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Welcome to Elcalatee, Argentina. Located in Patagonia on the southern shore of Lagua Argentino, this town serves as a gateway to Los Glaciatas National Park and the world famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Most activities in El Calafate center around glaciers, marveling at them by boat. This has been such a wonderful surprise. Seeing them from the park's boardwalks, the sheer scale of it, how it just goes on as far as the I can see. and learning about them at the glaciarium Patagonian Ice Museum. But you can also enjoy other activities like spending the day at Anastansia. My, it is windy. Welcome to Patagonia. Seeing flamingos and all sorts of bird life at the Laguna Nemes Reserve.
I feel like I'm a spy in here and the views are incredible. And browsing the gnome village in search of souvenirs. This video is your travel guide to El Calat covering things to do, where to eat, and some practical travel tips in between. Let's get started. We're going to kick things off with the most epic experience we had in Il Calafate, the Glaciers Gourmet Boat Tour. This is a full-day boat tour that allows you to cruise the icy teal waters of Laguarentino, the largest freshwater lake in Argentina. We saw glacier after glacier all day long, including the Spagatini glacier, which is famous for having the park's highest ice wall with a height of 134 m. Well guys, we have made it to the port. This is a private port. It's called Puerto
Solidad. Our excursion will be departing from here. We're going to board our boat and go cruising on Lago Argentino, biggest lake in all of Argentina. What are you thinking? I'm pumped. Let's do it. We also came upon countless icebergs. And at some point during the tour, the crew fished some glacier ice out to enjoy with a drink. More and more glaciers. Now we're just watching how glaciers slowly melt and you get these waterfalls, this runoff coming down the mountain. Like today is one of those days where I'm actually speechless. Like this has been so much
grander than I was imagining. So much bigger, so many more glaciers than I thought we would see. I thought it was just the one, you know, Bito Moreno, which everyone knows. This has been such a wonderful surprise. And now we're cruising towards another massive glacier. Wow. Just keeps getting more impressive, doesn't it? The grand finale was seeing the Berito Moreno Glacier up close and personal. The crew had yet one more surprise up their sleeve and played the song Aurora, a very patriotic song in Argentina that moved the passengers to tears. There was something really special about being in front of such a massive and powerful wonder of nature,
feeling so small, and also having so much love and pride for Argentina. So, in case it wasn't obvious enough, we loved this experience. I still rave about it, and whenever I hear a friend is heading down to Elcalaphate, I tell them to take this glaciers gourmet tour. It was a splurge for us at the time, but worth every penny. El Caliphate is the gateway to the land of glaciers. So of course a visit to Los Glaciadis was at the top of the list. Los Glaciadis National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its spectacular glacial landscapes, towering mountains, and pristine wilderness. And it's also the largest national park in Argentina. The park has two different access points.
Nearby El Chalden gives you access to the northern part of the park which is considered Argentina's trekking capital with its epic mountain peaks. Meanwhile, El Caliphate gives you access to the southern part of the park where you can witness some of the most beautiful glaciers in the world. We are back in Los Glaci National Park. We enjoyed it so much on the day when we did that boat excursion to visit the glaciers that we knew we wanted to come back and do a bit of hiking and see the glacier from a different vantage point as well.
Exactly. And basically to have a whole day to kind of just admire it up close. Yes. This is probably the more classic option of seeing it, isn't it? Yeah. So, basically we arranged our own transportation. We booked the bus from El Calate here to the national park. Uh, we left town at 9:00 in the morning, got here at like 10:30, and we've got free time. We're on our own schedule until 4:00 in the afternoon when the bus returns back to town. In this part of the park, you can walk the Perito Moreno Glacier walkways, locally known as Pasarelas, where you can see the Perito Moreno Glacier and watch it cave into the lake. We spent
the whole day walking the different walkways and stopping at the different observation points along the way to take in the show. There are different boardwalks and circuits ranging from 500 m to,00 m and these take between half an hour and an hour and a half to complete. So we managed to walk a few of them over the course of our visit. We are now doing a section of the boardwalk that goes through the forest, which is a nice change because it's not so cold and windy here. Also, there's a bit more separation between the crowds. Yes, we're at the point of the track now. There's a little bit more effort involved. Lots of stairs.
