By air
El Calafate (FTE), ~20 km
South America · Argentina
El Calafate, Argentina
The Perito Moreno Glacier's thundering face
Getting there
Best time to visit
November to March — summer
Don't miss
Perito Moreno Glacier
Lago Argentino
Upsala Glacier
The Glaciarium
Things to do
The glacier walkways
A boat to the ice face
Mini-trekking on the ice
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Fernando · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Warm windproof layers, sunglasses
A quieter corner
The Laguna Nimez bird reserve at the edge of town
Questions travellers ask
How can I see the Perito Moreno Glacier?
Walk the glacier walkways, take a boat to the ice face, or go mini-trekking on the ice.
When should I visit El Calafate?
November to March, in summer. Pack warm windproof layers and sunglasses.
What else is there to do in El Calafate?
See Upsala Glacier and Lago Argentino, visit the Glaciarium, and spot birds at the Laguna Nimez bird reserve at the edge of town.
What's the dish to try in El Calafate?
Patagonian lamb roasted over the fire — cordero al asador.
About El Calafate
- Lakeside
Where it is
El Calafate is a town in Santa Cruz province in the Patagonia region of Argentina, on the southern shore of Lago Argentino, the country's largest lake, about 80 km from the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park.
History
Tehuelche people hunted guanaco on these steppes long before Europeans arrived. In the early 20th century the site was a sheltering place for wool traders, the town was officially founded in 1927, and Los Glaciares National Park, created in 1937 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, later made it the gateway to Patagonia's glaciers.
People
El Calafate is a young town whose people have come from all over Argentina to work in tourism, and Spanish is spoken. Patagonian traditions of sheep estancias, gauchos and lamb roasted on an iron cross over an open fire live on in the ranches around it.
Known for
- The Perito Moreno Glacier
- Boat trips to the Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers
- Trekking on the glacier ice
- The Glaciarium ice museum
- Patagonian lamb roasted over a fire
Did you know?
The town is named after the calafate, a thorny Patagonian bush whose dark berries are said to ensure that whoever eats them will return to Patagonia.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.