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TOURISM

TURISTIC PLACES

Walks in and around the city
NIMEZ LAGOON

Located 1 km from the commercial hub, it offers a self-guided trail along which you can enjoy watching over 80 bird species.


Inside this museum you will find archaeological, paleontological and geological material, samples of the flora and fauna of the area, and a glimpse at the town history through pictures of its first settlers.

 

Regional Museum of El Calafate

Los Glaciares National Park Administrative Center

Located downtown, it features interpretative trails to identify the native, exotic and introduced flora. You can also find old machinery used when the National Park first opened, a landmark event that turned the park into the pioneer institution for the area development.

 


EXCURSIONS WITHIN LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK

Perito Moreno Glacier

The glacier is located 80 km from downtown Calafate, and along the access road you can appreciate the different types of formations offered by the landscape. You can get to the glacier lookout point and footbridges on your own car, a hired taxi, regular bus services or other options from tourist companies.
Other choices include navigating through icebergs and treks on the glacier. You can choose between the mini-trekking and the big-ice options, both proposing walks on the glacier with crampons. As the surface of the glacier is irregular, the walk varies in extension and complexity, offering a large variety of ice formations like crevasses, seracs, drains, small lagoons, etc.
The excursion provides information and explanation on the flora and fauna of the area as well as on the glaciations and the spectacular rupture event. If you prefer to navigate through the different rivers and channels that flow into the glacier, you can choose between the Nautical Safari, Leal Cruise - Spirit of the Glacier, Todo Glaciares, among other options.


OTHERS EXCURSIONS AND ACTIVITIES

To enjoy El Calafate
Petrified Forest "La Leona"

A three-hour walk starting at the foot of mount Los Hornos that allows for contemplating a surprising number of huge tree trunks and dinosaur bones that the elements have managed to dig out and now lie exposed throughout a peculiar valley.

 


Lake Roca is located 50 km from El Calafate. During the trip you will be able to revel in the characteristic Patagonian steppe while taking a glimpse at distinguished estancias (Argentine ranches). This area offers quiet places sheltered from the wind that are ideal for camping, trekking tours to the surrounding hills, discovering rock painting and fishing expeditions.

 

Lake Roca

Tourist Stays

These excursions offer the tourist the opportunity to take pleasure in a day in the countryside. Travellers can engage in typical activities of a Patagonian ranch, like sheep herding with kelpie dogs, shearing demonstrations, horseback riding, walks, flower and bird watching, mountain biking, fishing and 4x4 journeys. Lunch consists in traditional, mostly home-made dishes based on meat and vegetables, roasted lamb being its most distinctive meal.

 


These excursions can offer different routes, targeting the heights and inviting you to tour the most inhospitable places, or riding through more even and less far-off grounds. These trails wind along brooks and rivers and brush the mountainside, accessing extraordinary lookout points from which to marvel at the different landscapes of El Calafate, typical of the Patagonia, and at the flora and fauna of the area, rock paintings, geological formations, etc.

 

Horse Riding

4x4 Crossings

One of the 4x4 journeys can drive you along mount Frías, crossing a meadow and climbing up the northwest slope of the mountain, delighting in breath-taking views of the valley of the River Centinela. As you climb, you may come across wild horses and cows. Other circuits include the Calafate Balcony, 1050 meters high, and the Barrancas de Anita, from which, by driving through plateaus and bordering ravines, you can see different faces of the Perito Moreno Glacier and Lake Roca.

 


Located 220 km from El Calafate, this place is known as the 'National Trekking Capital', one of the most important mountain climbing centres in our country and an ideal area for trekking and mountaineering. The trails let you easily reach high altitude landscapes.

 

El Chaltén

Sport Fishing

All water courses in Santa Cruz are a constant attraction for sports fishing fans. The great lakes spotting the mountain range, the rivers crossing the steppe, and the lengthy seashore, all give shelter to fighting and large species that force enthusiasts to resort to their well-honed techniques and guarantee unforgettable catches. Thanks to the 965 km long Atlantic coastline, the dozens of lakes scattered through its Andean region, and the five major rivers that run across it, using different techniques and equipment, you can catch from a shark to an Atlantic salmon, a brown trout and a rainbow trout, also known as steelhead.

 


During June and July in El Calafate, all ice skating fans gather at Bahía Redonda for the Ice Festival when the bay freezes into an exceptional ice skating ring. Ice skates can be rented at the Andean Club located on the bay shore.

 

Ice Skating

Water Sports

On top of providing an outstanding background for mountaineering and trekking, El Calafate offers the opportunity to practice water sports like wind-surfing, kayaking, and water skiing, among others.