Not as many people coming here. I've personally found the glaciers have become more and more impressive the higher the vantage point. See the sheer scale of it, how it just goes on as far as the eye can see really up until the top of the mountain peak. So, so impressive. And when you can see the top of Benito Moreno, like that's amazing. Totally is. Oh, in terms of what to wear, guys, I will say bundle up. Yeah, cuz it's a lot colder here than it is in Galafati in the big time. And the wind factor is significant here.
We also enjoyed visiting Laguna de lost Tempanos or the iceberg lagoon. This is where the chunks of ice that break off the Perito Moreno glacier end up. It's a pretty cool spot and worth a little detour. And the other thing I wanted to mention is the little boat trip that you can do from the park um to get up close to Berito Moreno. This is a different trip from the one that we did two days ago. Yeah, we did [clears throat] an extensive cruise. This is just like you literally get on the boat. Yeah, they give you a loop and they take you back.
Yeah, it's a much smaller vessel, but if you want to save some money and you just want to get up close to one glacier, you can do that and you can just book it once you get here. So, as soon as you get off the bus, there's a little hut where you can buy your tickets for the boat excursion. I believe there are three departures per day. That's what I heard from our bus driver. And yeah, that's another experience you can have here in the national park. Yeah, absolutely. And to wrap things up, I'd have to say I'm really glad we did both the boat cruise and this completely different experiences.
I mean, what I liked about this one in particular is just the slow pace to it and the different vantage points. Just taking it in slowly over the whole day. Man, both are highly recommended experiences. I could come back tomorrow and do it again. That's how much fun it was. Like in terms of the wow factor, 10 out of 10. And one more point I want to mention for anyone who has mobility issues. Um they actually have elevators for you to like move around the different levels and they have really wide ramps in case you're on a wheelchair. So don't think you won't be able to visit or get around or enjoy it. Like they've really set it up very well. If you're looking for a fun day trip from Ila, you can't go
wrong with a visit to Anastansia. An Estansia is a working ranch typically used for rearing sheep and cattle and you'll find these scattered across Patagonia as well as other parts of Argentina. We chose to visit Estansia Nepo Iikim. This is one of the best known ranches near Il Calafate located an hour and a half from town. The Estansia came to be before the formation of the national park. So it sits within the boundaries of Los Glaciades National Park overlooking the southern arm of Lagarentino. The setting is nothing short of majestic. We visited Estansia and I bipo ike on a day trip and had [clears throat] a really fun time. We got to watch a sheep shearing demonstration, learn about the gaucho way of life, hike around the Estansia
grounds, and enjoy a feast of a barbecue with wine. So, we booked this tour directly in Ilcalate, and they came to pick us up from our little cabin. It was about an hour and a half's drive. A gorgeous drive, gorgeous, gorgeous scenery. And you can book either a morning excursion or an afternoon excursion to the Asansia. We chose the afternoon, so we're going to be having dinner here. We get to watch the sunset. Then we're going to be meeting up with a guide and learning a little bit about sheep shearing, which they do here on the farm. My, it is windy. Welcome to Patagonia.
Yeah, apologies for any uh audio issues in advance. Um, yeah, let's get started. Yeah, let's do this. Okay, Sam. So, we are standing in front of a very important bush. A very special bush. Well, it's called a caliphate. Apparently, legend has that if you eat one of these, you will come back to Patagonia. Yes. And so, I'm going to have a whole bunch cuz I love To return to Patagonia, you need to eat the berries of the caliphate. So that's what we're doing now. A must. They're not ready yet. Too green.
Oh my god. It's definitely not ready. I think maybe it's not quite the season yet. No. It is now dinner time. Cheers to a fun visit to Anastansia in the countryside. Really has been fun. We are enjoying some paragonian wine. Very, very nice. We've also got our little bread basket. It's arrived. We have our chimuri salsa creoda for when the meat gets here. Although I also like dipping my bread in it. And what else? I saw some chiso, some sausage on the parida. And I imagine there will be a salad because that usually go comes along with some meat.
All right. Patagonian lamb. Look at that, guys. Right over here. Just grab it directly from the sizzling grill. Steam coming off. Oh, looks dectable, guys. That's so unbelievably tender. Oh, load it up. You're You're really not shy with the chimmy chili. I'm not shy with the chim ch. You just load her up. Why would you be honest? We went in Argentina. Oh my god. And we thought we were done. We should have known better. Having a sad in Argentina. The good times keep coming and coming. And so we've got we moved on to ribs now. Ribs. Lamb ribs.
