El Calafate

The picturesque little town of El Calafate (5,000 inhabitants) has built a name for itself as the "gateway to the glaciers", due to its popularity as a base for journeys through the glaciers in the region. With superb accommodation facilities and the hard to match warmth and hospitality of its people, El Calafate seems to be a magnet for argentine as well as international tourists avid to discover the incredible beauty of its surroundings. Although new developments are constantly increasing lodging capacity, it is not rare that accommodation to be fully booked at any time of the year…so make sure to plan your trip in advance!

Fifty miles west of El Calafate lays the famous Perito Moreno Glacier, which is 19 miles long and has an overall surface of 155 square miles. The Perito Moreno is one of the few glaciers in the world that is not retreating. In fact, every year this glacier imperceptibly advances across Lago Argentino and periodically breaks over the lake in an amazing spectacle that attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. The incredible beauty of Perito Moreno glacier can be appreciated from strategically placed viewpoints on land, as well as during a pleasing boat drive on the Lago Argentino. Several local operators also offer guided trekking tours on the glacier surface.

Another popular glacier in the region is the Upsala Glacier, a 31 miles long ice mass that can also be admired from the waters of Lago Argentino. The special attraction from Upsala Glacier is the presence of dark brown lines on its surface, which beautifully contrast with the whiteness of the ice and the deep blue of the lake water. Such brown lines are called moraines, and they are a mixture of rock and sand that fall off the mountains and are carried along by the glacier over thosands of years. Moraines usually come into being when 2 or more glaciers meet. The Upsala Glacier is formed with the contribution of more that 30 glaciers from the neighbouring mountains, which explains the vast presence of moraines on its surface.

Additional attractions in this region include The Glaciers National Park, with countless breathtaking landscapes, visits to traditional Estancias, hiking, biking and horse-back riding tours.

Although new developments are constantly increasing lodging capacity, it is not rare that accommodation to be full booked at any time of the year…so make sure to plan your trip in advance!