La Leona Petrified Forest
La Leona Petrified Forest, El Calafate: Address, La Leona Petrified Forest Reviews: 4.5/5
La Leona Petrified Forest
La Leona Petrified Forest
4.5
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Barbs25
Staffordshire, UK2,361 contributions
Apr. 2022 • Couples
This place was just unreal and very much a hidden gem. Thanks to our amazing walk Patagonia tour guides for including this in our itinerary as in my research for Patagonia I never saw this.
We spent around 3hrs in total walking through this 80-100 million year old site. It’s hard to describe and like no other landscape I’ve ever seen. It’s like something out of space, incredible rock formations throughout. Then the most amazing part, the dinosaur bone fossils are beyond amazing. So hard to get your head around the scale, from size to age it’s just so rare to see this. They’re only smaller fragments but still amazing to see. The guide said the biggest one found in the area was a 65 tonne titanosaurus! So hard to fathom. We also saw 70 million year old tree trunk fossils, just wowww.
It was so interesting I couldn’t recommend this trip enough.
Just a note it’s very windy so take sunglasses to stop the dust going in your eyes and even a buff is good to cover your mouth.
We spent around 3hrs in total walking through this 80-100 million year old site. It’s hard to describe and like no other landscape I’ve ever seen. It’s like something out of space, incredible rock formations throughout. Then the most amazing part, the dinosaur bone fossils are beyond amazing. So hard to get your head around the scale, from size to age it’s just so rare to see this. They’re only smaller fragments but still amazing to see. The guide said the biggest one found in the area was a 65 tonne titanosaurus! So hard to fathom. We also saw 70 million year old tree trunk fossils, just wowww.
It was so interesting I couldn’t recommend this trip enough.
Just a note it’s very windy so take sunglasses to stop the dust going in your eyes and even a buff is good to cover your mouth.
Written 2 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
1962globetrotter
Lutterworth, UK277 contributions
Jan. 2020 • Couples
Enjoyed our day trip here to see the remains of dinosaur bones and a 90 million year old petrified forest. Before the kids get too excited about seeing dinosaurs, these are just a few bones - I think the paleontologists have taken the best bits. Also, when it's billed as a 'forest', it's more like some large logs sprinkled about.
That said, it was an enjoyable day out, aided by a good guide who was able to paint a knowledgeable picture of how the landscape was formed and how the petrification would have happened. We walked for 2 or 3 hours and stopped for a picnic in the hills, as a small group, and it was tastefully done with no more than about 20 tourists a day allowed, so as not to spoil the terrain. Very informative - just manage your expectations as you won't see bones and trees galore
That said, it was an enjoyable day out, aided by a good guide who was able to paint a knowledgeable picture of how the landscape was formed and how the petrification would have happened. We walked for 2 or 3 hours and stopped for a picnic in the hills, as a small group, and it was tastefully done with no more than about 20 tourists a day allowed, so as not to spoil the terrain. Very informative - just manage your expectations as you won't see bones and trees galore
Written 29 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ron S
Montevideo, Uruguay25 contributions
Jan. 2020
This place is not highly promoted by the tours in town, but definitely not to be missed. The terrain is unreal with a landscape unlike any we've seen. Our guide was amazing as she shared the history and culture of the area. Yes...there are REAL dinosaur bones and fossils you can actually pick up and hold there. The hike is not as strenuous as it would seem. Don't miss this place!
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
s and t
Woking, UK11 contributions
Oct. 2019 • Friends
What an amazing experience & so different to everything else we'd seen in El Calafate. Journey to petrified forest was great - we were a small group (4 women - the other two we met were lovely too which helped make the trip) In the bus Leo, our first class guide & the driver were willing to stop to satisfy our want of plenty of photo opportunities - took in part of route 40 & saw guanacos, rheas and condors. The walk though the area was a stunning lunar landscape, full of interesting shapes & rock formations. Leo was informative & knowledgeable & we appreciated the fact his English was excellent (much better than our spanish!) It felt a real privilege to be so close to petrified dinasaur bones & the petrified trees. It was also startlingly silent - a beautiful experience amongst such vastness. The walk was at an easy pace in part as we were all just in awe of what we were seeing. We also had free time to explore when we stopped for lunch. All in all a great day out.
Written 26 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Tasta
Hadera, Israel770 contributions
Oct. 2019
I enjoyed every single moment on this trek. Thanks to our guide Leo we not only saw a lot of nature wonders and wowed over the views, but learned some things about the place and its history.
I want to thank Leo again for being so attentive to our needs, even if somebody was too slow or the other stopped to much to take one hundred more pictures.
My hottest recommendations for this trek.
I want to thank Leo again for being so attentive to our needs, even if somebody was too slow or the other stopped to much to take one hundred more pictures.
My hottest recommendations for this trek.
Written 17 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Adrian B
28 contributions
Nov. 2018
This area is amazing. Walk among dinosaur remains and tree trunks that have turned to stone. Wind through the bullets and channels and immerse yourself in what would have been a prehistoric playground. If it's not on your itinerary then it should be.
