South America
Welcome Kit
Argentina
El Calafate
El Calafate is the gateway to the majestic world of the glaciers.
Home of the huge Perito Moreno glacier.
El Calafate connects you with the most unknown and magical features of our geography.
Highlights
The must in El Calafate is, of course, Los Glaciares National Park, where you visit the Perito Moreno Glacier. There are plenty of options to enjoy this wonder, many tourists prefer the tour that combines the trekking over the glacier and the catwalks.
General Facts
El Calafate is located on the shores of the Argentino Lake, which has bright greenish waters. This town is mainly known as the access to Los Glaciares National Park, home of the huge Perito Moreno glacier. Around the area there are several “Estancias” (Ranches) that offer accommodation and also show tourists activities of these traditional Patagonian establishments.
This town is near Argentino Lake, a green water surface covering 1,600 km2, with a length of 60 km and a width between 12 and 14 km (7 mi and 9 mi). It also has great mysterious depths, like all lakes originated from glaciers, ranging from 35m / 115ft in Feruglio, on the southern shore, to 300m / 984 ft off the Avellaneda Peninsula.
The Glaciers National Park covers a surface of some 600,000 hectares / 1,482,632 acres with 47 glaciers, such as the Viedma, the Moyano, the Marconi, the Upsala, the Agassiz, the Bolado, the Onelli, the Peineta, the Spegazzini, the Mayo, the Ameghino, the Moreno and the Frías, all of them located within the Atlantic basin. The National Park allows hikes and navigations, on which visitors can enjoy the view of amazing landscapes, shaped by infinite bluish ice needles and also learn about the ancestral ice.
Map Location
Documentation
A valid Passport.
Most countries in America and Western Europe do not require a visa.
Insurance information.
Best Time to Go
Warm temperatures attract more tourist attention than cold ones. The summer season is considered the most ideal to visit Patagonia Argentina. This occurs between the months of December, January and February. The different colors in the landscape can be observed.
Around mid-February you can attend to the biggest festival in Patagonia: the Fiesta del Lago (Lake’s Fest), where sport and cultural events are organized, and national and International artists are invited.
If you have not decided when to go to El Calafate yet, March is an excellent option: weather is very nice and there are not many tourists as during January and February, the peak season.
Another ideal moment to visit this region is the time when the winds that affect this region decrease in great proportion. This is during the spring equinox (October-November) and autumn (March-April), that also combine less tourism and good rates of low season.
Clothing
A trip to Argentina means, in most cases, enjoying the outdoors and getting close to nature. Thus, binoculars will help to see wildlife more closely, or the detail of the ice of a glacier.
If you take a hiking tour, especially on top of the ice of the glaciers, it is advisable to wear gloves that protect the hands of the edges of the ice, in the case of a fall or having to rely on something solid.
If you visit Patagonia, it is convenient to wear a scarf or windbreaker. In most places you will need a jacket and a fleece coat or similar, even if it is summer, since in the same day you can have all 4 seasons.
Good shoes will be necessary. Boots or good walking shoes will be very useful, especially if planning activities to the outdoors.
Apart from clothes, it is advisable to take: sunscreen, creams, flashlight, medicines in case you need them.
Healthcare
Packing
Argentinean flights allow, as their restrictions are limited to 33 pounds (15 kg) per person.
Currency
Peso Argentino.
Major credit cards are widely accepted.
Electricity
El Calafate: 220 V – 60 Hz.
Plugs Type C / I
Local Taxes
Foodie
To know the gastronomy of a place is to know the culture, and the ancestors. The gastronomy of a place tells us about its history and unknown stories to many of us .
When we talk about the local food of El Calafate and its surroundings, as in almost the entire area of Patagonia, the Lamb cannot be missed, although trout, salmon and deer are also characteristic of the area.
But the gastronomic offer of El Calafate grows day by day and includes international food, pizzerias, fast food, places to have a drink overlooking the lake Anyway, surely you will find something new to discover.
Red Meat
Patagonian lamb is the most requested dish by tourists and although it can be eaten in different ways, they cannot leave the area without trying a good lamb “asado” (barbecued).
The choique (ñandú or ostrich) and guanaco dishes are also typical.
Guanaco meat is tasty and lean and in the province of Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego, it is increasingly a more common alternative in their menus and menus, since the guanaco population increased in recent years, so much that there was overpopulation For this reason, the government supported the initiative to return to the gastronomy of the ancestors, who used guanacos to eat and also made clothes with their skins, necessary for the cold in the area.
