El Refugio | Established Campground

February 27th, 2024 by meaningfulyarn89

Really wrong, crazy, lunatic owner. Is incredibly strict with her "rules", makes xenophobic comments, doesn't look after her place properly. Shower was ok but kitchen is below any expectations. Wants to charge you 5000 ARS per day to store your luggage under key and lock, but is then nowhere to be found when you want to get them back. Avoid this place.

January 14th, 2024 by tomeropat777

Worst camping experience ever. The woman was incredibly rude and unfriendly. She also lied to us and refused to store our bags - she said she was travelling the next day but we saw her in town and we saw other people checking into the campsite).The manager also decided to water the grass and sprayed water everywhere and got our bags and clothes wet. The site is dirty and disgusting. It is not worth staying here at all. Do not waste your money or time.

February 8th, 2023 by nicolas.dochler

Avoid. This campsite is well open. But it better be closed. The campsite is of the same style as all those of El Chalten: tents packed in a garden. Otherwise the owner is really special. We had come the day before a trek, she told us that we could leave the bikes here for free if we came back afterwards. But when she came back she charged us to guard the bikes.

February 5th, 2023 by richpass732

100% to be avoided. Lady seemed extremely rude. wifi does not work. lousy showers and toilets. many people camping in front of her house.

December 30th, 2022 by katherineletts

El Refugio is closed as of now. We stayed down the same side road (El Refugio on the left and El Relincho on the right), but instead, we just drove straight down to El Mochilero (there is a sign next to a large garbage). Unfortunately, I forgot to add it on iO when we were there, but there are a few spots for vans and several spots for tents. Not big rig friendly. 1500pp - van or tent. Hot water showers, semi-running water bathrooms, and a simple outdoor kitchen. No wifi there, but it’s possible to link up to El Relincho. Veryyyy relaxed. The owner comes by in the afternoons and late evenings. He’s supposedly not keen on animals, but our friends kept their dog on a tight leash and inside the van except for walks and he didn’t say anything. Their cat was less noticeable and fine to wander.

December 22nd, 2022 by Two Vets on Tracks Emiel & Leslie

1500 pp.
Hot and clean showers
Owner passed now and then by, then you pay

November 29th, 2022 by www.wiedekamm.com

did Not find this place. the Site next to IT looked Like a wastw place.

February 29th, 2020 by boj.alba

300 por persona. Camping con una cocina muy sencilla, no equipada y duchas de agua caliente 24h pero todas las instalaciones muy sucias...no lavaron nada en toda nuestra estancia. Pasamos 3 noches y después nos movimos al Camping Relincho, mucho mejor!!

February 16th, 2020 by southbyvan

No longer pet friendly. Price is still 300 per person + 100 for the vehicle.

February 5th, 2020 by vanandbeyond

Seriously, avoid this place!
It is run by the moodiest and rudest woman we have met on the trip, and that rude and bossy tone carries through the whole campground as it is full of passive aggressive notes.

Also, the new prices make it almost as expensive as the other camp ground and you end up paying for almost nothing:
- No wifi
- Only the side tents have wind cover and the rest are standing in the middle of a field.
- She charges extra for the wind covered quincho or to make a fire in the fire pit.
- The toilets are super dirty, they don't even have a toilet seat.
- There are only two toilets for the entire campground, which can fit a lot of people (easily 20 tents while we were there), and the toilets have the only showers and sinks inside them, so if two people are taking a shower the rest of the campground is waiting for toilets. Literally there was a toilet queue, and people hurting to go to the loo every morning.
- The showers are gross, hair in the walls, dirty sink, mould on the corners, not a single hook or place to put any of your things, etc.
- The Mochilero campground next to it is super loud (nothing they can control on this campsite but still annoying), they were partying until 3 or 4am the couple of nights we were there.
- The kitchen is absolutely tiny, and with way too many people, don't expect to be able to cook dinner as there is also a massive queue for that.
- There is only one power socket in the whole place.
- There was dog poo in the grass area next to us.

Not a lot of choice for good camping in El Chalten but this place is certainly not worth it.

January 22nd, 2020 by djans

Spent the several nights between our hikes there. Friendly owner. Simple place but hot showers 24 hrs. No wind protection. Quiet. Paid 300pesos/night/person and 100pesos/night/car. We first wanted to go to Relincho bc of wifi - but wifi didn‘t work and why pay so much more for sth not working?

January 16th, 2020 by vismaplanete.com

300$Ar pppn + 100$Ar par véhicule. L’hôte est vraiment désagréable. Nous ne sommes pas restés

January 8th, 2020 by sarahdeleest

Okay camping. Grass spots. Bathrooms are basic, but are sufficient. We didn't shower. I think it are high season prices now. We paid 300pp plus 100 for the car. Wind protection on most of the site.

