In the region of Patagonia, in the Province of Santa Cruz, about 80 km from the Perito Moreno Glacier, on the southern shore of the Argentine lands, is the city of El Calafate, an exciting place with glaciers and attractive lakes that make it the most important city in the province, thus becoming the focal point of tourism development, and that saying Calafate is synonymous with travel and off-road adventure. If adventure tourism is your thing, then Calafate is the ideal place for you. Don’t miss our tourist map that will offer you a great variety of options to make your trip around these lands more entertaining.
Tourist Map of El Calafate
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From 4×4 rides through the hills and mountainous areas of this incredible place to hiking on Lake Roca, through horseback riding, excursions to the reserves and ecotourism will make your trip a unique experience. In the map of the city we will show you the location of the main places you cannot miss in Calafate, the main tourist sites and all the tourist information you may need during your trip.
Calafate is a glacier town with a population of only 4000 inhabitants where its houses have a particular charm, with low, warm and rustic roofs, with incredible landscapes framed by blue lakes that blend with the sky. The picturesque city in Southern Patagonia owes its name to the small Calafate bush, typical of the region. According to the locals, whoever eats the fruit of the calafate tree will return for more, and without a doubt, whoever knows El Calafate will never want to leave. Its calm waters, beautiful glaciers and multicolored flora make El Calafate a haven of peace that will make you commune with nature.
Tourist Guide of El Calafate
This land of glaciers offers the visitor a great variety of activities that will not leave room for boredom during your vacation. The most advisable thing is to arrive by air thanks to the great distance that separates Calafate from the other Argentinean cities. Most flights leave from Buenos Aires, although depending on the time of the year it is possible to have access from other points of the Patagonia. The tourist map of the area will enable you to define a route that suits your needs and fully meets your expectations, and make this a magical holiday you will not forget. To do so, we leave you with a guide of the places you cannot miss when you come to this land of ice, magic and comfort.
Tourist attractions in El calafate
What to visit in Calafate
The Perito Moreno Glacier
If there is an eighth wonder of the world, it is definitely the Perito Moreno Glacier, a thick mass of ice that represents an attraction for world tourism. This white and imposing monument of colossal proportions awakens the interest of travelers from various places in the world. It is possible to visit this wonderful work of nature by taking a walking tour package, where it will be possible to enjoy the magnificent landscapes that this place offers. Every year there are spectacular collapses and detachments of this fabulous glacier that forms a bridge across the Lago Argentino. The glacier has a unique quality, a continuous and slow advance towards the mainland, which dams the free passage of the water between the southern and northern arms of the lake, generating a kind of dike, which due to the great pressure exerted by the waters that try to flow through the glacier, perforate it forming an arch that ends up finally collapsing in a spectacular collapse that year after year attracts thousands of tourists who want to see this natural spectacle live and in the first row.
Cerro Frias
23 km away from the city is Cerro Frias, a place that offers a great number of activities designed for the enjoyment of tourists who decide to visit this place, from excursions in 4×4 vehicles around the estancia to zip-lining, in Cerro Frias the options are present for all tastes. One of the favorite possibilities of the tourists is the experience of riding a horse in an extraordinary ride that allows the traveler to enjoy panoramic views of the natural beauties that this place offers, a trip that lasts approximately two and a half hours and ends at the foot of the hill where there is an ideal corner to enjoy a delicious roast beef with vegetables prepared in clay ovens.
The Nimez Lagoon
Only one kilometer from the center of the city is the Municipal Ecological Reserve “Laguna Nimez”, a quiet place ideal for birdwatchers, due to the great variety of specimens found in the area. More than 80 species of birds offer the visitor a colorful spectacle full of beauty and grace. Flamingos, cauquenes, black-necked swans and ducks are some of the best known birds that can be seen in this natural reserve. In addition, the place has an attractive sample of vegetation that communicates in perfect harmony with the birds that inhabit this place. This site has an information center where you can obtain a bilingual brochure -English/Spanish- about the characteristics of each species and its relationship with the ecosystem. Besides, this place offers a wonderful view of Lake Argentino and the picturesque city in the background.
Municipal Museum – El Calafate Regional
In this charming place you can admire the archaeological material such as boleadoras, carved stones, arrowheads, among others, paleontological samples, geological material, flora, fauna and also an exhibition that shows part of the history of the town through photographs of the first settlers and emblematic places. Located on Libertador Gral. San Martín Avenue, the museum is located in a simple two-storey building with a beautiful gable roof design and under construction in wood similar to the constructions of the place, a cozy site worth visiting.
Glaciarium
It is a center of glaciological analysis that is dedicated to the dissemination of the expansion and decrease of the southern Patagonian ice field and its glaciers, located in the tourist town of El Calafate, opened in 2011 the museum occupies an area of 2500 km2, consisting of a central hall and three pavilions, two of which maintain a permanent exhibition of modern museum resources, while the third pavilion consists of an auditorium and cinema that shows a 3D film of the area. The architecture of the place simulates a glacier whose construction process took 2 years and was very well received by the local community and tourists. The dynamic and attractive trails have been the bait for the school excursions of the local children and are fascinating for travelers.
Walichu Point – El Gualicho Caves
9 km from the city center, is this wonderful cave that is home to many original and other modernly reproduced cave paintings. Walichu is the name of a Tehuelche god, who was the first settlers of this place, who dedicated themselves to hunting and thanks to their skills and knowledge to use colorants it is possible even today to admire their testimonies captured in stone.
First House in El Calafate
With stone walls and a gabled roof, with a beautiful and well-cared for garden, it is located in the city of Calafate, still standing and very well preserved. The house, which was the first construction of this place, is destined to housing and has a sign that indicates it as the first house in Calafate, located on Libertador General San Martín Avenue, where tourists and travelers like to have their picture taken next to the sign that identifies the beautiful house as the first one. This picturesque house with low ceilings is the typical Patagonian style house that can be visited from the inside, which although it is a little deteriorated still maintains a lot of charm.
Pioneers’ Square
This square is the ideal place to spend an afternoon with the family and enjoy a sunny day. It was built by the municipality and has two water fountains, as well as games for children and a staircase with a panoramic view, which was inaugurated in 2011. The fountains have lighting that produces a showy spectacle of lights at night as well as a dancing water show.
Argentine Toy Museum
An interesting museum that offers in its exhibition a great amount of old toys that without a doubt represent a trip to the childhood of the visitor, the collection is composed by more than a thousand toys that date from 1870 to 1970. The founder of this curious museum is photographer and creative Daniel Scardaccione, who has devoted the last 20 years to gather this great collection that can be visited by tourists and locals alike. The collection includes local toys, comic books and comic strips from Argentina, as well as a wide range of toys from all over the world, among which Japanese toys stand out. All the toys are original, they are in excellent condition and many of them are in their box sealed so this collection has great value not only economic but collectable.
El Calafate Hotel Map
El Calafate is a curious land full of great natural beauties that are worthy of being appreciated. It is undoubtedly a place that should be visited by nature and activity lovers. In the Calafate hotel map you will find a great variety of places to stay during your visit to this beautiful and small city, but in spite of this the hotel Unique Luxury Patagonia located a couple of kilometers from the center of the city, offers for a very accessible price, the experience of a five star luxury hotel, with spa, pool area, bar and restaurant, also accepting pets, all this can be enjoyed in any of the 85 spacious and comfortable rooms that provide the guest a unique experience. Another ideal accommodation option is Posada de los Álamos, with all the comfort of five-star hotels. This beautiful place has ample facilities for guests to enjoy, among which the presence of a small 18-hole golf course stands out so that travelers may enjoy their stay in Patagonia to the utmost.