewpoint. If possible, we recommend taking a rest day between the hikes. You can even check out some of the shorter trails like Los Condores and Las Aguilas.
Just make sure you’re up and ready to go by 8am… Even if you’re moving slow!
Tips For a Day Hike From El Chalten
Water and Food: There are no services available on the trail so bring lunch and as much water as you’ll need for the day. We recommend at least one liter per person. “Box lunches” are popular with the restaurants in town, and a super easy option if you don’t want to make your own. We stopped into Curcuma and grabbed a delicious vegan lunch to go for $500 pesos.
Warm Clothes: The weather can change rapidly in Patagonia so be prepared. At some points during the hike we had shorts and a t-shirt on, while others we were bundled up in full winter gear!
Sunscreen, Hat, and Sunglasses: The sun is deceptively strong on the day hike from El Chalten so make sure to lather up. Hat and sunglasses are a must as well.
Rental Car: Consider renting a car to get around this beautiful area of Argentina.
Cerro and Laguna Torre: Just for clarification, Laguna Torre is the lagoon and Cerro Torre is the mountain directly behind it!
Staying in El Chalten: There are all types of accommodations in the main town of El Chalten. Some of our favorites include Destino Sur Hotel & Spa de Montaña, Infinito Sur, and Rancho Grande.
Torre Viewpoint
A little over an hour into the Laguna Torre hike, you’ll get your first amazing glimpse of Cerro Torre. Simply called Torre Viewpoint, this is a great place with benches to relax for awhile and take in the scenery. Even though it seems like you’ve got miles to go, don’t get too overwhelmed by the distance ahead of you.
Remember that the remainder of the hike is largely flat. If you don’t have the time to complete the full Laguna Torre trail, you can always turn back here. The Torre Viewpoint is a common 2.5 hour hike round trip that is totally worth it in itself!
Long Stretch to Laguna Torre
From here, you’ll enter the long stretch of trail to the lagoon. You’ll be moving in and out of the forest all while getting glimpses of the mountains in the distance. We were doing this day hike from El Chalten at the beginning of spring. Unfortunately, this meant that there were very few flowers in bloom yet.
This gave an eerie feeling to our hike in the wooded areas, but the beautiful streams and birds hovering above more then made up for it. Keep your eyes open wild animals like deer and pumas on the Laguna Torre hike! We saw a number of rare birds on our walk including woodpeckers hard at work.
Walking on the Moon
Once you see the river to your left you’re almost there! After that, the last section of the Laguna Torre trail looks like you’re on a different planet.
Thousands of gray rocks of all sizes will surround you with a mixture of green and snow colored mountains straight ahead. This is the final push, so take your time and enjoy the picturesque ending.
Lunch Views of the Lagoon and Cerro Torre
When we finally came up over the ridge we couldn’t believe our eyes! The day before the lagoon at Mount Fitz had been covered in snow. For this reason, it was so refreshing to see the blue Laguna Torre sparkling before us.
The Cerro Torre mountains behind it made for the perfect back drop as we sat and enjoyed our food. What a great spot for lunch!
Maestri Viewpoint
When you reach Laguna Torre, you can walk up to the top of the rocky ledge that circles the lake and continue on to the Maestri Viewpoint. Due to a late start on the day, we didn’t have enough sunlight hours to make the walk. Leave an extra two hours on the Laguna Torre trail if you can to experience this.
Laguna Torre Hike Back to El Chalten
You’ll likely be exhausted if you took on the Mount Fitz Roy hike the day before as we did. Just know you’re only 3 hours from home sweet home! Even though we missed out on the Maestri Viewpoint, we did get a pleasant surprise on our return.
As we arrived back in town, we got there just in time to see the sun setting over colorful El Chalten. Check out more of the best hiking in El Chalten before your visit.
Have any questions about the Laguna Torre trail or want to share your own hiking tips with us? Feel free to comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
fantastic photos, found you on reddit wanderlust. Reminds me greatly of a hike I had in the area to the refuge frey, though I believe you were at higher elevation due to lack of tress.
Hiking the gorgeous Catedral Mountain to the Refuge Frey. here is the area in the winter! hope you enjoy!
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Thanks Rich! We’ll take a look at your blog. Such a beautiful area!