Las Vueltas River

The experience starts at the operating base located in El Chaltén (Av. San Martín 872). The guides will hand you the technical and safety gear, necessary to conduct this activity. Once you are equipped, you will be taken by van some 5 blocks up to the river. On the banks of Río de las Vueltas, you’ll be given a technical and safety talk – how to hold the paddle, instructions to go forward, to turn, to go back, so that the whole team paddles at the same time. The first stretch in the river is quiet water, with meanders that will allow you to catch nice views of mount Fitz Roy and its satellite needles. It is 6 kilometers in all, in which you’ll enjoy crossing areas with Andean forest, and going out into the steppe. It is frequent to spot birds (condors, upland geese, black-faced ibis, among many others) and other native wildlife (foxes, armadillos, guanacos). In this stretch, you’ll be able to enjoy the landscape and practice the paddling and safety techniques. In the second section, 10 kilometers long, the river becomes wedged into a natural canyon, which generates around 20 class III to III + rapids. The whole circuit takes approximately 2 hours traveling along Río de las Vueltas, with time to spend contemplating, and a fair dose of action and adrenaline. When you get off, you’ll be offered a comforting snack (a hot drink and something delicious to eat). At the bridge of Provincial Route 23, the vehicle awaits to return to the operating base.

Start the trek with a transfer to the trailhead at El Pilar, located 17 km to the north of the town. Take in the lovely views of the Río de Las Vueltas valley and the impressive Cordón de Los Cóndores as you drive. Start walking through dense forest until you arrive at the first viewpoint, the Piedras Blancas glacier. End up in a clearing and admire the peaks of Saint Exupéry, Poincenot, Fitz Roy, Mermoz, and Guillaumet. Continue for a few more minutes until you arrive at Poincenot campground, located in beautiful lenga forest inhabited by countless varieties of birds. Then climb 400 m in about an hour until you arrive at Laguna de los Tres. Arrive at the highest point on the path, where you will be rewarded by majestic views of Fitz Roy, the glacier de los Tres, and its lagoon. From here, circle Laguna de los Tres and head towards the Laguna Sucia viewpoint and its glacier. After a rest and a bite for lunch, start the descent and walk back to El Chaltén. Pass some varying landscape, crystal clear streams and Laguna Capri, a favorite spot for photographers. Visit the lagoon as you drop down into the valley where El Chaltén is located.

Step into the fascinating story of Andreas Madsen, the Danish pioneer who built the first house in El Chaltén over a century ago. Explore his historic home, uncover the challenges he and his family faced, and immerse yourself in the daily life of Patagonia more than 100 years ago. Located by the Río de las Vueltas, this historic house offers a privileged view of Mount Fitz Roy and a unique connection to the region's heritage. Meet your guide at the gate of Madsen's House to begin the tour. During the visit, discover the stories and adventures of Andreas Madsen and his family: what brought them from Denmark and how they built a life in this magical yet remote and untamed corner of Patagonia. As you approach the house, see its original construction, which has stood intact for over a century. Its lenga wood walls, hand-cut by Madsen, are insulated with wooden crate boards, burlap, and newspapers from Madsen's era—a testament to the creativity and resilience of the time. Inside the house, find a collection of original artifacts, tools, and furniture, along with a black-and-white photo exhibit that captures the daily life of these early Patagonian settlers. To complete the experience, enjoy a warm cup of tea or coffee with sweet pastries while your guide shares anecdotes that bring the Madsen family’s story to life. After the tour, your guide will bid you farewell at the gate. From there, you can return to the village, taking in the scenic route and the unique charm of this special place.

The activity we propose is kayaking, for which we will use double seat-on-top kayaks and touring kayaks for experienced clients. The experience begins at the operational base located in El Chalten, Av. San Martin 872, where the guides will receive the passengers and provide them with the equipment (technical and safety) and a talk about its use. Once the equipment has been delivered and the group changed, they travel 21 km along RP 41 on the way to Lago del Desierto. Once we arrive at the starting point of the activity (Laguna Condor Lookout), the group will get out of the vehicle to finish putting on their clothing (jacket, vest and helmet) and after the technical and safety talk they will start the activity from the right bank of the Lagoon. Condor. This section of the river is characterized by being shallow and meandering. We will travel about 12 km that will take an hour and a half to two hours (according to the flow of the river and the wind conditions) until we reach our landing point, Estancia Bonanza. Once there, the group can get dressed and after having snack we will return on a van to El Chalten at approximately 1:00 p.m.

