Laguna Torre (Cerro Torre)

One of the most frequented day hikes from El Chaltén, the route to Laguna Torre leads to a glacial lake at the base of the Torre massif. The 18 km out-and-back trail follows the Fitz Roy River valley, moving through sub-antarctic forests of ñire and lenga. The terrain is primarily well-maintained gravel paths and packed dirt, with a short initial ascent followed by mostly level walking through the glacial valley. The destination offers direct views of Cerro Torre (3,128m) and the Adela range, with icebergs frequently calving from the Torre Glacier into the lake.

The green twin of Ometepe. Volcán Maderas (1,394m) is the smaller and more biologically diverse of the two volcanoes that form Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua. Unlike its active and rocky brother Concepción, Maderas is dormant and draped in a thick, magical cloud forest. The hike is a steep, often muddy struggle through ancient trees covered in orchids and Bromeliads, leading to a hidden, cold-water lagoon in the crater summit.