Where Glaciers Calve and Granite Spires Pierce the Sky

Ruta 40 between El Calafate and El Chaltén crosses 213 kilometers of Patagonian steppe that few landscapes on Earth can match for sheer scale and emptiness. The road, now fully paved, runs north through treeless grassland where guanaco herds graze beside the highway, lesser rheas dash across the pavement, and Andean condors ride thermals above the river valleys. There are no towns, no fuel stations, and for long stretches no other vehicles: just the steppe, the wind, and the vast turquoise expanse of glacially fed lakes. Lago Argentino, Argentina's largest lake at over 1,400 square kilometers, dominates the southern end; Lago Viedma, fed by one of the largest glaciers in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, appears to the north. Between them, the Río La Leona connects the two lakes through a valley where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once stopped at a stone roadhouse that still serves coffee today. The drive's finale is one of the great reveals in world travel: as RP-23 curves toward El Chaltén, the Fitz Roy massif rises without warning above the steppe, a wall of granite spires and hanging glaciers that looks less like a mountain and more like a hallucination. Before or after the drive, the Perito Moreno Glacier, a day trip from El Calafate, delivers the other half of Patagonia's one-two punch: a 5-kilometer-wide wall of ice that advances, calves, and thunders into Lago Argentino in a spectacle you can watch from walkways just hundreds of meters away.

Key Stops

El Calafate The gateway town on the southern shore of Lago Argentino, named for the calafate berry (local legend says whoever eats one will return to Patagonia). A well-developed base with hotels, restaurants serving Patagonian lamb roasted vertically over open fire (cordero al asador), craft breweries, and gear shops. The Glaciarium museum offers an excellent introduction to glaciology and includes an ice bar. Laguna Nimez, a short walk from town, is a bird reserve with Chilean flamingos and black-necked swans. El Calafate has an international airport (FTE) with flights from Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, and Bariloche.

Perito Moreno Glacier (Day Trip from El Calafate) Seventy-eight kilometers west of El Calafate, in the southern sector of Los Glaciares National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981), the Perito Moreno Glacier is a 30-kilometer river of ice that terminates in a 5-kilometer-wide, 60-to-75-meter-high wall above Lago Argentino. An extensive network of metal walkways on the Magallanes Peninsula (approximately 4 km of circuits) brings visitors within a few hundred meters of the ice face. Calving events, when house-sized blocks of ice shear from the wall with a crack like thunder, occur frequently enough that most visitors will witness several during a 2-to-3-hour visit. The glacier is one of only a few in the world in approximate equilibrium, neither significantly advancing nor retreating. Periodically it advances far enough to dam Brazo Rico; the resulting rupture, when the dam breaks, is a global spectacle (most recently in March 2024). Safari Nautico boat tours approach the south face from water level. Hielo y Aventura operates Mini Trekking (1.5 hours on the ice with crampons, approximately $150–$250 USD equivalent) and Big Ice (3.5 hours on the ice, ages 18–50, approximately $250–$400 USD). Named for Francisco "Perito" Moreno, the Argentine naturalist and explorer whose work mapping Patagonia in the 1870s through 1890s helped establish the Argentine-Chilean border. National park entry fees are approximately $25–$45 USD for foreign visitors (subject to frequent adjustment due to Argentine inflation; verify current rates locally).

Lago Argentino The first stretch of the drive skirts the eastern arm of Argentina's largest lake, a stunning milky turquoise from glacial flour (finely ground rock suspended in meltwater from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field). Multiple informal pulloffs offer photo opportunities. The color is most intense on overcast days.

Parador La Leona (La Leona Roadhouse) A stone roadhouse dating to 1894, roughly midway between El Calafate and El Chaltén on the banks of the Río La Leona. Now operating as a cafe, restaurant, and small museum with historical photos. According to local records, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, along with Etta Place, stopped here during their years ranching in Patagonia (roughly 1901–1905) after fleeing Pinkerton detectives and the Wild Bunch's robbery spree in the American West. Nearby, the La Leona Petrified Forest contains fossilized araucaria (monkey puzzle tree) logs from the Cretaceous period, roughly 70 million years old. Condors are frequently spotted soaring above the river valley.

