Right where the trails to the Fitz Roy and Torre mountains are born, El Puma Lodge is located in the center of El Chaltén, meters away from its main avenue.
This lodge, open since 1997, began as a simple mountain refuge with three rooms, a place of rest for those looking for a hot meal, a cozy bed and a good place to relax before or after their expeditions on the continental ice or the Fitz Roy or Torre mountains. Over the years, accompanying the growth of the town, it was expanded to reach its current capacity of 12 Double Rooms and 5 Double Suites.
Its careful decoration and comfort provide the perfect scenario to rest after a long day of adventure in Southern Patagonia. Sitting in front of the fireplace, relaxing your feet after a long day of trekking, allows you to find yourself and discover your own limits.
Our history
Love for the village
Sustainability
Committed to the environment and those who live in it.
Being passionate about this place and with a deep awareness of the need to preserve the protected areas that support our activity, we have a strong commitment with the destination, with the habitants of El Chaltén and with our guests, to provide an eco-friendly service.
With this responsibility, we have started to apply work policies aimed at modifying those aspects of our daily operations that can reduce the impact of our activity on the ecosystem.
We share some of them and invite you to suggest new ideas:
- We replaced the classic plastic bottles with refillable dispensers, thus avoiding the use of plastic.
- We replace personal cleaning products (shampoo, conditioners, salts) with organic, biodegradable, paraben-free amenities, not tested on animals.
- Commitment to separate recyclable and organic waste from general garbage.
- We use low consumption / led lights.
- We reuse the paper used
- We provide wooden forks in our lunch boxes and the same are contained in compostable bags.
- Raising awareness internally and to our guests about the responsible use of water and the consumption of drinking water – offering drinking water refill stations in common areas of the Lodge.
Tips for traveling
In your suitcase
We recommend traveling with comfortable clothing, dressing in layers to be able to adapt to weather changes in the same day, which is very common in Patagonia, preferably with a last waterproof and windproof layer. Comfortable shoes, with good grip on uneven ground.
Do not forget to pack:
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Gloves, hat, buff or scarf.
- Waterproof/windproof jacket
- Warm jacket
- Waterproof or quick-drying pants
- Trekking shoes or boots
- Trekking poles (you can use the ones at the Lodge subject to availability or rent them in town) Not essential.
- Medium/small light backpack for hiking (remember to carry your belongings, food, water and any garbage you generate during your hikes).
- Refillable water bottle.
What to do
Los Glaciares National Park
Many of the activities in Los Glaciares National Park are conditioned by the weather. Plan accordingly, keeping in mind that some excursions may require reprogramming. Having one or two days of back up will help you to better organize your stay.
Currently El Chaltén has alternatives that cover all kinds of preferences:
- Full day trekking (Laguna de los Tres, Laguna Torre, Loma del Pliegue Tumbado).
- Half day trekking (Laguna Capri, Miradores, Chorrillo del Salto, Laguna Huemul).
- Adventure excursions (Cagliero Glacier, rock schools, mountain biking, Vespignani Glacier).
- Conventional excursions (Lago del Desierto, Horseback Riding, Estancia Bonanza, Snorkeling)
- Activities in the Rio de las Vueltas (kayaking, rafting)
- Circuits with camping (Poincenot, Thorwood and Toro campsites)
- Expeditions (consult with a local service provider).
You can always count on the advice and recommendations of our staff.
$$$$$
El Chaltén has 3 ATM machines that do not guarantee the availability of cash. For this reason it is prudent to bring cash. Most businesses accept dollars and euros and several of them do not accept credit/debit cards.
Traveling by car
Those traveling by car or rental car should consider that the YPF module available in El Chaltén only accepts cash or debit card payments. On the other hand, it has a specific schedule and may run out of fuel in high season. For these reason, it is always advisable to fill up the tank on the day of arrival and avoid doing it on the last day or before traveling.
Partners
A philosophy in common
With a common work line and a common service concept that we have shared since the beginning of our activities, Fitz Roy Expeditions, Travel and Tourism Company in El Chaltén & Estancia Cristina in the heart of the infinite Los Glaciares National Park, near the city of El Calafate, we provide quality services in Southern Patagonia.
We invite you to meet them!