Two other highly consumed meats in the area are the rabbit and the mountain hare, also cooked on the grill or in the oven. This food delights the palates of all people with the most exquisite flavors. Likewise, these dishes are cooked with mushrooms, raspberries, blackberries, wild boars, deer, among other ingredients, which give a unique and indescribable flavour to all your meals.
The best to accompany these meals are the most delicious red and white wines that are famous in Argentina for their high-quality harvest and for the freshest and richest craft beer. In addition, you can try a snack with the most delicious varieties of cold cuts and cheeses in the area.
Fish
Another dish that stands out in El Calafate is trout, since it is caught from the lakes that are near the city, allowing them to have a greater freshness. One of the meals prepared with this fish is “trout en papillote”, which is a trout fillet with chopped tomatoes with smoked bacon. The trout is closed well and then wrapped in aluminum and cooked in the oven, this meal should be accompanied with white wine. It is the best option for a dinner admiring the landscape of Patagonia Argentina
Sweets
Among the most consumed desserts, and which are one of the regional sweet dishes, is the red fruit crumble with ice cream, “rosehip” chutney, both dishes made with the fruits of the local harvest; and the richest artisan chocolates.
El Calafate, like other Patagonian regions, is characterized by its sweets, chocolates, fruits and other delicacies that are also a source of attention for tourists (You will not be able to leave El Calafate without buying chocolates fromAbuela Goye, or Mamuschka). The chocolates stand out for having almonds, walnuts, “dulce de leche” (milk caramel), among other fillings.
The confectionery, of European origin, uses all the variety of red fruits that are cultivated in the neighboring farms. Be sure to try the specialties that include “calafate”, the typical fruit of the area. There are cakes, jellies, sweets and liqueurs, not to be missed!
Craft Beer
In this city you will find two places that offer their own beer: Chopen, which is the best known, and Borges y Álvarez. In both cases they are rather light beers, including black and red, ideal to accompany meats, hamburgers, pizzas or snacks.
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Activities
Traditional visit to Perito Moreno Glacier
Departing in the morning from El Calafate, after 80 km you reach the western end of the Peninsula de Magallanes from where the walk along the walkways begins. Here you can spend the time you want to this amazing place, with various stops at panoramic points within the National Park.
The walkways are 3 km long. They are located at different levels and allow you to contemplate the glacier from different perspectives and balconies. Depending on the physical conditions, you can reach the lower balconies and near the glacier or stay on the first balconies easily accessible for anyone.
Nautical Safari
This is a complementary excursion (not included) that is combined with the visit to the Perito Moreno Glacier walkways. It consists of a navigation of approximately one hour, departing from the Puero Bajo Las Sombras on the Brazo Rico of Lake Argentino.
During the first 20 minutes of navigation you will be able to observe icebergs as a result of the constant ruptures in the front of the Glacier. The boat then approaches the southern wall of the Glacier to observe the landslides that occur and take photographs.
Minitrekking over Perito Moreno Glacier (Easy Level)
Departing from El Calafate up to Bajo la Sombra port, 8 km before the Perito Moreno Glacier where we embark to cross the Brazo Rico del Lago and we disembark at the opposite shore after 20 minutes navigation. Then we reach a shelter where the guides organize groups up to 20 people.
The walking begins when we reach the glacier where the guides fit crampons on our shoes.
Walking on the glacier takes almost 1 and a half hour during which crevasses, seracs, drains and small lagoons can be observed. Hike is not so hard on an irregular but firm and secure ice surface.
Afterwards, you return to the Puerto Bajo las Sombras and visit the walkways located at the front of the glacier, where you can have a different perspective of the landscape from the famous balconies of Perito Moreno.
Big Ice, trekking over Perito Moreno Glacier (Advanced Level)
Departing from El Calafate up to Bajo las Sombras wharf, after a 10 minutes navigation you disembark on the opposite cost. Together with mountain guides you began the trekking by a path in the moraine to find a spectacular sight, and after fitting crampons on your shoes you start the ice trekking.
Once on ice, you trek about four hours, during which you can appreciate unbelievable eternal drains and surprising caves, which makes you feel in the center of the glacier.
Finally, you return to the Puerto Bajo las Sombras and head to visit the walkways located on the front of the glacier. Tour of physical demand only for people between 18 to 45 years with good health.