Lago Viedma North of the La Leona valley, the route passes near Lago Viedma, fed by the massive Viedma Glacier. On clear days, the Fitz Roy massif is visible behind the lake to the northwest. The water is the same intense glacial turquoise as Lago Argentino but with far fewer visitors.

El Chaltén (Argentina's National Trekking Capital) One of Argentina's youngest towns, founded in 1985 partly to assert sovereignty near the Chilean border, El Chaltén sits at the base of the Fitz Roy massif in the northern sector of Los Glaciares National Park. All visitors receive a mandatory briefing and trail map at the park ranger station upon entering town. The key hikes are:

• Laguna de los Tres (Fitz Roy base): 24 km round trip, 750 m elevation gain, 8–10 hours. Strenuous. The payoff is Patagonia's most iconic view: Fitz Roy (3,405 m) reflected in a turquoise glacial laguna, flanked by granite spires. The final kilometer climbs 400 m and is steep and exposed to wind.
• Laguna Torre (Cerro Torre base): 18 km round trip, 350 m elevation gain, 6–8 hours. Moderate. Views of Cerro Torre (3,128 m), one of the most technically difficult peaks in the world, capped by its characteristic mushroom of rime ice. Icebergs from Glaciar Grande float in the laguna.
• Loma del Pliegue Tumbado: 18 km round trip, 1,000 m elevation gain, 7–9 hours. Panoramic 360-degree views of both massifs and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, with fewer hikers.
• Mirador de los Cóndores: 3 km round trip, easy, 1 hour. A short hike from town with valley views and condor sightings. Good for arrival day.

Free designated campsites (Poincenot, De Agostini) are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No campfires permitted; camp stoves only. Pack out all waste. The northern sector of the park has historically had no entry fee, but verify current policy.

Lago del Desierto (Side Trip) Thirty-seven kilometers north of El Chaltén on an unpaved road (1 hour), this pristine glacial lake near the Chilean border is surrounded by lenga beech forest and backed by glaciers. Boat trips, short hikes to Glacier Huemul viewpoints, and kayaking are available. A trail and boat combination from the north end offers a crossing into Chile (to Villa O'Higgins on the Carretera Austral), though this is a multi-day logistics undertaking. The area was the subject of an Argentine-Chilean territorial dispute, resolved by international arbitration in 1994.

Driving Tips

• Fill up in El Calafate before departing. There are no fuel stations on the 213-kilometer route between El Calafate and El Chaltén. El Chaltén has a single YPF station that can occasionally have supply issues.
• The entire route is now fully paved (a major improvement from the gravel/ripio of earlier years). A standard 2WD rental is fine. 4WD is needed only for the unpaved road to Lago del Desierto.
• Patagonian wind is legendary and must be taken seriously. Sustained winds of 60–80 km/h are common; gusts can exceed 120 km/h. Start driving early in the morning, when winds are typically lighter. Keep both hands on the wheel, especially when emerging from sheltered valleys or crossing bridges. High-profile vehicles and motorcyclists are particularly affected.
• Watch for guanacos and lesser rheas on the road, especially at dawn and dusk. Collisions with guanacos can be serious.
• ATMs in El Chaltén can run out of cash in peak season. Bring sufficient pesos from El Calafate. Argentine pricing changes frequently due to inflation; verify national park fees, tour prices, and exchange rates locally before your trip.
• Groceries in El Chaltén are limited and expensive (everything is trucked in). Stock up in El Calafate.
• Cell service is available in both towns but nonexistent between them and on all trails. Download offline maps before the drive.
• In winter (June through August), RP-23 approaching El Chaltén can be closed temporarily due to snow and ice. Check conditions with Vialidad Provincial or local tourism offices before winter travel.
• Bring layers for all seasons. Even in summer, temperatures at altitude change rapidly, and Patagonian weather can swing from sunshine to horizontal rain within minutes.
• For more information visit: Los Glaciares National Park (Argentina National Parks Administration)