A journey through one of the most iconic landscapes of Argentine Patagonia, traveling along part of Route 40 with the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking panoramic views. Upon reaching El Chaltén, we’ll take a transfer—this will be a self-guided transfer—covering the 37 km separating us from Lago del Desierto along a stunning gravel road that follows the Río de las Vueltas. From the Punta Sur dock, we’ll embark on a 30-minute navigation, admiring the Huemul and Crestón glaciers, before disembarking at the area of the majestic Vespignani Glacier, located in the central part of the lake. Once there, under the supervision of an activity coordinator for your safety, you will have two hours to explore any or all of the THREE trails. After enjoying a farewell hot chocolate, we’ll embark on the return trip to Punta Sur dock. From there, a bus will take us back to El Chaltén, where we’ll board another bus to return to El Calafate. (This transfer is unguided.)

The activity we propose is kayaking, for which we will use double seat-on-top kayaks and touring kayaks for experienced clients. The experience begins at the operational base located in El Chalten, Av. San Martin 872, where the guides will receive the passengers and provide them with the equipment (technical and safety) and a talk about its use. Once the equipment has been delivered and the group changed, they travel 21 km along RP 41 on the way to Lago del Desierto. Once we arrive at the starting point of the activity (Laguna Condor Lookout), the group will get out of the vehicle to finish putting on their clothing (jacket, vest and helmet) and after the technical and safety talk they will start the activity from the right bank of the Lagoon. Condor. This section of the river is characterized by being shallow and meandering. We will travel about 12 km that will take an hour and a half to two hours (according to the flow of the river and the wind conditions) until we reach our landing point, Estancia Bonanza. Once there, the group can get dressed and then enjoy a delicious lunch at Estancia Bonanza. After lunch, the transfer will take you back to El Chalten at approximately 3:00 p.m. If you do NOT take lunch (which is optional) a transfer will take you back to the town at approximately 1:00 p.m.

It is a service designed for those who stay in El Calafate and want to go see El Chaltén for the day and do adventure activities such as Rafting and trekking in Chalten. We propose a transfer from El Calafate to El Chaltén, round trip, which can be combined with the southernmost RAFTING experience in America.  Full Day Chalten Rafting: We will pick you up from your hotel in Calafate starting at 6.30 am. We will arrive in Chalten at 10:00 a.m. and go directly to the Comarka operational base.  The experience begins at the operational base located in El Chalten (Av. San Martin 872). The guides provide the technical and safety equipment necessary to carry out the activity. Once equipped, they will travel by van about 5 blocks to the river.  On the banks of the Río de las Vueltas, a technical and safety talk is given, such as how to hold the oar, the instructions to go forward, bend, go back, so that the entire team rows synchronized. The first section of the river is calm waters, with meanders that allow for beautiful views of Cerro Fitz Roy and its satellite needles. In total, about 6 km in which you can enjoy crossing areas of Andean forest and exiting towards the steppe. It is common to spot birds (condors, cauquenes, bandurrias, among many others) and native fauna (foxes, mulitas, guanacos). In this section you can contemplate the landscape and practice rowing and safety techniques. In the second section, 10 km, the river is enclosed in a natural canyon, generating about 20 rapids from class III to III +. It is approximately two hours of navigation along the Río de las Vueltas, with time to contemplate and a good dose of action and adrenaline.  Upon disembarking, a comforting snack is offered (hot drink and something delicious to eat). From the RP 23 bridge, the vehicle waits to return to the operational base. We will be back at the Comarka base at 1:30 p.m. Then they will have free time to have lunch, tour the town or go on a short trek. At 6:00 p.m. we will meet at the Comarka base to return to El Calafate.