Written 2 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Paige615
Townsville, Australia20 contributions
Mar. 2019 • Couples
We have been travelling around South America for 4 weeks and this tour is absolutely one of our highlights. We are a young active couple who love hiking and this was one of my favourite days. The scenery is stunning and the fact that you are walking around finding dinosaur fossils and trees that are millions of years old is fascinating. Our guide Leo was amazing and knowledgeable. We were the only people there and he took us on side routes because we had time to explore. 100% one of the hidden treasures in El Calafate. If I could rate this tour higher I would!
Written 20 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Alesia-Evgeniy
36 contributions
Jan. 2019 • Couples
We took the tour with Morresi Viajes. Leonardo did his best to guide us and to tell everything in a clear and informative way. We had an opportunity to see, to smell, to touch and even to lick some millions year old trees and bones. Unforgettable experience. Thousands of photos. And the best memories. Highly recommended.
Written 25 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Millet02
Atlanta, GA508 contributions
Jan. 2019 • Couples
We went here to see the petrified forest, with company Morresi Viajes. They're not the only ones who sell the tour but were mentioned the most in reviews.
The place itself is sort of interesting, nice geologic formations and some amount of petrified wood and one dinosaur bone, but on windy days the trails are tough. Lots of grit blowing, plus the trails are narrow and on lots of ledges so you really have to pay attention and be ready for wind gusts to avoid getting literally blown over the edge.
As for the tour company, thumbs down. Our guide, Leo, struck me as very condescending and patronizing in conversation. His English is okay but not fluent, and he is a constant joker - not a serious word the whole day. He would run ahead of the group, walking very fast with the 3 people who could keep up, leaving everyone else strung out on the narrow, windy trail for up to 200 meters behind him. Then he would stand and wait wherever he stopped for however long it took everyone to catch up, instead of staying with the main group and making sure everyone was okay. Also, because you eat in the canyon, you have to carry your lunch on the hike - take a backpack or bag to carry it!
Even though the wind was blowing 20+ mph the day we visited, the guide insisted we sit in the canyon and eat lunch though we were only a 20 minute walk from the van, with the end result that our food was full of grit and we had so much sand on our clothes and hair from sitting it fell off like we had been at the beach! Lunch was ham and cheese sandwich, apple, water, and a cookie.
Overall, this is an okay place and if you've never seen a petrified forest this is a good start but really, it's a long trip for not much, especially with Morresi Viajes.
The place itself is sort of interesting, nice geologic formations and some amount of petrified wood and one dinosaur bone, but on windy days the trails are tough. Lots of grit blowing, plus the trails are narrow and on lots of ledges so you really have to pay attention and be ready for wind gusts to avoid getting literally blown over the edge.
As for the tour company, thumbs down. Our guide, Leo, struck me as very condescending and patronizing in conversation. His English is okay but not fluent, and he is a constant joker - not a serious word the whole day. He would run ahead of the group, walking very fast with the 3 people who could keep up, leaving everyone else strung out on the narrow, windy trail for up to 200 meters behind him. Then he would stand and wait wherever he stopped for however long it took everyone to catch up, instead of staying with the main group and making sure everyone was okay. Also, because you eat in the canyon, you have to carry your lunch on the hike - take a backpack or bag to carry it!
Even though the wind was blowing 20+ mph the day we visited, the guide insisted we sit in the canyon and eat lunch though we were only a 20 minute walk from the van, with the end result that our food was full of grit and we had so much sand on our clothes and hair from sitting it fell off like we had been at the beach! Lunch was ham and cheese sandwich, apple, water, and a cookie.
Overall, this is an okay place and if you've never seen a petrified forest this is a good start but really, it's a long trip for not much, especially with Morresi Viajes.
Written 17 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nikki S
State College, PA11 contributions
Jan. 2019 • Couples
We did this tour based on a recommendation from our Airbnb host and are so glad we did it! Our guide, Rocio, and driver, Raul, were absolutely fantastic and made for a great day out that was very distinct from the typical glacier trips in Calafate. Rocio was incredibly informative and did an amazing job of explaining everything in Spanish and English. Many times on our travels, we’ve felt that the English version is very abbreviated, but that definitely wasn’t the case here. She was super well informed and was able to answer any questions we had. We loved her enthusiasm for this tour and the geological history of the region! The tour group was small (9 people!), which was a welcome break after the busy and large groups for all the glacier tours in town! Once we arrived (after a 2 hr drive) we had a 2-3 hour hike through amazing sandstone formations and a stop for a tasty box lunch that they provided. We got to see and touch several pieces of petrified wood, see dinosaur bones, and learn about the geology of place. Would do this tour again in a heartbeat!
A note about this hike itself: I’m not super fit and was concerned about being able to do the hike and not hold other people up. This wasn’t an issue at all - there are some steepish bits but the guides wait for the group to catch up every few hundred meters. The climb out of the canyon looks much worse than it actually is - we made it up in 10-15 mins.
