Puesto Cagliero Hike: A Remote Hut in the Patagonian Wilderness, Argentina

Puesto Cagliero, or the Cagliero Outpost, is a hut you can only hike to located within the Los Huemules Nature Reserve in the Argentinian Patagonia.

Puesto Cagliero, or the Cagliero outpost, with the Glacier in the background.

It’s a beautiful 14km or 8.7 miles out-and-back hike, through a beautiful forest, to a beautiful hut – the Cagliero Outpost. And, once there, you can also enjoy the views of the omonimous glacier, Glaciar Cagliero, and Laguna Diablo.

Overall, it’s the unique combination of elements that makes this post special. The alpine hut, the Glacier, the Laguna, and the beautiful forest you have to cross to get there. And, of course, the feeling of remoteness.

Laguna Diablo and the Glaciar Cagliero.

In terms of the overall experience, the hike to Puesto Cagliero offers a much more relaxed and intimate experience compared to most of the trails in Los Glaciares Natural Park. The reason for this is that the number of visitors allowed in the reserve is limited, and you need to book your “slot” in advance.

While this may feel a bit awkward, it does provide a more “curated” and relaxed experience. I booked the first slot in the morning and hiked from the Visitor’s Center to the trailhead completely alone in the Patagonia forest.

Table of Contents

Overview of the Puesto Cagliero Hike & Map

As mentioned in the intro, you will need to book your slot before heading there. You can do so on the Los Huemules Nature Reserve Website. The official name of the trail is “Sendero Vale del Río Diablo”. That’s the one you have to book.

You can then pay with a credit card or cash on site. And, once you arrive on site, you will both receive a short briefing. An explanation of the whole area, the trails you can take, and what to do/not to do. You’ll also need to register at the visitors center, and check out once back.

Los Huemules Nature Reserve Visitors Center.

When I was there, I was also given the option to take a detour through Laguna Verde and Laguna Azul. However, there was a cutoff time. Specifically, you needed to be at the trail junction for the “Lagunas” by 1 pm, but I did not make it on time, as I took my time at Laguna Diablo. But just so you know, in case you want to take the detour, if you’re given the option.

You could also spend the night at Puesto Cagliero instead of doing it as a day hike. You would need to book in advance and still pay for access to the trail separately.

Last but not least, wildlife: there is wildlife in the area. Although I did not see any on my visit – except for some Puma scat – Rangers will ask you to report back any sighting of wildlife you may encounter on the trail. And, like most hiking trails in this area, there is no mobile signal at all.

Do note that the 16 km / (9.9 miles) below includes the short detour to Laguna Diablo. Without that, the hike is 14km / 8.6 miles.

Here is the map of the hike. You can download the GPX file for free from the activity linked below. Do note that many of the old GPS trail files you can find online start from locations where you are no longer allowed to start the hike from. You can only start from the visitor center after booking your time slot.

How to get to the Puesto Cagliero Trailhead and Parking

To drive to the trailhead, you would have to drive north on Route 41. If you are coming from El Chaltén, it will take much longer than you’d expect if you are driving a regular 2WD passenger car.

It’s only 17km (10.6 miles) to drive from El Chaltén, but it will take almost an hour to get there in a regular car. It’s a rough gravel road, very slow going due to the large rocks and potholes on the road. Take your time with a 2WD car, as you want to avoid a flat as much as possible.

• Driving Directions: From El Chaltén, drive north on road 41, toward Río Eléctrico. Drive past the parking area that serves as the “other” Trailhead for Laguna de Los Tres, and for Mirador Piedra Blancas, and across the Río Eléctrico Bridge. From there, it’s just a few more minutes to the Visitors Center. The entrance is a bit hidden, but it’s here.
• Parking: Free parking is available by the visitors’ center. It’s limited, but then again, the number of visitors is limited too.
• Public Transport: While there is no public transport in the area, it is possible to book private transfers with one of the many companies in El Chaltén.

Then after you register, pay the fee, and receive the briefing, you’re out on the trail.

The first part of the trail follows a gravel road through the forest.

The Puesto Cagliero Hiking Trail

The trail starts at the visitor center, and there is a designated route to the trail from there. The same rangers who give you a briefing before entering the area will also show you the way to the trail.

For the first kilometer or so, the trail follows a gravel road through a small residential area within the forest. Yes, there’s a small residential area within the forest, and, as you can imagine, quite beautiful houses. I could easily see myself living in those kinds of houses in the forest, but I probably can’t even afford to ask the price of them :).

There also are a few privately owned houses within the reserve.

After the last house, the trail leaves the gravel road to continue in the forest. Much of the trail is actually in the forest, almost all the way to Puesto Cagliero. However, the views occasionally open up to the river and the surrounding mountains.