January 5th, 2020 by twocluelesstravelers

If the lady or her son ain’t here, just set up camp etc. she will come eventually and wants you to pay whenever. She changes the WiFi password often, and it’s weak and slow anyways.
No problem with our campervan, lots of room for tents next to a wall trying to get protection.
2 bathrooms, no toilet seats, no tp, but hot hot water. The shower on the left has a better head. Kitchen small but has a sink, stove, and power socket with about 40 phones plugged into it.
The real positive to this place is that it is really close to the starting of the major hikes, and close to a supermercado.
300 pppn, 100 for the van per night.
Not noisy after 11, she closes the kitchen and kicks all us winos out :)

April 26th, 2019 by greicedesign

In the town but very quiet. Outdoor communal kitchen. Shower hot 24h. Nice place for trekkings. AR 150pp, no have extras for vehicles.

February 25th, 2019 by magic_mattmix

Big minus Unfriendly owner! Plus is the hot shower no more to say

January 16th, 2019 by CHrOEtli

okay campground. we were lucky that we arrived early enough so we still had water for the hot shower (others had to wait until the next morning...). even for the toilets there was no water at some point. the lady is nice tough and paid 150 pesos pp.

January 6th, 2019 by A3discoverstheplanet.com

Dirty bathroom and not friendly owner.
300 2pax + travelcar.

We moved to nextdoor ( expensive, but nice, klean and wifi)

December 7th, 2018 by st.agricola

Nice place in the centre of town. We let our Motorhome here while trekking 3 days. We’ve payed 150 per person. Showers clean and very hot.

October 27th, 2018 by therookieexplorer.com

Stayed here for a night in our camper, the wind was horrendous even though we found the most sheltered place possible. We were charged 200 pesos per person per night (they asked where we are from before they told us how much to pay) lovely guy who runs the place but very expensive for what it is.

March 14th, 2018 by deimante.dk

Stayed there for 2 nights. No wifi. Very close to centre. Average showers/ toilets, but really warm water. 130 per person with a van.

November 24th, 2017 by henrydeere

A wonderful little refuge in El Chalten. Warm showers, cooking shelter and and fences/trees for wind shelter. There also appears to be holiday trailers available. Facilities are a bit rustic, but on par for a camping place. Local seasonal workers from other parts of Argentina also stay here, which may be a bit odd for some, but we met some very interesting people here, and it gives the place a bohemian vibe in the low season. Very unique. Asked 150 pp, with tent, we got him down to 100 pp/ night. Sign was propped up, and a bit hard to see off the main road, but drive to the end of the dirt road and you should see (semi-permanent) holiday trailers and the bathrooms in a bit of a hollow.

December 27th, 2016 by oliverweickert

Windcovered space to set up your tent between bushes. In the evening you can join groups for preparing dinner and cook in the outdoor kitchen. Bowls, knifes and all the main equipment is free to use.

Also there are some fire pits for making fire. But you have to take your own wood. Toilettes without toilet paper. Enough space for many tents. Haven't seen any campervan.

100 Pesos per person/Night.

June 6th, 2016 by We Ride South America

We stop here, but it's seems completely close.... Indeed a lot of campsite are closed during the low season.

May 22nd, 2016 by tangletown4.com

We tried this place four times while in El Chalten. The guy never came to open the bathrooms/showers. Closed for the season?

April 5th, 2016 by Overland The World

Loads of flat places to park, some with wind protection. 24 hr hot showers. 70 pp. Many places close in town during the off season, but this place is open year round. Refugio with sinks and stoves to cook/ hang out under for wind protection.

February 23rd, 2016 by anjac.thiemann

Nice camping place in town. 2 banos for each women/men and four showers (each) with warm/hot water. 70 ARS person/day with Camper. A kitchen field with power.

February 15th, 2016 by giorgio

The place to vehicle camp is actually to the left when you pull in, near the white buildings with no signs. This is actually a hospedaje that lets you camp and use their bathrooms and kitchen area for 80per person (not to be confused with the tent only camping below that charges 100 per person and has their own separate facilities). Rarely is the dueno Juan or his mom there, so just park and they will come by sometime during the day. There is a shared bathroom and kitchen in the building in back down the set of stairs, just go on in. And if no one is staying in the upper house they will let you use that kitchen and bathroom. No one was there when we were there so we had the place to ourselves!

December 10th, 2015 by foxesonthemove.com

Centre of town just off the main road but quiet. Trees around for shelter and an outdoor sheltered communal kitchen. 24hr hot showers, clean toilets, nice place to chill if taking a break from trekking as it gets the sun all day. AR70 pp no extras for vehicles, large rigs possible.