El Calafate is the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park in Argentinian Patagonia. There is a lot you can see and do in this town or just outside it. Along with the best things to do in El Calafate, this post also provides a mini guide to the town.
Things to Do in El Calafate
Explore Glaciers
El Calafate’s official slogan is Tierra de Glaciares or land of glaciers! There are so many glacier related activities that you can do when you visit this town.
Sailing to the Spegazzini and Upsala Glaciers
This day trip from El Calafate takes you sailing to see some incredible glaciers that are a part of the Los Glaciares National Park. This is easily one of the best things to do in El Calafate and I highly recommend this tour. Read more about it HERE.
Visit Perito Moreno Glacier
Perito Moreno is the most famous glacier in this region and is a must visit when in El Calafate. There are many ways you can visit this glacier, all of which I have covered in great detail in THIS POST!
Visit the Ice Museum
Officially known as the Glaciarium Patagonian Ice Museum, this museum provides information and education about glaciers, ice and the Southern Patagonian Icefields. It is located about 8 kilometers from El Calafate and offers a free shuttle from and to town. Check out more HERE.
Visit an Estancia
An estancia is essentially a ranch or farm that rears cattle and sheep. Estancias are a huge part of the culture and lifestyle in Patagonian Argentina. You can visit two estancias from El Calafate.
- Nibeko Aike: Situated just an hour away from El Calafate, Nibeko Aike is an authentic working estancia in Los Glaciares National Park. This estancia has sheep, cattle and horses. Some of the activities they offer include horse back riding with gauchos, milking cows, a sheep shearing demonstration and hiking.
- Estancia Christina: This estancia is surrounded by glaciers, snowcapped mountains and lakes. Situated at Lago Argentino, you can only access the estancia by boat and takes about 2 hours to do so. The estancia offers day visits as well as stays. One of its many attractions is its proximity to the mighty Upsala Glacier. If you are into hiking, they offer a few guided hikes of varying distances that brings you close to the glacier. This estancia is the more expensive of the two but prices include transfer to/from Punta Bandera, sailing to Upsala Glacier, activities (4×4, hiking, horse riding, fishing) and meals.
Hike
El Chalten is the national hiking capital of Argentina and is a 2.5 hour drive from El Calafate. If you wake up early enough, you can easily drive to El Chalten for the day and do some hikes. Granted, it will definitely be a long day but trust me, some of the hikes and views are SO worth it! You can also drive to Torres del Paine in Chile from El Calafate. It will also be a long day but doable if you wake up early and don’t mind the long hours. Both these recommendations are best done in the summer, late spring or early fall when the days are longer.
If you don’t have your own vehicle, check out these day trips from El Calafate to El Chalten and Torres del Paine.
Go Bird Watching
If you love bird watching or just love relaxing, slow paced activities, then walk over to Laguna Nimez. This nature reserve is a 20 minute walk from the main drag of El Calafate and boasts of being home to over 100 different species of birds. Its most famous residence are pink flamingos. You can do a ~3 kilometer walk on the boardwalk and see how many you can spot.
Shop
The main drag of El Calafate is full of souvenir shops. You can also get some of the local foods like calafate berry products, artisanal chocolates or Argentinian favorites like alfajores and dulce de leche. Furthermore, there is an Artisanal Market where you can buy locally made products.
Try Local Food
With so many restaurant options around, El Calafate is a great place to try local Patagonian food! Here are must tries in my option.
- Lamb – There is something about Patagonian lamb that is like no other lamb I’ve had before. It’s so tender and juicy and falls apart!
- Trout – With the many pristine rivers and stream flowing in Patagonia, trout is a must try when in this region
- Calafate Berries – Calafate berries look like blue berries but I would say they are slightly more tart. You can find Calafate berries in various desserts all over Patagonia. Try it in ice cream form at Acuarela, in an alfajores or inside a chocolate
- Chocolate – Artisanal chocolates are a must try in El Calafate. You will find any chocolate shops throughout the town
El Calafate Mini Guide
Getting to El Calafate
If you are coming from Buenos Aires, there are several flights to El Calafate a day from both airports in Buenos Aires. If you are coming from Chile, you can cross the border near Puerto Natales.
Once at the airport, you can get a taxi to town or reserve one ahead of time. You can also take a bus. HERE are some contact details and the associated cost of a taxis vs the bus. Furthermore, this site also gives out contact details of rental car companies. THIS is another company that offers shared and private transfers from the airport to El Calafate.
Car Rental
You do not need a car to move around in El Calafate town. Everything is walkable. However, you may want to rent a car to either go to El Chalten, to visit Perito Moreno or to cross the border to Chile if you are visiting Patagonia on the Chilean side.
Technically, there is public transport available for all of the things listed above but having a car gives you so much more flexibility over your schedule.
If you want to rent a car, my advice is to book early as possible. Especially if you need an automatic. I rented a car from Servi Car. I reserved the car via WhatsApp and paid an advance via Paypal and then paid the rest in pesos when I picked up the car. They are highly rated and was easy to deal with. My one advice is to confirm the transmission type when you book.
Where I Stayed
There are lots of accommodation options for various budgets in El Calafate. Booking.com is my go to site to book accommodation as I love their filter options. I also love that they have a separate location score which is something I look for. I stayed at a budget option called Las Cabañitas. This place had lofted cabins and was close to everything. Ana who runs the place was a fantastic host! She was super responsive and very warm and friendly!
Where I Ate
El Calafate has no shortage of good restaurants. You can find bars, parillas, cafes, fine dining restuarants and everything in between. While I did not get a chance to explore all the best eating places in El Calafate, here are the ones I did get to explore and can recommend.
Pietro’s Cafe
You have to try their empanadas! They are absolutely delicious!
Pura Vida
Pura Vida is a highly rated restaurant in El Calafate that serves Latin American food. Their portions are huge and the atmosphere is very warm and cozy. Reservations are recommended.
Mi Rancho
This restaurant serves South American cuisine and according to my server are famous for their desserts. They have a menu that ranges from stake to pasta. I tried the king crab stuffed pasta and it was delicious! They also had a small tango show (for tips) as a part of the entertainment.
Acuarela
Acuarela is a gelateria that boats of the best ice cream in Patagonia. They have loads of flavors to try from but try their calafate flavored ice cream.
Dulce Lugar
An artisanal chocolate maker that sells a variety of flavored chocolates. I tried the calafate and a few other flavors and they were all very delicious.
Money Exchange
Argentina has a complicated exchange rate. I will cover this in depth in a future post, but don’t rely on the Western Union in El Calafate to pull out pesos. Your best bet is to exchange dollars or euros for pesos in Buenos Aires before you arrive in El Calafate or to bring crisp $100 bills that you can exchange for pesos. A few restaurants around town offer exchange services.
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