It’s a beautiful walk in a beautiful forest, and when the views open up, you can soak in the beautiful landscape of the Diablo valley and the mountains around it.

For long stretches, the trails meanders through the forest.

View of the Diablo river cutting through the dense forest of the Los Huemules Nature Reserve.

The forest feels untouched, and every branch, leaf, or tree that has fallen has not been touched. The only visible signs of human intervention are a few sections of the trail with steps or built to make it easier for hikers to pass through.

And there rally only are the soft noises coming from the forest, or the sound of the diablo river.

The second part of the trail is a little more maintained. Closer to the Cagliero hut, you also come across quad tracks, which I guess are parallel tracks used to supply Puesto Cagliero. Still, equally beautiful landscape.

Closer to the Hut, the trail turns into a dirt track – likely used ti suppy the Cagliero outpost.

Laguna Diablo

As you approach the hut, you will first pass by the trail junction between Puesto Cagliero and Laguna Diablo. The short detour to Laguna Diablo adds about 1 km compared to just hiking to Puesto Cagliero.

This section allows you to get to the shores of the Laguna, from where you have the first views of Puesto Cagliero on the opposite side, but no view of the glacier yet. However, you can see the hut on the opposite side of the lake. The presence of the hut really puts the whole landscape into scale, too.

Then, to get to the hut, you will first have to backtrack to the last trail junction.

The Trail to Laguna Diablo.

Laguna Diablo.

Puesto Cagliero, on the opposite shore of the Laguna.

Puesto Cagliero and Glaciar Cagliero Viewpoint.

Once you’re back at the original trail junction, it’s about one more kilometer to reach Puesto Cagliero. You will first cross the bridge over the Diablo River, a small bridge that looks like a zen garden installation, which leads into a short section of forest that gradually thins out.

This last section is all on a morainic deposit, making you feel as if you’re on a land borrowed from the elements. As the trees give way, the views open up to the surrounding mountains, and before long, Puesto Cagliero and the glacier come into view.

The bridge across the Diablo River

Gradually, the Trees think out, clearing the views of the massive mountains around the Laguna.

Here you may want to continue, or you may want to stop for a warm drink at the hut, up to you. And, from the hut, it’s another kilometer or so to the Cagliero Glacier viewpoint. You can walk around the building and toward the Laguna to find the trail markers that lead to the Glacier viewpoint.

It’s another short, easy walk on the morainic deposit toward the far end of the Laguna. It takes about 10-15 minutes to reach it. The viewpoint is a relatively wide area, directly in front of the glacier.

From the hut, the Trail continues toward the far end of the Laguna, to the Glacier viewpoint.

End of the Trail – with View of the Glacier. 

Puesto Cagliero Photos and Photography Tips

The Puesto Cagliero hike was high on my list. I wanted to see and experience this beautiful place, the Laguna and the glacier, in the first place. However, the photo of the hut within the grand landscape around it had something special I wanted to capture.

The Concept: Capturing the Remote Outpost

Puesto Cagliero, the lagoon, and the glacier create a fascinating contrast: a tastefully built, cozy hut, juxtaposed with its rugged environment, with glaciers, sweeping Patagonia winds, the laguna, and the jagged peaks around it. The whole scene evokes the feeling of a remote outpost at the very edge of human reach into the raw wilderness.

While it’s a simple composition on paper, the goal here is more to capture that conceptual contrast: isolation and rugged remoteness versus the warmth of a welcoming shelter.

Lighting & Conditions

The outpost faces north, meaning it catches excellent, dramatic sidelight in the morning. I visited on a bright, sunny day, which offered great visibility of the peaks. However, if you happen to catch this spot on a moody day with low-hanging clouds, the contrast between the cozy hut and the harsh environment would be even more accentuated.

If you stay for the night, capturing the scene at the blue hour would probably make it even more evocative, with the contrast of the warm light from the hut and the cold light of the blue hour. I think that has the potential for a stellar shot. Hopefully, the next time I visit, not before a couple of years, though. But if you manage to get such a shot, let me know, I’d love to see it.

Camera Gear

Technically speaking, you don’t need a massive telephoto or an ultrawide lens to make this work. I only used my 24-70mm here, which is more than enough to capture the entire scene while still allowing you to zoom in and hone in on the textures of the glacier behind it.

Where to Stay

Puesto Cagliero is essentially like an Alpine hut where you can spend the night, but advanced booking is required. However, this can easily be done as a day hike from El Chaltén, so starting in the Rio Electrico area allows you to easily do it within the day.

And, El Chaltén is a nice small town with no shortage of accommodation and food options.

Additional Resources

• If you are planning a trip in this region, you may also want to check out the Laguna de Los Tres Sunrise Hiking guide.
• Here is the official website of Los Huemules Nature Reserve.