El Calafate
The berries of the calafate bush, they say, guarantee that anyone who eats them will return to Patagonia. This small town of 29,000 souls on the shores of the impossibly blue Lago Argentina has built its existence around that promise and the glaciers that draw travelers from around the world. El Calafate sits cool and dry in the rain shadow of the Andes, its summers mild but whipped by the winds that define this southern steppe, its winters cold enough to bring snow from May through September. From this base, visitors venture into Los Glaciares National Park to witness one of the few advancing glaciers on Earth, the Perito Moreno, as it groans, creaks, and spectacularly calves house-sized chunks of ice into the milky waters below.
The Blue Giant
Ninety minutes by bus from El Calafate, the Perito Moreno Glacier stretches five kilometers wide and rises 60 meters above the water's surface. Unlike most glaciers worldwide, it continues to advance, periodically damming a portion of Lago Argentino until water pressure builds to explosive release. Visitors crowd the viewing platforms, waiting for the thunder of calving ice, watching as blue towers collapse into the lake with massive splashes. Boat excursions navigate among the floating icebergs, their shapes and colors constantly shifting in the Patagonian light. Some visitors drop chunks of ancient glacier ice into their whiskey, drinking the frozen breath of thousands of years.
The Road Less Traveled
The remarkable bus journey along Ruta 40 connects El Calafate to Bariloche over two and a half days of rough roads and stunning vistas. The first leg runs through landscapes that change slowly, the beauty of lonely places unfolding hour after hour for those patient enough to appreciate it. The journey passes through El Chalten, Argentina's trekking capital beneath the spires of Fitz Roy, and offers the chance to detour to the Cueva de las Manos, painted caves where ancient hands left their marks on stone 9,000 years ago. This is travel for those who love the journey as much as the destination.
Gateway Town
Aerolineas Argentinas connects El Calafate to Buenos Aires daily, and charter flights from Puerto Natales in Chile offer scenic Andean crossings in just 90 minutes. The town's main street buzzes with outdoor gear shops, chocolate stores, and restaurants serving the local specialty: cordero patagonico, Patagonian lamb slow-roasted over open flame. At Laguna Nimez, just blocks from downtown, Patagonian birds wade and forage within easy viewing distance, a perfect introduction for those just arrived and eager to see real Patagonia. ATMs cluster along the main street, though finding one that works, is open, and has cash may require patience.
Beyond the Ice
Onelli Bay lies 70 kilometers from town, accessible only by boat, one of the most romantic corners of the park where visitors picnic with champagne and drop chips of pure crystal ice into their drinks. The Los Glaciares National Park contains dozens of glaciers beyond the famous Perito Moreno, their shapes and colors creating an ever-changing gallery of frozen art. Nearby El Chalten offers world-class hiking beneath the granite towers of Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. To the west, across the border in Chile, Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine National Park await, reachable in three and a half hours by car.
From the Air
Located at 50.33S, 72.28W in Argentine Patagonia. El Calafate International Airport Comandante Armando Tola (SAWC) lies 23km east of town, with daily flights to Buenos Aires (SAEZ/SABE) and seasonal connections to Ushuaia (SAWH), Bariloche (SAZS), and Chilean destinations. The Perito Moreno Glacier and Los Glaciares National Park are visible to the west. The Southern Patagonian Ice Field extends along the Andes divide with Chile.