Things to do in  El Calafate

Part of the UNESCO–listed Los Glaciares National Park, Perito Moreno is known as one of the most beautiful glaciers in the world. The third largest in Argentina, it’s one of South America's last advancing glaciers, and boasts an area that’s bigger than Buenos Aires. But facts aside, this section of the South Patagonian ice field is a vision of crackling celestial blue, especially when you witness gigantic chunks of ice crashing into the water below.

Encompassing a colossal 566 square miles (911 square-kilometers), Argentino Lake (Lago Argentino) is the largest lake in the country. El Calafate, the UNESCO-listed Perito Moreno Glacier, and the Upsala Glacier are all perched on its shores, so the lake serves as the gateway to some of Patagonia’s most impressive glacial landscapes.

PaLos Glaciares National Park (Parque Nacional Los Glaciares) protects Argentina’s wild Patagonian expanses of icy glaciers and mountain lakes. With a massive 47 glaciers, the Andean ice cap is the largest outside Antarctica and Greenland. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to several natural wonders, including Perito Moreno Glacier and Mount Fitz Roy.

South America’s largest glacier, in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Los Glaciares National Park near El Calafate, measures 35 miles (56 kilometers) long and 6 miles (10 kilometers) wide. Upsala Glacier is among seven glaciers feeding Lake Argentino, where boats dodge icebergs the size of small islands en route to the wall of ice.

Mt. Fitz Roy, the highest mountain in Los Glaciares National Park, rises 11,171 feet (3,405 meters) above the snow-blown landscape of Southern Patagonia to a granite peak that only serious climbers should consider. This recognizable landmark was named after Sir Robert FitzRoy, who once guided Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle.

Despite its position at “The End of the World,” Patagonia has been inhabited by humans for more than 12,000 years. Just outside of El Calafate, the Walichu Caves (Cuervos Galicho) pay testament to the primitive humans that dwelled here—the cave walls are embellished with drawings depicting daily life in the region, including scenes of hunting, foraging, and art.

Only reachable via one of Patagonia’s most iconic treks, Laguna de los Tres is an ultra-marine lake with a backdrop of jagged mountains. The glacier lake sits in the shadow of Mt. Fitz Roy, a mountain that threatens one of the planet’s most-challenging ascents. The trek to the lake is 1 miles (25 kilometers long.

One hundred million years ago, before Patagonia was peppered with glaciers and snow-capped peaks, it was a vast plain of lush forests where dinosaurs roamed. La Leona Petrified Forest—a 2,000-acre (810-hectare) depression in the Earth that’s amazingly frozen in time—pays testament to this epoch, giving you the chance to walk through prehistoric Patagonia, complete with huge trees and dinosaur bones.

The spectacular natural landscapes surrounding the small town of El Chaltén have earned it the accolade of Argentina’s hiking capital—and the trail leading to Laguna Torre makes it easy to see why. The name refers to the hiking route and the glacier lake, which forms part of Los Glaciares National Park.

With exhibits spanning more than 14,000 years of human history, El Calafate Historical Interpretation Center gives you a glimpse into the rich anthropological heritage of Patagonia. Highlights include fossilized skeletons of dinosaurs discovered in the area and recreations of prehistoric cave paintings.

Perched atop El Calafate’s nearest peak, with access to a vast stretch of snow-blanketed slopes and rugged mountain trails, Calafate Mountain Park offers a host of adventures. Skiing, tubing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling can be done in winter while hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking in summer.

Sitting between the Spegazzini Glacier and the Upsala Glacier, the remote Onelli Glacier is an icy expanse that tumbles down into Onelli Lake. Spectacular scenery and fewer crowds are guaranteed if you choose to trek the glacier, which is only accessible by foot.

Jagged snow-covered cliffs and dense woodlands unfold along the hike to the Huemul Glacier, named after the rare huemul deer often spotted in the area. Looking out over the Lake of the Desert (Lago del Desierto), it’s one of the most accessible glaciers in El Chaltén village and a popular Patagonian hike.

Stretching for 607 square-miles (977 square-kilometers) from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field to the western shores of Viedma Lake, Viedma Glacier is Argentina’s largest glacier. As the centrepiece of the UNESCO-listed Los Glaciares National Park, the glacier features towering icebergs and jagged ice cliffs.

An iceberg-inspired feat of architecture rising up over the shores of Lake Argentino and framed by snow-capped peaks, the Glaciarium is a fitting setting for a museum devoted to Patagonia’s glacial landscapes. Learn about the region’s unique geology and environmental concerns through multimedia displays and interactive exhibitions.