El Calafate, best known as “the capital of glaciers” is one of the most popular destinations in Argentina and Patagonia.
We landed at El Calafate Airport – I was surprised to see that it is a small airport, get out of the plane, pick up your luggage and you are out of the airport. There’s a taxi stand as you walk to get outside – where you can book a cab to take you to your hotel. The charge was approximately 4000 ARS.
We checked into our hotel – Blanca Patagonia Boutique Inn and Cabins and we absolutely loved this place. This place was a bit outside of the town, but it had amazing views, we had an entire cabin all to ourselves on a small hill. The breakfast in this place was decent! So, if you are ever planning to be in El Calafate do keep this hotel as one of your choices.
From our cabin downtown was a bit of a hike (30-35 mins). This main street has a bunch of restaurants and grocery stores. We walked down to the restaurant a couple of times, and it felt very safe. The weather is unpredictable so keep your jacket with you. During our stay one day it was extremely windy and after 5 hours it was calm and nice. One restaurant which we liked was very eclectic – Shackleton Solo – named after inspired and named after Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton.
Perito Moreno Glacier Tour
Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia. The 250 km2 (97 sq mi) ice formation, 30 km (19 mi) in length, is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This ice field is the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water.
Some Suggestions
There weren’t any Ubers available in El Calafate – mostly taxis. If you find a good cab driver, take their number, and communicate with them via WhatsApp to arrange rides. Alternatively, you can ask your hotel lobby to call for a taxi for you. There are also taxi centers on the main street (I saw at least two of them where you can walk up to and get a taxi to return or go wherever else you need to.
We did not see any western unions in El Calafate, at least the streets we walked, so if you are going to El Calafate make sure you exchange your money in Buenos Aires or other big cities.
As usual please provide your feedback or ask any questions you may have, and I will try and answer them
Leave a Reply