How to Plan a Photography Trip to El Chaltén, Patagonia

Home » Photography Tutorials » Landscape » How to Plan a Photography Trip to El Chaltén, Patagonia

El Chaltén is a location that attracts photographers primarily for its majestic and somewhat inhospitable landscape of vertical granite mountains and glaciers.

Known as the ‘National Trekking Capital of Argentina,’ it is a destination of beautiful and sublime nature – wild, challenging, and very enriching for any nature photographer who visits this area.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the best photography locations in this incredible destination!

Getting to El Chaltén

Located within Los Glaciares National Park, in the province of Santa Cruz, in the southern Patagonian region of Argentina, El Chaltén is a small town of 2,000 inhabitants founded in 1985 that takes its name from the mountain it refers to – Mount Chaltén, which means “Smoking Mountain” in the Aonikenk language.

To get to El Chaltén, you must take a flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate, and from the El Calafate airport, you have the option of booking a transfer to El Chaltén or taking a bus or private taxi. The distance from El Calafate airport to El Chaltén is approximately 230 km.

You can also rent a vehicle at El Calafate airport and drive along National Route 40 until you reach Provincial Route 41, which will take you to El Chaltén. Be aware that during this entire journey, you will not find any other towns or the possibility of refueling.

Once in El Chaltén, the adventure begins.

While the area has a vast amount of photographic, mountaineering, and trekking adventure options that can be combined with photography, the main attraction is the different viewpoints of Mount Chaltén and Cerro Torre.

Access to the locations I mention ranges from very short walks to long treks. It is possible to go out and return on the same day (staying in a hotel in the town) or to camp near some locations in free campsites.

You can also connect your campsites on a multi-day adventure trek! You can reach these locations on your own with careful planning, or you can hire a guide.

El Chaltén weather

The weather in El Chaltén is one of the most complex factors to consider when looking to achieve your photographic goals here. It is impossible to predict what will happen on your trip until a few days before the date and thus having access to an accurate forecast.

Things to consider include:

The main attraction of this place is its mountains, so if you get a string of days with bad weather, it can be very frustrating when cloud cover makes it impossible to see them!

Stay patient and remember that anything is possible here – the weather may lift – and you may enjoy wonderful weather all trip long if you get lucky.

Regardless of the time of year, always be prepared for all kinds of weather. Mountain climates can be unpredictable, so ensure you have adequate protective gear. The temperatures are cold all year round – below zero with snow even in summer.

You’ll need a headlamp to walk trails at night/early morning, and if you are going without hiring a guide, have a VHF radio, know how to use it, and have the frequencies loaded with emergency contact information since there is no cell phone signal. It’s also worth having a complete first aid kit!

Patagonia is home to constant winds, some exceeding 100 km/h. You will need to factor this into your settings and equipment.

Stay flexible – while there may be specific vistas you hope to capture here, there is plenty to see and photograph in this area. Stay alert for wildlife and other non-landscape opportunities!

I recommend visiting El Chaltén for as long as possible; you’ll need at least five days to dedicate to the area (and it gives you more time for a range of weather).

The best clouds here are high clouds, with a low percentage of cloudiness in medium clouds. It is important to know that the clouds always come from the west here, from the Pacific Ocean, and are attracted and stopped by these mountains.

With medium and high percentages of low and medium cloud cover, it is very easy for the iconic views of Cerro Torre and Monte Chaltén to be covered.

Top Tip: On days with completely clear skies, plan for sun star photographs among the trees since the sun falls behind the mountain. With a nice composition, the colors are more intense, and you can achieve unique compositions of the mountain framed between the trees.

A great subject for rainy/cloudy days when the mountains are not visible is to go for wildlife photography – especially guanacos. Finding them isn’t difficult since the population of this iconic species is immense.

In fact, there is a larger population of guanacos than people inhabiting the entire province of Santa Cruz.

To find them, you must take Provincial Route 41 (the same one that is taken to the ravine and El Calafate) and simply drive until you find them. These animals live in the steppe, so you will find them on this route and not anywhere else in El Chaltén.

A telephoto lens will be essential to photograph them; although they are calm, they do not allow one to get too close to them.

Essential photography equipment for El Chaltén

This destination is mainly for landscapes, so the essential equipment for El Chaltén is simple: a wide-angle lens, 16-35mm or 12-24mm, for example, and a stable and lightweight tripod.

