Population
~17,000
Province
Santa Cruz
Highlights
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
Glacier Perito Moreno
El Calafate is a city in Santa Cruz. Originally established as a shelter for traveling wool traders, the city has emerged as one of Argentina's top tourist destinations. Named after the delicious Calafate berry, El Calafate is a hub for tourists en route to Argentina's most visited national park, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (~70 km west of the city). Ten kilometers beyond the park entrance is Glacier Perito Moreno: one of the most stunning, yet easily-viewable, glaciers on earth. Many cyclists will make the round-trip journey from El Calafate to Perito Moreno by bike; however, most will choose to leave their gear in the city and bus, taxi or dedo (thumb) to the glacier.
El Calafate is located on the south shore of Lago Argentino, a massive glacially-fed lake and the drainage basin for Lago Viedma (water arrives via Río La Leona). The city is served by Aeropuerto Internacional Comandante Armando Tola. The airport is located ~15 km east of the city's center. Cheap flights arrive from Buenos Aires and cost ~$175 USD.
Best in El Calafate
Eat & Drink
La Zorra
The best brewery in El Calafate. La Zorra has an extensive selection of craft beers, including porters, scotch ale, honey beer and a selection of IPAs. The food is delicious and reasonably priced (try the tapas!). Go during happy hour (18:00 - 19:00) and the beers are only $60 ARS. A limited selection of their bottled beers (including their amazing Imperial Peanut Stout) are also available for purchase.
Stay
Nakel Yenu
Clean and well-managed hostel, just a few minutes walk from central El Calafate. The hostel has large, spacious rooms (dorms and private rooms), a fully-equipped kitchen and good wifi. Breakfast is included in the nightly rate and the staff do an amazing job creating a friendly, warm atmosphere. Nakel Yenu is the best-value hostel in El Calafate.
Calafate Berry
A symbol of Patagonia, the blueish-purpleish Calafate berry looks very much like a blueberry. Deeply rooted in local folklore, legend has it that anyone who eats a calafate berry is destined to return to Patagonia again.
The berries grow on berberis microphylla, a thorned evergreen shrub, and bloom during the Patagonian summer. In Southern Patagonia it's common to find Calafate berry products such as jams, preserves, baked-goods and ice creams. Cerveza Austral, a Chilean brewery based in Punta Arenas, brews a Calafate ale (whether the behemoth brewery uses real calafate berries to brew this is up for debate*).
Alone, the berry is quite tart to taste; we recommend juicing a few handfuls and mixing this juice with your morning avena (oats) or evening pisco.
*Cerveza Austral's website fails to list Calafate berry on the ale's ingredient list. Plus, the beer's sweetness tastes artificial.
Recipe: Calafate Sour
Ingredients:
4 parts pisco
3 parts calafate berry juice
1 part simple syrup
1 part lemon juice
1 Tbsp egg white (pasteurized)
Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients in a shaker and shake hard for 20 seconds. Serve over ice (from a glacier, if possible). Enjoy!
Bike route from El Calafate to Cerro Castillo