Check this out, guys. And last but not least, we have some lan with dulce de leche for dessert. An Argentine classic. Here we go. Very good. Okay guys, so not too far from the lagoon, there is another attraction worth visiting. It's a museum and it is called the center of interpretation of the history of Elcalafat. Bit of a long name, but it is very cool. And
inside you get to see the dinosaurs that roamed Patagonia, giant mammals, and also learn about the people who lived here. But I think the best part for me was being able to see the skeleton of a megthereum because we've been hearing about these creatures for a while and they were basically giant sloths that were 5 to 6 m tall and they roamed Patagonia. They were enormous. They were huge. They were giants and they roamed this part of Patagonia with humans. So they existed up until 8,500 years ago when they went extinct. And part of it is because they were very slow creatures. They hadn't known a lot
of predators. Also, it took these mammals a while to reach maturity and be able to reproduce. And once they did, they had a really long gestation period. So, basically, they were very easy to hunt, very easy to eat, yielded a lot of meat. A lot of meat without a lot of effort. Yeah. So, but yeah, they look like such cool creatures and you can read more about them and other mammals that roamed Patagonia. It's really interesting. So, I like that museum a lot. Yeah. And one of the coolest things is that we weren't necessarily planning to go there. We just uh just saw it and we're like, let's go check it out. Yeah. And uh that's one of the nice surprises about travel, those random moments.
Another activity to add to your list of things to do in Elcalafate is bird watching at Laguna Neimis Reserve. This reserve is situated on the shores of Lag Argentino and it offers a mix of wetlands, lagoons, and grasslands. The lagoon is home to 132 different bird species, both migratory and resident. Well, well, this place is worth mentioning. It is called El Pantano the Shrek. You know what that means? Shrek. It means Shrek swamp. It's Shrek swamp. We are visiting Shrek swamp. How do you feel about that? I'm I'm hopeful that we're going to see Shrek pop out at any moment. Or are you the Shrek?
Let's go find some birds. Sneakily, I feel like I'm a spy in here. And the views are incredible. One of the highlights of the reserve is the presence of a flamingo colony. They gather in the shallow waters and their distinctive pink plumage makes them quite the attraction. We were certainly excited to see them. The whole walk is 3 km and takes about an hour and a half to complete. Well, as is to be expected here in Patagonia, the weather is ever changing. We are now getting some wind and rain, so we've come to hide in one of these little bird viewing huts. We're the only ones here and the birds are kind of far away, so we're not trying to whisper at this point. But yeah, this has been such a beautiful hike and so
easy. So if you've been doing, you know, lots of heavy trekking around El Calat and El Chaldin and you're feeling kind of tired, but you don't want to not do anything for a whole day, this is definitely something to consider to just come to the lagoon. I also wanted to mention the lookout over Lag Argentino is just stunning, but try to visit on a sunny day if you can because I feel like today the color of the water doesn't do this place justice. It's kind of gray and overcast, so you're not really getting that intensity of the turquoise milky waters that you do get on a sunny day like these past two days when we've been driving out to Losiadis National Park. Like the lake looks unreal. Every
time we've gone past it, we're like, "Whoa, how can this be?" So yeah, if you can visit on a sunny day, Lag Argentino is just magical and full of flamingos. It is. But this is also been realistic of our time traveling here. I feel like we've had alternate day weather. We've had um a rainy day followed by a sunny day followed by a rainy day or two followed by a sunny day. Yeah. So, another thing to keep in mind is if you want to have those beautiful sunny photos, you're going to need to spend some extra days here so that you can plan your travels around the weather, too. If you want to learn more about
glaciers, then Glaciadium Patagonian Ice Museum is a great choice. This interpretive center is dedicated to showcasing the glaciers of the southern Patagonian ice field. Lassiadium is located 6 km west of town, but they offer free transportation from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. Just go to their website for details and an updated schedule. Once you arrive at the museum, you'll find a range of exhibits and displays that explore the science, history, and impact of glaciers in Patagonia. There are interactive installations, multimedia presentations, and educational panels covering the formation, movement, and importance of glaciers. And then it was time for the ice bar located underneath said museum. So remember, if you want to enjoy a drink in a glass
of ice at sub-zero temperatures, this is the place to do it. Inside the bar, there are ice sculptures and colored lights, making it a fun photo op. We were lured in, and we're Canadian. We get enough ice and snow as it is. I'm Now we're taking a little walk through this village of gnomes is the translation of it. And it's kind of like this little area that's tucked away just off the main street. And you have a whole bunch of little souvenir shops, but they're all like these tiny log homes. Very cute. And the roof it's it's sawed like it's grass. So it almost feels like you're in this enchanted forest and you know little gnomes and elves are going to wander out any second now. Yeah.
