El Calafate is a small town in the far end of Argentina famous for being the closest base to visit the Perito Moreno glacier. Highly touristy and pricey, it is however of the wonders of Patagonia that cannot be skipped during a trip to Patagonia.

The town of El Calafate got its name from a shrub that produces berries and from which the locals make tasty pies, jams and liquors. However, El Calafate doesn’t hold its fame out of this culinary delicacy. Nope, This small town is the closest place to start a trip to the Glacier Perito Moreno which is located about 90 km toward the Pre-Andes chain.

The huge arm of ice crawling out from the mountain peaks is part of the National Park Los Glacieros (the glaciers) that also includes the Grey glacier in Torres Del Paine, Chile, and the famous Mount Fitzroy near El Chaltén. The National Park was declared by UNESCO in 1981 as a World Heritage Site and welcomes more than 200,000 visitors per year.

In this article, we will share all the things you need to know before visiting the Perito Moreno glacier and the town of El Calafate.

El CALAFATE & PERITO MORENO GLACIER:
FACTS, COSTS, DIRECTIONS AND TIPS

• El Calafate
  • Where to stay
  • How to get there
• Perito Moreno Glacier
  • Icefalls
  • Arch rupture
  • How to get there
  • Entrance fees

El Calafate

In town, it’s quite complicated to avoid the tourism swell and all the infrastructures that come with it. The main street “av. del Libertador” is a string of cafes, tour agencies, souvenir shops and restaurants which are not really friendly to the backpacker’s wallet. Well, the entire region was built for wealthy Argentineans from Buenas Aires to go on holiday and developed as the years passed toward international tourists travelling with a tour and not looking at the spending.

Thankfully with the increase of backpackers in the area, a few places are still affordable compared to the luxury infrastructures. It is still quite expensive – mainly if you have travelled the north of Latin America before heading to Patagonia. However, it is impossible not to stay in El Calafate for a couple of nights as it is the only way to visit the Perito Moreno glacier and continue your trip either to Torres del Paine National Park or the northern part of Patagonia.

Where to stay in El Calafate?

There are a lot of accommodation options in El Calafate that will suit all budgets. If you travel during the high season, it is best to book ahead as the city gets very crowded. Out of the season (from April to October) you can pop up in town and ask for a room, but be aware a lot of places may be closed until the next season.

• Hostel Buenos Aires. (If you are allergic to cats it is best to avoid this place. They have an adorable furry friend that likes to sleep on the beds in the dorm.) It is a good place for small-budget travellers or if the town has shut down.
• For a bigger budget, we would recommend the hostel America del Sur. It is a bit further away (and can be tricky to find) but from there you will have an incredible view over the town and a great service for the price (about €17 a night in a dorm).
• Hostel Lago Argentino – dorm from €13
• Hostel Kooch – dorm from €11 – double from €36
• Folk Hostel – dorm from €15 – double from €42
• Nau Bed & Breakfast – double from €58
• Aparts Calafate Suites – Apt from €129
• Patagonia Queen Hotel Boutique – double from €145
• Xelena Hotel & Suites – double from €216

How to get to El Calafate?

From Buenos Aires

Most visitors arrive in El Calafate by air from the capital Buenos Aires. The flight takes about 3.5 hours and if booked ahead costs as little as €80 one-way. There are two companies operating multiple direct flights every day, Latam and Aerolineas Argentina.

>> book your round-trip airport transfer from El Calafate Airport to your hotel

From El Chalten

There are daily buses from El Chalten to El Calafate. The ride lasts 3 hours and shouldn’t cost more than €15 – €17 (800 ARS) one-way. You can also hitch-hike quite easily from El Chalten, but in high season, you will need to queue on the side of the road as there are a lot of people doing so too.

From Chile

If you arrive from Chile, your best bet is to take a bus from Puerto Natales in the south. It takes 3 to 4 hours (with a quick border crossing) and costs around €20. Coming from the north, you will need to take the Carretera Austral to Villa O’Higgins, cross to El Chalten and take a bus to El Calafate, but this is a matter of a few days or even weeks!

Perito Moreno Glacier

The Perito Moreno glacier is one of the most photographed places in Argentina. From a height of 74m, the glacier is 5km wide and stretches over 30km from the Patagonian Ice Cap, the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water. This enormous river of ice finishes its course at the lake Argentino, where tourists can admire its different shades of blue, and listen to the creaking made by strong unseen forces at work. Sometimes, if lucky, it is also possible to witness enormous chunks of ice crashing into the water. There is no need to feel bad about it because along with the glacier Pie XI, the Perito Moreno is famous for not retreating.

In fact, while global warming is affecting most of the glaciers across the world, Perito Moreno advances daily by 2 metres but loses also a proportional amount of mass each day. This phenomenon is under study by Glacierologues who try to understand the balance between melting and growing.

Our experience with icefalls

At midday, while having a picnic on the benches situated right across from the calving front of the glacier, we heard a massive crack. This was quickly followed by the fall of one of the huge peaks of ice: probably about 70m high. It was then followed by an overwhelming sound as the ice reached the lake water.

