{"id":80084,"date":"2026-09-03T23:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T02:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/lago-del-desierto\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T01:43:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T04:43:27","slug":"lago-del-desierto","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/lago-del-desierto\/","title":{"rendered":"Desert Lake"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n \"Desert
\n<\/figure>\n
\n DESERT LAKE<\/span>\n

Desert Lake
the remote north of El Chalt\u00e9n<\/span><\/h1>\n

37 kilometers from El Chalt\u00e9n<\/a>, Following the R\u00edo de las Vueltas along Provincial Route 23, Lago del Desierto occupies a narrow valley surrounded by Andean forest and mountains. It is one of the least traveled areas in the region and one of the most impressive: hanging glaciers, turquoise water, and a density of vegetation that contrasts sharply with the steppe that dominates the rest of the region.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

What to do at Desert Lake<\/h2>\n

The journey from the village is already part of the attraction: the route skirts the R\u00edo de las Vueltas with viewpoints over the valley and, in good weather, views of the massif. Fitz Roy<\/a> from angles not visible from the classic trails. The tour takes about an hour.<\/p>\n

\n

Navigation and Vespignani Glacier<\/h3>\n

From Punta Sur, you sail towards the Vespignani Glacier Reserve, with views of the Huemul and Crest\u00f3n glaciers. Within the reserve, there are approximately two hours to explore self-guided trails of varying difficulty: one that reaches the base of the glacier with views of the north face of Fitz Roy, another to a viewpoint, and a third... 800 meters flat, suitable for anyone<\/strong>. This is the proposal of Desert Lake with Vespignani Glacier<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Huemul Glacier Viewpoint<\/h3>\n

On the south side of the lake, a marked trail ascends for about two hours to the Huemul Glacier viewpoint, overlooking the glacier and the lagoon that formed at its base. The option to Transfer with self-guided trekking to the Huemul Glacier<\/a> It's midday.<\/p>\n

Activities on the R\u00edo de las Vueltas<\/h3>\n

On the way to the lake, along the same river, they make the Class III rapids rafting<\/a> and the kayaking in calm waters<\/a>, which take advantage of the same landscape corridor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

\n

A border story<\/h2>\n

For decades, Lago del Desierto was a point of border dispute between Argentina and Chile, and that history is linked to the very origin of El Chalt\u00e9n.<\/p>\n

\n

The conflict and its resolution<\/h3>\n

The dispute included an armed incident in 1965 that resulted in the death of a Chilean police officer, and was only resolved in 1994 through an international arbitration award that recognized Argentine sovereignty over the area. El Chalt\u00e9n, founded in 1985, was largely established to consolidate the Argentine presence in this region.<\/p>\n

A step towards Chile<\/h3>\n

Today it's also a border crossing: from the northern end of the lake there's a passage to Villa O'Higgins, frequently used by cyclists and backpackers traveling the Carretera Austral. It's a route that combines boating, hiking, and immigration procedures, and it's only open seasonally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

\n

When to go<\/h2>\n

The season runs from October to mid-April.<\/p>\n

\n

A different climate than in the town<\/h3>\n

Being in a narrow valley, the area receives more rainfall than El Chalt\u00e9n<\/strong> And the forest is denser and more humid. It's advisable to bring a waterproof jacket even if it's clear in the village.<\/p>\n

Navigation depends on the wind<\/h3>\n

They can be cancelled with little notice, so it's best not to leave this outing until the last day of the trip: if it's cancelled, there's still time to reschedule.<\/p>\n