So this is the place to come and pick up your souvenirs. You can buy like knit sweaters, jams, artisal chocolates, slippers, mates, whatever you can imagine. There's a lot of variety here. So definitely a cool place to check out. I'm kind of shopping for another alpaka sweater or like a wool sweater, something that'll keep me warm as we continue heading south. El Calat's main avenue, Aanita de Liverador, is lined with souvenir shops. So that's another option to consider for jewelry, gaucho knives, woven tapestries, ponchos, magnets, and any other gift you want to take back home with you.
Next, let's talk about where to eat in Elcalafate. Here are a few restaurants we enjoyed. Mirancho is a familyrun restaurant that offers a mix of Argentine and international dishes. You can get dishes like barbecued lamb, braced osabobuko, and even try guanako stew if you're looking for something very local. I've got Patagonian lamb chops, and then we've got risoto over here. So creamy and cheesy and good. This is hands down the best meal we've had in the city so far. Mhm. So glad we got to come here. And we're going to have dessert. Oh my. When the food's this good, it's mandatory. Well, guys, forget Vuvius. My favorite volcano in the world is actually located in Argentina. And at the moment, it's on
my plate. Chocolate and doula de leche. Look at the lava of doula de leche coming out. It's like a dectable gourmet brownie filled with doula de leche caramel heated up. Ice cream and a little bit of fruit. It's amazing. What a great dessert and a great meal overall. We ordered the trout with a blue cheese cream sauce. And we also added pasta to it. Ravioli. Also went into the seller. Yeah. And picked out a really nice wine for us. Yeah. Miguel Mini. We haven't tried this one. Men. Cheers. Malbec 2017. Oh, it's really smooth.
I love it. It has a rich violet color. Yeah. And like um a berry aroma. Try the bread. Tell us how it is. It's fresh out of the oven. It's so warm. Oh man, I'm so ready to eat bread. I love how in Argentina they don't make you wait. They know you're hungry. Here's your bread. Here's your wine. Get at it. Isabel specializes in coma alisco, meaning food cooked on a plow disc. Yes, we are referring to farming equipment. This is a traditional way of cooking that used to be quite popular on the Estansias. And you can get lamb,
pork, trout, chicken or beef. We ordered trout with blue cheese, which came with a side of potatoes. Plus, we also added ravioli. It was a lot of food for two people. This is delicious. This is the high calorie food you need for all the hikes you're going to do while you're here. Okay, we're going to be outside exploring all day. So, we need some hearty food in the evening to sustain us for the next day's adventure. Okay. Lacosina is a fun restaurant for a pasta tasting. Nyoki, ravioli, spaghetti, you name it. They have three different pasta sets to choose from, and each one comes with three different pastas with various sauces. It was really fun to get a taste
of everything, and it was a cozy setting that made it feel like you were sitting in your grandma's kitchen. Pastas have arrived. Oh my gosh. So Sam and I ordered two different tasting menus, all pastas. So we technically have six different pasta dishes in front of us. Starting over here, I got the spinach ravioli with a cream sauce and ham and chicken. Then moving on to this middle one, with a lamb ragu. And I have this other one, pasta with mushrooms in a nice cream sauce. If I have to choose a favorite, it's this one. It's just so rich and creamy and extra cheesy. Such great restaurants in the city.
Really, we've been eating pretty well here. We visited a few other gastro pubs and breweries. Some are no longer around, but that's just the nature of things. New places are always popping up and you'll have no trouble tracking down some burgers and brews. And that is our travel guide to El Calat. We hope you found this video useful and that it gave you a few ideas of some of the activities you can enjoy in town and in Losiadis National Park. If you enjoyed this video, we invite you to give it a like, hit subscribe, and join us for more travels across Argentina. Tata.
