AR · Santa Cruz · 50.34°S 72.26°W

el calafate

Perito Moreno's blue ice, glacier boat trips and birds beside Lago Argentino.

Best time
October–March have long days and the full choice of boat trips and ice walks, though the Patagonian wind blows all year. June–August are cold and snowy with fewer trips, but the glacier boardwalks stay open.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
Fly to Buenos Aires with one stop, usually via Amsterdam or Paris, then about 3.25 hours on to El Calafate, about 34–40 hours all in. Most El Calafate flights leave from Aeroparque in the city, so you may have to cross town from Ezeiza. The airport is 20 minutes from town. Argentina is 11 hours behind KL all year.
Save postcard
AR · Santa Cruzel calafate50.34°S 72.26°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Perito Moreno's blue ice, glacier boat trips and birds beside Lago Argentino.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingEl CalafateAR, Santa Cruz
KLel calafate
≈ 14,736 km from KL, as the crow flies
El Calafate

Photo: Deensel · CC BY 2.0

1 / 2

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

El Calafate is a small Patagonian town on Lago Argentino that exists for one reason: the ice. Perito Moreno Glacier, an hour and a half away, is a wall of blue ice that cracks and crashes into the lake, and boat trips reach more glaciers beyond.

Makan

  1. Patagonian lambWhole lamb roasted on an iron cross over an open fire, cordero al asador.Map ↗
  2. Calafate berriesThe dark berry that gave the town its name, in ice cream and jam. Legend says eat one and you'll come back.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Perito Moreno boardwalksKilometres of walkways facing the glacier's front; wait long enough and you'll see ice fall.Map ↗
  2. Glacier boat tripsBoats on Lago Argentino sail up to the Perito Moreno face, or out to the Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers.Map ↗
  3. Laguna NimezA bird reserve on the edge of town, with flamingos and black-necked swans.Map ↗
  4. GlaciariumA museum on how Patagonia's ice fields formed and keep moving.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Give Perito Moreno a full day; the glacier is about 80 km from town.
  • Walking on the ice needs a specialist tour, with age limits.
  • Halal is very hard to find in Patagonia and the lamb isn't halal, so plan on fish and vegetarian meals.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.