All accessories such as ND filters, polarizers, etc., and other lenses are down to personal preference and style, as well as the extra batteries you’ll need if you plan to camp for several days or not. The use of drones is prohibited within the National Park.

If the weather is unfavorable for wide landscapes of the mountains, having a telephoto lens can be useful for making abstractions of the landscape or going in search of wildlife.

You must have the appropriate clothing for the mountains.

When to go

The most beautiful season for photography is autumn, which is usually short-lived, from about April 15th to the first days of May when almost all the leaves of the trees begin to fall.

Summer and spring are best if your trip incorporates several days of adventure or some mountaineering. It is also a useful time to visit to find compositions to keep in mind for future trips, as the days are very long.

Winter is the least photographed and explored season here, as practically all the services in the town are closed—there is only one hotel open. It is not yet a place prepared to receive tourism and offer winter options.

However, for the most adventurous, it offers unique opportunities for photography in the snow, a beautiful soft light all day long, and long nights for nightscape photography.

El Chaltén is more of a sunrise than sunset location, as this is the time when the sun illuminates the mountains, painting them in shades of orange.

This requires you to start your trek several hours early at night or consider the option of camping near the location. But at sunset, if the cloud conditions are favorable, you can capture spectacular Patagonian skies!

Best photography locations around El Chaltén

Now let’s look at some of the best locations to head to!

All of these locations start from the town, and there are only two possibilities for vehicle roads: Route 41, entering the town, and the dirt road to Lago del Desierto.

1. Cañadón del Río de las Vueltas

To get here, you can take a taxi or drive your vehicle along the same route to the entrance to El Chaltén, Route 41. At approximately 10km in (there are no signs), you will find a place to park your car on the left-hand side.

Once in the parking lot, you must cross the fence and walk approximately 100 meters to the viewpoint of the ravine. The compositional options of the place are not particularly varied, and the season of the year will change it.

During summer, you can hope to be able to incorporate flowers into your foreground, and during winter, there will be snow. The important thing to keep in mind is knowing that both Cerro Torre and Monte Chaltén will be visible, as it offers a view of both.

2. Chorrillo Del Salto

This option is ideal if you are experiencing many rainy days on your visit and the mountains you are hoping to photograph are not visible.

Chorrillo del Salto is a 70-meter-high waterfall, and access is by driving 3km along the Route to Lago del Desierto until you reach the signposted ‘Salto del Chorrillo’ parking lot.

To reach the waterfall, you must make a short 0.5 km walk along a path in the forest. It is a very popular place due to its easy access, so being patient with visitors is important.

This location is especially stellar with autumn foliage, which you can use to your advantage in your compositions.

Note: The following locations (3 to 7) are on the trail to “Laguna de los Tres,” a 10km long rugged trekking trail. It starts from the town, so you will not need a vehicle.

3. Laguna Capri

This location is 4km from the beginning of the trail to “Laguna de los Tres” and goes on a constant and gentle slope until reaching Laguna Capri.

You can set up to wild camp here, which can be a good option if you go in autumn to take photographs at sunrise and sunset in this area.

At this time of year, the days are shorter, so you can wake up in the area, ready for the first light of dawn or the last glow of dusk, as well as head to the following locations near this lagoon.

You can capture both Mount Chaltén and the lagoon. The photo above was taken in winter, and at this time of year, you can find blocks of broken ice, which make for an interesting and engaging foreground!

The trees in autumn here are also spectacular and will add some colour and mood to your images.

Read more: 6 Top Tips for Hiking Photography

4. The ‘secret’ waterfall en route to Laguna de los Tres

While it is no longer a truly secret waterfall, (during an autumn sunrise there are usually many photographers positioned early to photograph it, so you should expect company), the beauty that this iconic viewpoint offers is incomparable.

Outside of the autumn season, it may be easier to find yourself alone at this stellar sunrise spot. If you do plan to go in the autumn season, my recommendation is to go very early to find your position. It is also ideal to go after rainy days so that the waterfall is full of water.

There is no sign on the trail to let us know of its existence, nor is it visible, so you must be attentive to find it.

At approximately kilometre 5 of the trail (not signposted), you can pay attention and listen to it if there is no wind. This waterfall is about 150 meters from the trail.

The best thing is to find it one day (in daylight) before during the day you plan to shoot, so you don’t wander around at night in a hurry to find it and miss out on a sunrise opportunity.

It is also a good option to sleep in Capri to be closer if you want to spend several days photographing this area, since this secret waterfall is 1km from the Capri campsite.

