Destination guide: El Calafate, Argentina
El Calafate is the gateway to Antarctica’s fascinating world of glaciers and ice, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In fact, this tourist town offers its visitors the chance to go on several different trips and excursions in the Los Glaciares National Park, as well as to the Argentine Lake (the most southern of the Patagonian lakes) and Mount Fitz Roy (considered by the ancestral tribes of this part of Argentina a sacred mountain).
Don’t put it off any longer, fly with LAN and enjoy your vacation in El Calafate.
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El Calafate
Named for the berry that, once eaten, guarantees your return to Patagonia, El Calafate hooks you with another irresistible attraction: Glaciar Perito Moreno, 80km away in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. The glacier is a magnificent must-see. At the same time, it’s a fun place to be with a range of traveler services. The town’s strategic location between El Chalten and Torres del Paine (Chile) makes it an inevitable stop for those in transit.
Located 320km northwest of Rio Gallegos, and 32km west of RP 11’s junction with northbound RN 40, El Calafate flanks the southern shore of Lago Argentino. The main strip, Av del Libertador General San Martin (typically abbreviated to Av Libertador), is dotted with cutesy knotted-pine souvenir shops, chocolate shops, restaurants and tour offices.
January and February are the most popular (and costly) months to visit, but as shoulder-season visits grow steadily, both availability and prices stay a challenge.
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