Argentina - El Calafate

At Calafate you will find yourself at the gateway to the majestic world of glaciers. The town is located on the shores of lake Lago Argentino, with mysterious deep green waters and a surface area covering 1,600 km² (618 miles²), a length of 60 km (37 miles) and a width of 12 - 14 km (7.5-9 miles). The lake has great depths, like all lakes originating from glacial eras, ranging from 35 m (115 ft) on the southern shore, to 300 m (985 ft) off the Avellaneda Peninsula. The climate is predominantly dry with an average maximum temperature of 19ºC and an average minimum of -2ºC in winter
 
El Calafate connects you with the most unknown and magical features of our geography and receives its name from the small ‘calafate’ bush, indigenous of Patagonia. Its fruit is a delicious berry which is very good for the elaboration of jam. According to tradition, whoever eats the ‘calafate’ berry will return for more.
 
Calafate is a tourist resort of both national and international renown, since it is the start point for all glacier excursions. It is an oasis of poplars, willows and pines on the edge o the Patagonian steppe. For admirers of glaciers, this small enchanted town is a must do tourist destination in Argentina.
 
Here are some of the excursions from Calafate that we include in out itineraries:

Perito Moreno Glacier and Los Glaciares National Park

The tour to the Perito Moreno glacier begins along the shores of lake Lago Argentino on the right While watching the botanical transition between Patagonian steppe vegetation to Andean Patagonian vegetation, consisting of ‘lenga’ and ‘nire’ beech trees, and intensely coloured flowers, among which the redness of Embothrium (Chilean Firetree) stands out.
 
Once inside the Glaciers National Park, you will be able to amble along the long and wide walkways, arranged on three different levels, from where we will be dazzled by the spectacular views of the Perito Moreno Glacier, further enhanced every now and then by the rupture, sometimes significant, of its front wall.
 
The national park has a surface area of some 6,000 km² (2,316 miles²) with 47 glaciers, namely the Viedma, Moyano, Marconi, Upsala, Agassiz, Bolado, Onelli, Peineta, Spegazzini, Mayo, Ameghino, Moreno and the Frías glaciers, all of them located within the Atlantic basin.
 
At the National Park, it is possible to embark on two differing and optional nautical excursions that take you on a nautical tour along the northern and southern walls from where you will be able to contemplate the glacier in all its beauty and magnitude.

Upsala Glacier and Bahía Onelli Bay

An amazing lake voyage to the heart of the ice cap. The tour starts at the Punta Bandera quay 47 km (30 miles) from El Calafate, sailing the northern arm of Lago Argentino toward the Upsala glacier, the largest glacier of the Patagonian ice cap and has walls of between 60-80 meters (200-265 ft) in height. You will then navigate along the 6km front wall of the glacier and then head for Onelli bay.
 
Here you may disembark and start an 800 meter (0.5 miles) walk through a typical Andean-Patagonian forest, with abundant ‘lenga’ and ‘ñire’ beech trees, and ‘guindo’ cherry plum trees, leading to Lago Onelli where you will see the convergence of the Onelli, Bonelli and Agassi glaciers sliding through the valley outlined by their neighbouring mountains.
 
Amidst this impressive natural environment you will enjoy your lunch, after which you will start the return journey, this time toward the biggest of glaciers all. The Upsala glacier, with an area of 595 Km² (230 miles²), produces the largest and most amazing icebergs due to their shapes and shades. The voyage will return you to Punta Bandera and El Calafate.