It is also possible to come out here and and return from the town in the day. But if you want to arrive at night without knowing the area, I recommend that you hire a guide who knows the place so that you can be sure that you will arrive. 

5. Laguna del los Tres

This spot is at kilometre 10 where the trail to Laguna de los Tres ends, and is one of the most spectacular photography locations!

It is a good idea to camp at the wild and free campsite Poincenot, at kilometre 8.5 of the same trail, as if you want to be here at sunrise, you will have to face the last kilometre in a steep climb of 400 meters before reaching the lagoon.

In autumn and spring seasons, it is highly recommended to always check the condition of the trail, as a lot of ice can form and present great danger, so you may need crampons. From the town, the accumulated elevation gain to the lagoon is 750 meters.

My recommendation for this location is to visit in the summer season, as in autumn you may find yourself better off focusing on photographing the colors of the forest in other viewpoints.

During the summer the lagoon will be thawed to appreciate its beautiful turquoise color, although you can still find a frozen and snowy lagoon in summer, especially in the first days.

Although it is a very crowded place, the possibilities of finding your own image is very wide and you will not have problems.

Having a wide-angle lens will be essential – a 12-24mm would be ideal to capture the immensity of the landscape when you are so close.

Top Tip: If you like adventure, you can combine one night in Capri to photograph the previous locations and a second night in Poincenot to reach Laguna de los Tres.

6. Laguna Torre

Starting from the town, you can reach the Trail to Laguna Torre, so you will not need a vehicle for this location.

Please note that this is a trail of low difficulty for those who are in good physical condition, but may be medium/high for those who are in poorer physical condition. It has a distance of 9km to Laguna Torre and a low elevation of 300 meters.

The trail is well marked, although if you plan to go out at night to get to sunrise or in winter and you do not know the place, I recommend again hiring a guide.

Patagonia landscape photography locations

In this location you will get to photograph the mythical mountain Cerro Torre.

The conditions that you can expect from this lagoon range from it being a complete mirror if there is no wind, to finding many icebergs on the shore that come off from the glacier that descends from the mountain, and in the winter you may even find it completely frozen.

There are a plethora of photographic possibilities here – look to incorperate the mountain reflected in the lagoon, the icebergs, the glacier and the immensity of the landscape!

7. Loma del Pliegue Tumbado

Among the classic trails of El Chaltén, this one might offer one of the most impressive views, yet it is often overlooked by photographers. Once again, the trailhead is very close to the town, so you won’t need a vehicle.

The view from the summit is one of the most panoramic and breathtaking, making it an ideal destination for days when both Mount Fitz Roy and Mount Torre are visible, justifying the effort required.

The hike is 10 km long with a constant ascent to the summit, gaining a total of approximately 800 meters in elevation. It is highly recommended to go in good weather, as the last section exposes you to wind, rain, snow, and other harsh conditions.

But there are landscape photography compositions abound along the way, so it’s well worth your time.

8. Huemul Lake and Glacier

I’ve included this location in case you encounter cloudy days when Mount Fitz Roy and Mount Chaltén are not visible! To get here, you must drive 37 kilometres, or take a taxi or bus along the continuation of Provincial Route 41 towards Lago del Desierto.

Once there, you can park the car and pay the entrance fee to Laguna Huemul. This trail is approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour long and is of low difficulty, but the color of the lagoon is a deep turquoise and contrasts beautifully with the leaves in autumn.

The glacier in the background also offers great landscape scenery, and you may find some interesting compositions with the river that flows from this lagoon. A wide-angle lens and a polarizer will both be necessary for photographing this place.

In conclusion

This is a varied recommendation of possibilities, taking into account that you cannot always travel with ideal weather.

I’ve tried to offer options to incorporate the most iconic places in the park, as well as options that are ideal for those who come to photograph for the first time and are looking for something more comfortable, as well as routes more suitable for those who enjoy nature adventures and camping.

El Chaltén is an area that is still under development and being discovered. It offers an enormous possibility for photography, and when you are on one of these trails, you will surely find many picture-worthy scenes along the way.

Remember that it is a remote and inhospitable place. There are no services or shelters on the trails and no cell phone communication on the trails. Find out everything you need to know for your safety and to have a good experience before you go.

Do not hesitate to contact the Los Glaciares National Park administration to resolve any questions you may have. Enjoy!

How to Plan a Photography Trip to El Chaltén, Patagonia

Getting to El Chaltén

El Chaltén weather

Essential photography equipment for El Chaltén

When to go