EL CALAFATE, ARGENTINA
El Calafate is a small town of about 20,000 residents in Argentina’s Patagonia region. There is not an abundance to do in the town itself and most travelers spend no more than a night here before heading to El Chaltén. El Calafate is an important stop on your Patagonian adventure though because it has an airport and is also in very close proximity to the famous Perito Moreno.
Attractions:
Perito Moreno: Only 90 minutes outside of town, Perito Moreno is Argentina’s most famous glacier. Its ice field is the third largest reserve of fresh water on the entire planet! At 97 square miles in area, this glacier is bigger than each of the seven smallest countries in the world! The national park is open from 8am-6pm and costs 2,400 ARS to enter. If you carve out 1-2 hours to walk around, that will give you plenty of time to see everything. If you do not have a car, the public bus ride from El Calafate Bus Terminal is 90 minutes and costs 2,400 ARS round-trip.
La Leona Petrified Forest: La Leona is 110km (68 miles) outside of El Calafate. Tours picking up in town cost $65 USD and are 8 hours long; guide and transportation are included.
Glaciarium Patagonian Ice Museum: This is one of the few glacier museums in the world! It is open daily from 11am-8pm and costs 2,400 ARS ($10 USD) to enter.
Other spots to check out include: Reserva Laguna Nimez, Estancia Cristina, and Cuevas Gualicho.
Accommodation:
America del Sur: A favorite amongst backpackers for its beautiful design, cozy common area, and ideal location. On foot, it is just 10 minutes from town center and 15 minutes from El Calafate Bus Terminal. They also have world-class staff to help you navigate the region’s many tourist attractions. Breakfast included in your bed price doesn’t hurt either!
Transportation:
The main bus station in El Calafate is El Calafate Bus Terminal; all buses below leave from here.
El Chaltén is 3 hours by bus from El Calafate and costs 3,600 ARS ($15 USD). For other price options, check out Cal-Tur or Chaltén Travel.
Renting a car is also an option. My friends and I rented an automatic, four-door sedan through Nunatak Rent A Car. Inclusive of the rental price ($80 USD/day), insurance, and one tank of gas, the total price for 5 days was 90,000 ARS ($485 USD). Given that this price was split 5 ways, it was a good option for our group - especially because it gave us added flexibility to drive to and from Perito Moreno.
Puerto Natales, Chile is 6 hours by bus from El Calafate and costs 4,200 ARS ($17 USD). There are no direct flights between these two cities, but you can fly indirectly through Buenos Aires. There are also no border crossing fees for this journey.
Ushuaia is 17 hours by bus from El Calafate (indirect; via Rio Gallegos) and costs 15,080 ARS ($62 USD). The flight is 1.5 hours and costs 18,000-30,000 ARS ($105-$165 USD).
Buenos Aires is 40 hours by bus from El Calafate (indirect; via Rio Gallegos) and costs 42,000 ARS ($170 USD). The flight is 3 hours and costs 25,500-30,000 ARS ($140-$165 USD).
Santiago, Chile is 50+ hours by bus from El Calafate (indirect; via Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, and Osorno) and costs 21,300 ARS ($89 USD). There are no direct flights between these two cities. You can either fly (indirect; via Buenos Aires) or take a bus from El Calafate to Puerto Natales (6 hours) and then fly from Puerto Natales to Santiago (3.5 hours).
El Calafate Airport (FTE), sometimes referred to as Comandante Armando Tola, is 21km (13 miles) from the city center and accessible via shuttle bus or taxi.
Shuttle Bus: The ride directly to your hotel/hostel is 30 minutes and costs 360 ARS ($1.50 USD). Be sure to book in advance to get the best price! This service can also be used to travel from FTE to El Chaltén (3 hours; $40 USD).
Taxi: The ride is 20 minutes and costs 3,000-4,500 ARS ($12-$18 USD) depending on the time of day.