It was so surprising that despite the adrenaline rush, we remained petrified with mouths wide open. As we were recovering from this amazing experience, amazingly, the second shard of ice, as big as the previous one, also dropped down.

Tip: To witness the cracks and icefalls, make sure to visit Perito Moreno around lunch time. This way, the sun has had enough time to heat the ice and the calving tends to drop early afternoon.

Next: 2-day self-guided hike to Mount Fitzroy from el chalten

Perito Moreno Arch Rupture

Another thing the Perito Moreno is famous for is the arch that is formed quite regularly and falls every 3 or 4 years creating an incredible show for the very lucky visitors on that day. This arch is formed as the glacier advances and creates a dam, blocking the water of the lake. The flowing water underneath then creates a tunnel in the ice, forming the arch which eventually breaks under the pressure and the strength of the ice which is still advancing.

The Perito Moreno Arch last collapsed in March 2018 and will more than likely be fully created before collapsing again around 2020-2022.

How To Get To Perito Moreno Glacier

Shuttle buses

There are no local transportations from El Calafate to Perito Moreno, but local bus companies organise round-trip shuttle service for tourists. No need to say that it is probably the most expensive service you will use in Patagonia: about €35 per person for a short bus ride.

You can take the shuttle service from the main bus terminal on the street Antoine de Saint Exupery. They usually leave by 8/9 am and return to Calafate around 4 pm (some buses also leave at 1 pm to return by 7:30 pm during the summer months). These minivans will drop you off directly at the boardwalks along the lake, but you can ask to stop at the port to take a boat tour or hike for 2 kilometres along the lake before reaching the main viewpoints.

Tip: During the summer months demand is high and the prices change depending on the departure hour. It is recommended to go to the bus terminal as soon as you arrive in El Calafate to check the shuttle timetables and the prices. You can buy your ticket in advance to secure a seat.

Taxi

Taking a taxi from El Calafate to Perito Moreno is only worth if you have a minimum of 3 people and if you don’t mind staying for only a couple of hours. The price starts at €70, but they may ask for more. Try to bargain a little bit to meet your budget and still keep the taxi driver happy for a 4 to 5-hour fare.

Tips: On your way to the Glacier from El Calafate, sit on the left side for the best view upon entering the National Park.

Renting a car

Renting a car is a great option if you are more than 3 people. You can get a deal online starting a €70 a day. A good thing about renting a car is that you are free to leave and return whenever you want, stop for pictures on the road and why not, visit a bit more the surroundings of El Calafate and the Perito Moreno. There are 3 companies in the centre town of El Calafate and a few more at the airport.

You can par the car for free 2 km away from the glacier. From there, hop on a free bus to the boardwalk or take a stroll along the lake until the glacier. If you have time, we definitely recommend the second option, you will build up the excitement!

Joining a tour

Walk the main avenue of El Calafate or scroll around the internet and you will find hundreds of tour agencies selling transportation to Perito Moreno and all-day excursions with trekking on the glacier (or full-day Big Ice Trek), helicopter flights, kayak adventures and boat trips. You can also book a round-trip tour so you don’t have to take the bus. The tours will more than likely come to pick you up and drop you off at your accommodation, so you have nothing to worry about.

Hitch-hiking

Hitch-hiking is the last solution, and obviously the more budget-friendly. Argentina has become so expensive that many extra activities are out of budget for backpackers. Having plenty of time ahead of us, we decided to hitch-hike there and back to save 500 ARS each (about €70 in total – at the time of our visit the currency exchange wasn’t good for Euro).

The best place to start is on Avenida del Libertador and walk as you hitch-hike, to get out of town in the meantime. We got picked up around 10 am after a 1.5-hour wait. On the way back, hitchhike from the car park or ask the people getting in their car, if they can drop you off in town. We waited on the side of the road for about 1 hour.

Be aware:

Hitch-hiking in this part of Patagonia is not as easy as you may think. The road from town to the glacier only leads there. This means 2 things: the only cars passing by are going to the glacier which is good as you are sure to be dropped off at the right place directly. It also means that you have lower chances to be picked up because there are fewer cars heading that direction. Not many locals visit and the probability to be picked up by rental cars isn’t that high. It is also important to note that the summer months can mean it is quite competitive for hitchhiking, you may have to queue.

Tip: try to avoid to be followed by the stray dogs of El Calafate. They tend to attack the wheels of the cars and stick around the backpackers… It is quite annoying and cars are more than likely not going to stop.

The entrance fees to the Perito Moreno glacier

In Argentina, all of the National Park have different prices depending on where the visitor is coming from. Unfortunately, foreigners pay substantially more than Argentinians or South Americans. The entrance fee to the park is 600 Pesos depending on the exchange rate you get, it can be quite expensive in your own currency. You can pay by card, but make sure to bring enough cash just in case it doesn’t work the day of your visit.

For us, as of March 2017, it was 500 ARS which was worth €30 each. This was more than our entire daily budget. Now you can understand why we decided to hitch-hike instead of taking the shuttle bus.