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Corridor Southern > El Chaltén > Tours and Activities

Capri, A Magical Lake

Pablo Etchevers

Jorge González

Reaching this water body does not require a big effort. Visitors just need to be equipped with good footwear, grab their hiking poles and set out. The target is completely worth it.

This undoubtedly was the best hiking tour to prove whether we were fit while we stayed at El Chaltén.

At the end of the town, a sign announces the ascent to Laguna de los Tres (Lake of the Three), the nearest spot that may be reached before climbing up famous Mount Fitz Roy.

Farther ahead, there is another sign showing the way to Lake Capri and the first camping site to spend the night while surrounded by most of these beautiful mountain ranges that embellish the area.

Less than two hours separate Lake Capri from El Chaltén, but the scene and the trail are so interesting that we had the feeling that the tour was much longer.

The path features a certain degree of difficulty during the first half hour, as it is necessary to climb. We realized we were gaining height as we advanced.

Thus, we could see the small town of El Chaltén behind and all its surroundings. To one side, the mountains; to the other, a valley that serves as an entrance; and next to it, the famous De las Vueltas River winding around up to the spot where it runs parallel to the town.

After hiking for a while, the trail narrowed down and got us inside a forest where we could appreciate all kinds of species, among which the lengas stood out.

At times, the clearings amidst the vegetation let us spot various mountains and peaks, some of them covered with snow, as well as small creeks and water bodies that we crossed with the help of footbridges.

As we walked on, some signs indicated we were getting very close to our target and this was certified whenever we came across some other hikers coming from the opposite direction, who made some gesture that we were about to get to our destination.

The presence of a woodpecker and its singular sound managed to divert our attention from the trail and our discipline for a moment in order to appreciate this worthy gift from Mother Nature. We were the protagonists of an almost magical moment, especially when the bird became aware of our presence and did not stop its task, trusting that this time the presence of man would not damage it in any way.

Before we could notice, the trail entered the thick woodland of tree and branches. We made out some igloo tents of various colors that gave away the presence of the coveted lake.

We had arrived in the famous Lake Capri, whose waters are beautiful and whose edge invited us to sit down and have a rest. In the background, the unmistakable silhouette of the legendary Fitz Roy was calling us but our journey could not continue.

To one side of the camping site, there was a natural viewpoint that turned out to be perfect to eat the snacks we had been given at the hotel when we let the staff know that we would go hiking.

A perfect starting point for various hiking circuits, Lake Capri is really a paradise. Its quiet blue waters and the decoration provided by the neighboring mountains make it an ideal path to start hiking around the trails of El Chaltén.