Welcome to El Calafate
El Calafate, declared national capital of the glaciers, is the starting point to visit this region. Settled on the southern shore of Lago Argentino, Santa Cruz, it has the ideal tourist facilities, joining the natural environment with all the necessary comfort for a pleasant stay.

Sunrise in Lago Argentino
In this page:
In the surroundings of the glaciers

Tourist services

Destinations

How to get there
In the surroundings of the glaciers
El Calafate is today a tourist villa of almost 7000 inhabitants, the closest to the great Perito Moreno glacier, in Los Glaciares National Park. Since it was founded, December, 7th 1927, this town has grown to become a main tourist destination. It's typical roofs and gardens, the variety of flowers and trees, make a warm and delicate environment that combines perfectly leisure and adventure.

City plan of El Calafate
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Tourist services
El Calafate offers a wide range of services and commerces including:
Lodging in hotels, hosterías, cabins, appartments, hostels, etc.
Transport by road, by planen on the lakes, rent-a-car, etc
Gastronomy with restaurants, pizzas, tea houses, ice cream shops, etc..
Touristic agents that have choices to visit every destination.
Souvenirs, handycrafts, regional products, clothing, books and other gifts.
Other services that include banks, gas stations, public telephone, etc.
Other shops like photo, drugstores, pharmacies, etc.
Goods in supermarkets, markets, bakeries, and delicatessen.
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Destinations
Without any doubt, every traveler that comes to this latitudes of Argentina's Patagonia, looks forward to visit one of the natural wonders of the world: Perito Moreno glacier. This region treasures places and landscapes that seem to come out of a dream, where Nature always invites to adventure and exploration. Because of its strategic emplacement, El Calafate is the starting point to all destinations and possibilities of the area: visiting to glaciers and El Chaltén area, discovering Walicho Cave and Tehuelche culture, enjoying a fishing day at Lago Roca, promenade through Bahía Redonda, visiting the touristic Estancias, trekking, flying in an aerostatic balloon, back horse riding, bike or four-wheel motorcycles, rafting, and much more.

Photo gallery

For all these reasons, El Calafate is the ideal place for those who look for organized activities and also for those that prefer free activities or to practice sports, but surrounded with all the comfort and facilities:
Free activities: bike or four-wheel motorcycles rent, horse rides, etc.
Organized activities: tours, horse rides, fishing, city tours, etc.
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How to get there
By plane
Regular flights to El Calafate International Airport. From here buses or taxis to El Calafate city (Distance to El Calafate: 17 Km.).

By bus
From Río Gallegos: from the bus terminal by Rio Gallegos International Airport (4 hours). From Chile: Puerto Natales. Bus to El Calafate in a 5 hours ride.

By car
From Río Gallegos: through Provincial Route No.5, National Route No.40 and Provincial Route No. 11. Total distance: 320 Km.


Santa Cruz Province: Main routes and locations
From Buenos Aires: NR N°3, following the seaside of Mar Argentino, visiting major cities as Bahía Blanca, Trelew o Comodoro Rivadavia. Getting to Comandante Luis Piedra Buena, in Santa Cruz, you can choose to take NR N°288 (grave), which crosses the desert of patagonian steppe up to NR N° 40 (grave). From there on it follows the North-South direction towards Lago Argentino and finally PR N° 11, which ends in the National Park after crossing El Calafate.
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