A note about this hike itself: I’m not super fit and was concerned about being able to do the hike and not hold other people up. This wasn’t an issue at all - there are some steepish bits but the guides wait for the group to catch up every few hundred meters. The climb out of the canyon looks much worse than it actually is - we made it up in 10-15 mins.
Written 12 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Gabriela C
1 contribution
Hola Fernando, se puede llegar en auto y contratar un guÃa en el lugar? Muchas Gracias, Gabrierla
Fernando D
Buenos Aires, Argentina133 contributions
TendrÃas que reservar hasta el dÃa anterior
MARCELO M
Bahia Blanca, Argentina11 contributions
Hola gente
Tengo una pregunta. Yo pienso alquilar un vehÃculo y recorrer toda la zona, y tenÃa pensado pasar por La Leona viniendo desde Calten a Calafate.
¿se puede hacer la excursión igual, llegando a La Leona con tu vehÃculo?
Saludos.
Marcelo
Annette W
Phoenix, AZ
My husband wants to go here but it is requiring a minimum of 2 persons to book. Is it possible that the site is waiting for more persons to book and that the 1 person will then be an option?
Hola Nacho! Fuiste al fin? Te queria preguntar si se puede ir solo (sin guia o tour) y si necesitas 4x4 para llegar; Te agradezco cualquier recomendación. Saludos!
Alesia-Evgeniy
36 contributions
Hola Alex!
No puedes ir solo sin guia porque el territirio es privado. No necesitas el auto 4*4.
Te recomiendo ir con guia. Te enseña y explica muchas cosas.
La Bitácora de Lola
La Plata, Argentina395 contributions
Hola quisiera saber si es muy exigida. Cuanto dura la caminata? Gracias
worldseeker2014
San Francisco, CA291 contributions
No es un sendero exigente. Algunas suben y bajan y algunas partes del sendero son muy estrechas sin barandas. No es bueno si tienes miedo a las alturas. Al final queda un poco empinado. Nuestros guÃas fueron muy útiles con las partes empinadas. Como recuerdo, es alrededor de 2 a 2.5 horas de caminata.
Travelcheong
Singapore, Singapore17 contributions
Hello,
I am thinking about doing this trek at the end of the year but am a little apprehensive about the steep ascent at the end that I read about here due to vertigo. My fear of heights isn’t terrible - I don’t faint but my knees do get weak and I usually start crawling. Embarrassing heh.
Would appreciate if someone could let me know just how high is the climb? I would hate to miss this just because of that section.
For reference, I cannot do Capilano suspension bridge but treetop walks in Kota Kinabalu are okay.
Thanks in advance!
worldseeker2014
San Francisco, CA291 contributions
This is a hike down and back up a canyon, relatively easy trek. Parts of the trail in the canyon are narrow ledges, with and without railings, which can be a challenge with vertigo. Hiking back up the canyon is a narrow trail until you get close to the top where it is quite steep. Our guides were great with a steady hand in the rough parts.
From the photos that see of the treetop walks in Kota Kinabalu, you are enclosed. The trail in La Leona are not enclosed and not as high. For your own safety, may not be a good idea with vertigo.
Aforapple G
24 contributions
Hi, I am planning to go to El Calafate for three days. Morning 9am of 7th July I'll be reaching there and shall return on 9th July evening 6pm. I have ceratin queries:-
1. What are the excurssions I must go for?
2. What the excurssions are called in terms of Tourism companies?
3. I just drafted to visit Boat ride and national park on first day (What is the name of this excursion, I dont know. Please help.). On second day, planning to trek for Fitz Roy. On third day, Perito Moreno and walking on the glacier.
Is this feasible?
4. Do I need any special shoes for Fitz Roy trekking? If yes, then how to manage for only one day trek? I mean , is it possible to rent? Where? How much?
5. Is it ok, to take any packages from the travel agencies or just use public transport?
6. What are the names of all the excurssions, I have listed for three days?
7. Approx, how much shall be the expenditure for the all three days?
As, I am travelling with my one friend and our hotel and flight tickets are booked, is the renting of the car good option? Will it be cheap?
Please guide.
364marianne
Lisbon District, Portugal21 contributions
Hello Lucy
We are visiting in March 2018.
Did you go on a trip or stay at Estancia Cristina when you visited La Leona Petrified Forest? Is this near Canadon de los Fosiles?
I'm not sure if the petrified forest and the fossil canyon are on land forming part of Estancia Cristina, so maybe it's a good idea to stay at Estancia Cristina? Or are they are in a different place.
Thanks for your help
Marianne
(London)
Daniel S
Moron369 contributions
Buenas tardes, hay caminos para llegar o solo es para 4x4?
muchas gracias
Daniel
Francis P
Ribeirao Preto, SP10 contributions
Oi Jefferson! Estarei indo em outubro... gostaria de saber o valor do passeio, para que eu possa me planejar melhor! Abraços!
Marcelo G
El Calafate, Argentina101 contributions
Le sugiero que se ponga en contacto con la agencia Morresi viajes que son quienes realizan la excursión y ellos sabrán decirle el precio actualizado. Este es el numero de teléfono +54 02902 492276
saludos
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