Plan your visit<\/h3>\n

Look at the complete catalog of excursions<\/a> or the guide to What to do in El Chalt\u00e9n<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LAGO DEL DESIERTO Lago del Desiertoel norte remoto de El Chalt\u00e9n A 37 kil\u00f3metros de El Chalt\u00e9n, siguiendo el R\u00edo de las Vueltas por la Ruta Provincial 23, el Lago del Desierto ocupa un valle estrecho rodeado de bosque andino y monta\u00f1as. Es una de las zonas menos transitadas del \u00e1rea y una de las […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"folder":[],"class_list":["post-80084","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLago del Desierto | Aguas esmeralda al norte de El Chalt\u00e9n<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gu\u00eda del Lago del Desierto: c\u00f3mo llegar, qu\u00e9 hacer, navegaciones y senderos. A 37 km de El Chalt\u00e9n por la Ruta 23, camino a Chile.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/lago-del-desierto\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lago del Desierto | Aguas esmeralda al norte de El Chalt\u00e9n\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gu\u00eda del Lago del Desierto: c\u00f3mo llegar, qu\u00e9 hacer, navegaciones y senderos. A 37 km de El Chalt\u00e9n por la Ruta 23, camino a Chile.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/lago-del-desierto\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Chalt\u00e9n Tours\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-08T04:43:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/el-chalten-lago-del-desierto-glaciar-vespignani-video-poster.webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/lago-del-desierto\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/lago-del-desierto\\\/\",\"name\":\"Lago del Desierto | Aguas esmeralda al norte de El Chalt\u00e9n\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/lago-del-desierto\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/lago-del-desierto\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/el-chalten-lago-del-desierto-glaciar-vespignani-video-poster.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-04T02:39:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-08T04:43:27+00:00\",\"description\":\"Gu\u00eda del Lago del Desierto: c\u00f3mo llegar, qu\u00e9 hacer, navegaciones y senderos. A 37 km de El Chalt\u00e9n por la Ruta 23, camino a Chile.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/lago-del-desierto\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/lago-del-desierto\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/lago-del-desierto\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/el-chalten-lago-del-desierto-glaciar-vespignani-video-poster.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/el-chalten-lago-del-desierto-glaciar-vespignani-video-poster.webp\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/lago-del-desierto\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Inicio\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Lago del Desierto\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/\",\"name\":\"Chalt\u00e9n Tours\",\"description\":\"Excursiones en El Chalt\u00e9n\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Chalt\u00e9n Tours\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/site-icon-512-fondo-blanco.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/site-icon-512-fondo-blanco.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Chalt\u00e9n Tours\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/chalten.tours\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Desert Lake | Emerald waters north of El Chalt\u00e9n","description":"Desert Lake Guide: how to get there, what to do, boat trips and trails. 37 km from El Chalt\u00e9n on Route 23, on the way to Chile.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/lago-del-desierto\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Lago del Desierto | Aguas esmeralda al norte de El Chalt\u00e9n","og_description":"Gu\u00eda del Lago del Desierto: c\u00f3mo llegar, qu\u00e9 hacer, navegaciones y senderos. A 37 km de El Chalt\u00e9n por la Ruta 23, camino a Chile.","og_url":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/lago-del-desierto\/","og_site_name":"Chalt\u00e9n Tours","article_modified_time":"2026-10-08T04:43:27+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/el-chalten-lago-del-desierto-glaciar-vespignani-video-poster.webp","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/lago-del-desierto\/","url":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/lago-del-desierto\/","name":"Desert Lake | Emerald waters north of El Chalt\u00e9n","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/lago-del-desierto\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/lago-del-desierto\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/el-chalten-lago-del-desierto-glaciar-vespignani-video-poster.webp","datePublished":"2026-09-04T02:39:09+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-08T04:43:27+00:00","description":"Desert Lake Guide: how to get there, what to do, boat trips and trails. 37 km from El Chalt\u00e9n on Route 23, on the way to Chile.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/lago-del-desierto\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/chalten.tours\/lago-del-desierto\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/lago-del-desierto\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/el-chalten-lago-del-desierto-glaciar-vespignani-video-poster.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/el-chalten-lago-del-desierto-glaciar-vespignani-video-poster.webp"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/lago-del-desierto\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Inicio","item":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Lago del Desierto"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/#website","url":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/","name":"Chalt\u00e9n Tours","description":"Excursions in El Chalt\u00e9n","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/#organization","name":"Chalt\u00e9n Tours","url":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/site-icon-512-fondo-blanco.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/site-icon-512-fondo-blanco.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Chalt\u00e9n Tours"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/80084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80084"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/80084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80401,"href":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/80084\/revisions\/80401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chalten.tours\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=80084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}