El Calafate

El Calafate is located in Patagonia in southern Argentina .  The government encouraged immigrants to move to this area because they were worried about the number of people from Chile that were settling in the area.  The Europeans were told that there was gold in the area so they moved to southern Argentina to discover that there was no gold.  This area has a large Italian and some British heritage and the settlers were given large areas of arid land that became ranches and estancias.  Most of the immigrants brought sheep that grazed on the native grasses, which grows very slowly, so they need a lot of land.  The sheep produce the merino wool and today is exported to China and Italy. 

The largest lake in Argentina is Lago Argentino which the town is located.  Few people live in the town during the winter but the population booms in the summer as many tourists both foreigners and Argentinians visit Calafate.  Most people visit the Perito Moreno Glaciar.

Perito Moreno Glaciar is spectacular.  It is one of the few glaciers that is not receding.  Every few years the glacier actually touches the moraine across the stream which creates an ice dam 60 meters high.  The water in the lake behind the ice dam builds up pressure and creates a cave which gradually causes the wall to fall sending the water rushing down stream to Lake Argentino.

If you have come to see the glaciers then you need to do the boat trip up to see the Upsala Glacier with a visit to Estancia Christina.  This is a full day trip which starts with a boat trip up to see the receding glacier in Braso Upsala.  The icebergs seen in Lake Argentino come from this glacier.

When you visit the Estancia you can take a truck 9 km to see the glacier from above to understand how the glacier is receding.  The icefields run along the top of the Andes between Chile and Argentina and it is easiest to reach the glaciers from the Argentine side.  the area parallel to the Andes is a national park and the country is protecting this area. 

The park wardens in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares are very helpful.  The entrance fee is currently 130,00 pesos per person which goes toward improving the park infrastructure.  This area is definitely a bucket list location just remember that it is an area that is still developing their travel industry and don't expect North American standards everywhere.

The trekking capital is located in El Chalten.  This town is very new and was established in 1953.  It is well known in Argentina for hiking and climbing.  The town is full of young backpackers who arrive daily by bus. El Chalten is about 213 km from El Cafaten.  This area reminds us of the Rocky Mountains National Parks in Alberta about 50 years ago.  Sidewalks are few but the main roads in town are paved.  The town has a lot of hostels and companies to take you into the mountains.  The mountains in this area of the Andes are only about 900 M above sea level.  On the drive up to El Chalten the common stopping place is where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid homesteaded for a few years.  You can see the partially restored homestead and have a coffee.

In El Calafate there are a variety of restaurants to choose from so you don't have to eat grilled meat every night.  For inexpensive and large servings of food go to Pura Vida, they do not take reservations so go early or be prepared to wait.

In town we were surprised by the number of dogs just wandering around.  At night we could frequently hear dogs barking like there were running and fighting for food.  This is so different from our culture.

If you like birds be sure to walk down to lake Argentino to see the flamingos, white swans and a variety of other birds.  You can also visit Laguna Nimez a natural reserve for a small fee.  They provide information about the different birds in the area.  To walk around this area is about 2 km. of trails.

The town is not very large so it  is easy to walk if you don't mind a few hills.