Introduction
Laguna Torre is as the whole area around El Chalten part of Los Glaciares National Park. The lagoon is formed from glacier melted water. From there you are able to see the east face of Cerro Torre. The particularity of this lagoon is that within its water are small iceberg plus you can see the glacier itself.
Cerro Torre is located west of Fitz Roy and is part of a 4 peaks mountain chain. Its elevation is 3 128m but the lagoon stands far from it.
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Getting there and back
From El Chalten, you can directly access the trail by reaching the end of Avenue Antonio Rojo where you will see a small monument with a climber. Then take the stairs up, turn left and then right when you see the main road intersection. From there, you will easily notice the trail sign.
It is 9km from the beginning of the trail to the lagoon (one-way). The return way is the same as the way there.
Once in laguna Torre, there is an option to walk another 2km one-way to reach the viewpoint toward the glacier.
In the end, from El Chalten to the viewpoint it is around 12km and another 12km back.
We left El Chalten around 9ish in the morning and where back by 4:40pm.
Trail to Laguna Torre
El Chalten to the lagoon
It starts will a little hill to reach the entrance of the trail, then it becomes quite easy and not steep. The landscapes are gorgeous from the beginning till the end.
The first views are of Fitz Roy until its viewpoint and then switch to Cerro Torre. Along the way we saw many condors. We took our time and really enjoyed this trail as there wasn’t too many people at this time. We made to the lagoon by 11:38am
Glacier viewpoint
Also called Mirador Maestri. By 12:30pm we left the laguna Torre for the viewpoint, we walked up the small hill behind the lagoon and then followed the hill till the viewpoint. You can’t really miss it and the end is marked with a sign. This trail is a bit harder, yet accessible for most of us. We arrived by 12:55pm.
From there you can directly see the glacier and the lagoon, it’s a wonderful view and a perfect place for lunch break.
Return from Laguna Torre
We left the viewpoint Maestri by 13:25pm. There weren’t much people along the viewpoint trail on the way there nor back but by this time it got more crowded around the lagoon. We arrived at the lagoon by 2:10pm where we took another small break to enjoy before heading back to town.
Again, the trail is easy this way and we also spotted one more Condor.
We made out the trail by 4:32pm and were at our hostel by 4:40pm.
Conclusion
This trail was much easier than laguna de Los Tres but was as enjoyable and the views are as great.
The trail in video
“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Anonymous
Where to stay in El Chalten
- Budget: Lo de Guille
- Mid-Range: Complejo “Nahuel Pan “
- Luxurious: Destino Sur Hotel & Spa de Montaña
