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Latest El Calafate hotel reviews
Pro
Proximity to Glaciers National Park, nice location on Lago Argentina
Con
Commercialised and very touristy!
In a nutshell
To fully appreciate the area, bring tramping gear and leave only your footsteps!
vtveen Says: Our main object visiting El Calafate was the Perito Moreno Glacier. There are a couple of possibilities for a visit and ‘millions’ of travel agencies which offer guided trips.Unguided tripYou could rent a car (or even a 'remis') and drive to the glacier (80 km's one way)....
andal13 Says: When you are in El Calafate, you will find a lot of activities, most of all outside the town (and a lot of km far away!). Here you have some options:-Horseriding-Trekking -Trip to Los Glaciares National Park: Perito Moreno Glacier, Upsala Glacier, "All glaciers" -Trip to "La...
Cerro Frias, "The Uncommon Experience"
spidermiss Says: You can take either a day or an evening trip to Cerro Frias' summit by either foot, horse-back or 4WD and followed by either a barbecue lunch or dinner afterwards. On the top of Cerro Frias, weather permitting, you'll receive views of Monte Fitz Roy to the North and Torres...
spidermiss Says: This bird reserve is located on the outskirts of the centre. The reserve has a variety of birds including the Chilean Flamingoes where you can see them in the two lagunas, Nimez and Secundaria. You can take a nature walk around the reserve and it takes around two hours to...
vtveen Says: After almost two hours of driving we were just in time to catch the last boat at a part of Lago Argentino called Canal de los Témpanos. This boat trip - with a company called Fernandez Campbell - was not included in our half day (afternoon) trip to the glacier and we had to...
spidermiss Says: A must see sight! A number of agencies offer a guided day tour of Perito Moreno glacier. The package excludes the park entrance (estimated fee: 75 ARP-January 2010). Perito Moreno glacier is one of a the few remainng advancing glaciers in the world and grows an average of...
4 Reviews and 80 Opinions I stayed at this hotel recently for a total of 4 nights. The hotel is located in area which is...
2 Reviews and 181 Opinions We chose to stay in a cabin, we like the extra space and quiet. Solares del Sur is out on the edge...
Los Ventisqueros: Restaurante de Campo
Luchonda Says: On our way from The Glacier to our hotel we stopped for lunch in this "Restaurante de Campo(Resto in the fields) It was a rather cold and rainy excursion to the glacier, so to stop here,being warmed up by an open fire is super.We had entrance a soup, afterwards a nice piece...
Laguna Negra: Fabrica de Chocolates
spidermiss Says: This is an Argentine chocolate shop chain with branches in Patagonia. The shop specialises in dark chocolate and there is variety to choose and sample from. I just had a coffee at its cafe when I visited.
Ovejitas de la Patagonia: Yummy icecream!
spidermiss Says: This chocolate/icecream shop and cafe is highly recommended for its quality hot chocolate and icecream. It's worth trying the Calafate icecream, a berry for which the town is named after. There is also a factory/visitors centre on outskirts of the town where chocolates,...
El Galpon: Evening at the estancia
TheWanderingCamel Says: The long Spring and Summer days in Southern Patagonia, where it doesn't get dark until well past 10pm, leave plenty of time for an evening visit to an estancia - and you certainly get to see and do a lot in the hours before it gets dark and there's no doubt it is both a very...
Aerolineas Argentinas/Austral and LAN
vtveen Says: Argentina is a huge country and the distances between the main tourist sights are big. The most convenient and fast way of travelling is by airplane. Most of the domestic flights within Argentina are operated by Aerolineas Argentinas or Austral and LAN Argentina.The airport...
vtveen Says: A lot of travellers will visit both El Calafate and Torres del Paine (Puerto Natales) during their vacation. The best way for your travel from/to Chile between El Calafate and Puerto Natales is by bus. There are a couple of companies running services between these cities. We...
