Known as "The Capital of the Glaciers", it is located in the Patagonia of Argentina, in the province of Santa Cruz. It is most famous for being the gateway to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (Glacier National Park), which has several attractions such as the Perito Moreno and the Upsala glacier, located in the eastern part of the Campo de Hielo Patagónico Sur (Southern Patagonian Ice Field).

It is named in honor of the thorny shrub that is found throughout the southern Patagonia and has dark blue berries. The town became known for the Los Glaciares National Park and around it the infrastructure of the city began.

Another attraction of the city are lakes Argentino and Viedma, where various types of activities like seeing cattle ranches, adventures in 4x4s, hiking, horseback riding and excursions are done.

Besides this, the city has some museums, such as the Glaciarium, a cultural and scientific center where they perform and report on research on glaciers in the area. Another attraction is the Glacio Bar, completely built with ice glaciers, furniture, walls and chairs, making it unique in the world.

This tourist village has good access and also has the El Calafate International Airport, where national flights arrive as well as from Chile.

History

The first inhabitants of this area were the Indians known as the aonikenk which were known under the name of Kehek Aike, that is to say, deposit of artifacts and human assets.

After that, during the twentieth century it became an important area of ​​the transportaton of wool, which were carried in carts from carriages in the area. Thus, it was founded in 1927.

But it was not until the creation of Los Glaciares National Park, between 1943 and 1946, which further cemented the city and made it one of the most important tourist spots in the Patagonia of Argentina. 

Where to go

El Calafate is a tourist town and has several natural and cultural attractions to visit.

Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (Glacier National Park):

It is considered a World Heritage by UNESCO since 1981. It is part of the great Campo de Hielo Patagónico (Patagonian Ice Fields), where 47 glaciers originate, 13 of them within the Atlantic basin, and another 200 glaciers, which are smaller.

This glacier system gives rise to two lakes: Lake Argentino and Lake Viedma, which flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

Inside the park there are various attractions like the Perito Moreno glacier and the Cerro Fitz Roy.

Perito Moreno Glacier:

This is the most famous glacier in El Calafate, known for its cyclical movement of advance and retreat, where you can see huge blocks of ice shedding from its walls that are over 60 meters in height. It is located in the southern part of the Los Glaciares Park.

To reach the glacier, take the Provinicial 11 route, which connects the town of El Calafate with Punta Bandera.

Mount Fitz Roy:

It is located in the northern area of Los Glaciares Park, which belongs to the area of El Chalten, known as the trekking capital of the world because of its demanding hills and peaks.

Mount Fitz Roy is one of them; it has 3,405 meters of altitude and has different paths for mountain lovers and mountain climbing, as well as the Cerro Torre, with 3,102 meters of altitude.

Tourist ranches and farms:

You can visit cattle ranches in the area which look to connect visitors with nature, offering warm refuge to enjoy the traditions, hospitality and folklore of Argentina.

Within the farms you can perform various activities like horseback riding, taming horses, sheep shearing and others. Besides this, the rooms also have museums where you can learn about the history of the family-owned house.

Other attractions that are done are trekking, horseback riding half-day wildlife watching, among others.

Many rooms are also close to other attractions such as hills surrounding the Roca Lake, Upsala Glacier and Punta Bandera, to name a few.

Some of the small farms which are worth knowing are Alta Vista, El Galpon de Glaciar, María Elisa and Huyliche.

Bosque Petrificado La Leona:

This incredible display of nature lies within one of the private farms and corresponds to the petrified logs of what was once a lush forest. Also, different types of fossil remains of bones and vertebrae that intrigue paleontologists are found.

Roca Lake:

It lies within the Los Glaciares National Park, surrounded by vegetation of the Patagonia like beech, coihues and ñires. It is also a place where sport fishing, trekking in the nearby hills and horse riding are performed while seeing the panoramic landscapes of the area.

Centro Administrativo Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (Administrative Center Los Glaciares National Park):

It is located in an old building from 1946, and is considered a Municipal Historic Monument. It is surrounded by a park where you can observe the flora and fauna of the Patagonia as well as trail of historical interpretation where there is also a display of ancient machinery.

Nimez Lagoon:

In this lagoon you can see more than 80 species of birds, including flamingos, black-necked swans and others; plus a completely natural environment.

Punta Walichu:

This place is attractive because you can find interesting pictorial samples of the first inhabitants of the area in the Cave of the same name with steppe vegetation and several interpretive trails.

Balcón de El Calafate:

This is a stunning viewpoint of 15 kilometers that can be covered by 4x4. Here Huyliche hill with rocks that are more than 80 million years old can be seen, in addition to the peaks of the Cerro Chalten and Torre hill as well as the mouth of the Santa Cruz River and in the distance the village El Calafate.

On this tour you can see the Laberinto de Piedras, a rock formation of the Cretaceous period that exists for more than 85 million years.

To do

El Calafate has all kinds of outdoor activities, from completely touring the Los Glaciares National Park to navigate the surrounding lakes.

Surely you must know the Perito Moreno glacier, which corresponds to the main attraction of the sector. This impressive block of iceis more than 60 meters high and provides a unique view into the world, which is even more amazing if you come to witness their ice slides.

The Perito Moreno covers an area of ​​over 200 km2, the same size as the great Buenos Aires, and there are walkways to observe it from different points of the park.

The more adventurous people can out crampons on and hike directly on the surface of the glacier.

You can also make cruises on Lake Argentino and border from a zodiac boat the glacier walls which allows you to view the details of these huge blocks of ice.

Another glacier that can be explored is the Upsala Glacier. This glacier is accessed by navigating through Lake Argentino in the north part. From there the journey continues in a 4x4 vehicle to the base and the surrounding hills.

You can also do some sport fishing in rivers and lakes in the area and bird watching, especially in Laguna Nimez, where you can find many native species like flamingos, ducks, swans, geese, swallows, finches, among others.

Visits to cattle ranches in the area are another attraction of this area. Here you can find traditional activities such as farming, baking, sheep shearing; and some of them also provide accommodation and sightseeing tours.

Also, you can go horseback riding to explore the beautiful surroundings of the area such as the Bosque Petrificado La Leona, with its impressive fossil logs that show you the lush vegetation that existed in the area. 

Recommendations

Economy:

El Calafate is the only town in the area with banks, so must do all your needs and operations while being in the town. Money can be changed at money exchange branches or at the airport. There is only one exchange house in the villa.

Transportation:

In El Calafate there are bus services, taxis and shuttles.

Although this villa is small, it has an elongated shape, so if you want to move around the city we recommend you take taxis and buses, or transfer services that your hotel may provide.

Another option is to rent a car to explore, which also allows you to see the surroundings like El Chalten, Punta Banderas and some rather remote areas of the villa.

El Calafate there is also a small international airport which is located 23 kilometers from the city, where flights from Chile and from all major cities of Argentina arrive. From here there is a bus company that leads into the city, or the other option is taxi, shuttle buses or services that the hotels may provide.

There is also lake transportation, consisting of cruises and tour boats that cross some lakes in the area.

Communications:

The telephone code to of El Calafate is 02902. When calling from abroad, you must dial the code 54, which corresponds to Argentina.

Where and what to eat