When we were in Antartica we discussed our upcoming travel plans with some of the staff. We were having lunch with Alyssa (the cold water diver and one of our favorite zodiac drivers) one day when she suggested El Chaltén. It is a three hour drive from El Calafate and located on the northern edge of Los Glaciares National Park.
I checked out the options which include: a) big bus from the main bus terminal at 1,200 pesos per person round trip (~$60 USD), b) sightseeing tour with guide (~$120), c) 20 person bus which picks up/returns at the apartment and the driver stops at scenic spots along the way for photos (~$60 USD). We choose option c.
We start our journey at 7:45am with five other passengers. Near the airport 28 km outside of the city the driver makes a left and takes us north on the famous Ruta 40 which we will take for 100km, after which we will make another left onto Ruta 23 for 95 km into El Chaltan.
I checked out the options which include: a) big bus from the main bus terminal at 1,200 pesos per person round trip (~$60 USD), b) sightseeing tour with guide (~$120), c) 20 person bus which picks up/returns at the apartment and the driver stops at scenic spots along the way for photos (~$60 USD). We choose option c.
We start our journey at 7:45am with five other passengers. Near the airport 28 km outside of the city the driver makes a left and takes us north on the famous Ruta 40 which we will take for 100km, after which we will make another left onto Ruta 23 for 95 km into El Chaltan.
The driver pulls over for a photo opportunity over Lago Argentino. The familiar mountain peaks we see near El Calafete are in the background. Then it is back in the bus.
The scenery is stunning. It is easy to lose perspective in the vast steppe lands. At times I feel like I should be able to just reach up and touch the clouds. Occasionally there is a large boulder out in the middle of hectors of land. I assume they have been left by the glaciers which shaped this land hundreds of thousand of years ago. William, on the other hand, proposes that aliens may have been involved. :-)
The scenery is stunning. It is easy to lose perspective in the vast steppe lands. At times I feel like I should be able to just reach up and touch the clouds. Occasionally there is a large boulder out in the middle of hectors of land. I assume they have been left by the glaciers which shaped this land hundreds of thousand of years ago. William, on the other hand, proposes that aliens may have been involved. :-)
An hour and a half into the ride the driver pulls into Parador La Leóna along the river of the same name. Rio La Leóna flows between Lago Viedma and Lago Argentino and we notice an extreme strong current. Until the completion of the bridge in 1974 the way to cross the river was via a raft that was sized to carry 200 sheep - yikes!
In the late 1800's some Danish immigrants built the first roadhouse on this spot naming it La Leóna. It is told that in 1905 three gringo's stopped at La Leóna and stayed for several days. Afterward the gringo's were identified as Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid and his wife Helen Page. They had robbed the bank in Rio Gallegos and had stopped at Le Leóna before continuing their flee from authorities.
The Parador has a good business serving as a wayside along Ruta 40 for modern travelers and tour groups. There's a coffee shop, gift store small museum and the necessary clean toilets within the main building. There's even some cabins to rent.
The Parador has a good business serving as a wayside along Ruta 40 for modern travelers and tour groups. There's a coffee shop, gift store small museum and the necessary clean toilets within the main building. There's even some cabins to rent.
Continuing our journey now northwest on Ruta 23 we skim alongside Lago Viedma with mountains and glaciers in the distance. The driver courteously makes a short stop for photographs, both along the lake and also stops when we arrive just outside of El Chaltén. Beautiful.
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