Shopping in El Calafate: A little retail therapy
TheWanderingCamel Says: With the long evenings of summer, late hours kept by the shops and smallness of the town , you're bound to spend more than a few evening hours window shopping in El Calafate. And with 2 out 3 premises along the main streets geared to selling stuff to the tourists, you'll...
Ovejitas de la Patagonia: The chocoholic's choice
TheWanderingCamel Says: Chocolate and Patagonia seem to go together in Argentina. Whilst El Calafate isn't the chocoholic heaven that Bariloche is, it probably won't be long before it starts to catch up ... which will be a bit of a shame. Between the two, I preferred El Calafate's chocolate shops -...
El Calafate unfair car rental agency , keep away
Yehuda Says: Try to keep away from Alquisur 4x4 car rental agency in El Calafate. They will try to make a small fortune on you in any possible way.Last year I wanted to hire a car from them and was requested to pay a 30% advance deposit, consisting of 500U$D, which I did more than 2...
Entrance Fee at Nationalpark Los Glaciares
BaileyBln Says: I was shocked when I had to pay the Entrance Fee for the National Park. It was 50 Pesos. Local Residents and Argentinians only have to opay 1/5 and less. Its ok to charge more for Tourists but not 5 times more. Really a rip off. Get a Local or Argentinian ID :-)
dtimoske Says: Have a backpack handy Bring layers especially when you make your trip to view the glacier. When you go on the boat, the chill from the glacier is quite cold. Other than that the temperature is fairly comfortable. Batteries are available at the National Park in case you run...
vtveen Says: We visited El Calafate during late spring (early December) and still it can be ‘winter’. Specially when visiting the glaciers or making a boat trip on one of the lakes it can be (very) cold. Besides the weather can change very quickly; during our visit we had wonderful...
vtveen Says: To make it a little bit easier to find information on the internet about El Calafate some links:Turismo El Calafate El CalafateEl Calafatelodging, eating, transport El CalafatetransportPark National Los Glaciares Cootra (bus)Zaahj (bus)Aerolineas ArgentinasLANWeather...
TheWanderingCamel Says: Sheep raising was Patagonia's main industry for many, many years. As well as Spanish(mainly Basque) and Welsh settlers who came to take up the vast tracts of land available to anyone willing to brave the harsh weather and empty spaces that make sheep-raising the only viable...
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Plan a El Calafate vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and El Calafate locals
El Calafate - Los Glaciares National Park, located in the southwest of the Santa Cruz Province, was created in 1937. The total surface of the Park is 600,000 hectares: 154,000 belong to the Area of National...
3 members live in El Calafate
Q: Hi,I am visiting Argentina in November 2011. I want to visit El Calafate but is it safe for a lady to travel all alone and by...
A: Yes, it's safe, we've seen ladies traveling alone there without problems.In general people do excursions to Perito Moreno Glacier ( we've made the ice trekking) and a...
Read 5 Replies
1
El Calafate: Between the Steppe and the Ice
El Calafate is a small and charming town lost in the immensity of the Patagonian steppe; it is the main doorway to the wonderful Glaciers Park. El Calafate es un pueblo pequeño y encantador, perdido...
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...to the very tip of South America takes you into the bleakly beautiful landscape of icy waters, white-capped mountains and windswept heathlands, of awe-inspiring glaciers and silent moss-clad woods...
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For those who wants to see glaciers, do some trekking...El Calafate is the main city. From there you can get to the Perito Moreno glacier, and also take buses to other cities such as El Chalten,...
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Perito Moreno - a breathtaking spectacle
Perito Moreno is the only inland glacier that is still growing. It comes down to 180 m over sea level and stops in the biggest lake in Argentina. There are more facts that are very impressive but the...
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El Calafate - glaciers and steppe
The town of El Calafate is situated in the far south of Argentina. By far the most people will arrive by plane and travelling on that way we had some great views to the Andes Mountains and the...
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