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3 days / 2 nights
The attraction of El Calafate is not the town itself, which is almost entirely a tourist center, but the surrounding natural splendour of the lakes, mountains, and glaciers. The layout of this wild and difficult terrain makes it one of the most unusual national parks in the world. It forms part of the Patagonian Continental Ice Field from which 13 glaciers descend on the Atlantic side to flow into the Viedma and Argentino Lakes. The Perito Moreno glacier offers one an overwhelming sight each time its towers of ice break into multiple icebergs and crash to the water below. This park has been declared a part of the Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, and one can easily see why, as its glaciers slowly slides down the peaks of the Andes. The small town (7,200 inhabitants) of El Calafate serves as a base for tours and sailing trips to the glaciers. Four hours from El Calafate is El Chaltén: A small mountain village with basic services, considered the Mecca of trekking in South America. From this base, many excursions can be made, either trekking or mountain climbing.
Speak to our team of professionals with any questions you may have live at
Itinerary
Day 1
El Calafate:
- You will be met at the airport and transported to the comfortable hotel of your choice.
- You will have the evening to enjoy the town at your leisure.
Day 2
Perito Moreno Glacier:
- In the morning you will be transported the 40 or so miles to the Perito Moreno Glacier, where you will have time to enjoy this 200 foot tall river of ice by walking along the footbridges and trails overlooking it, or by taking the optional nautical tour that takes you close to the front of its southern face.
- In the late Afternoon you will return to your hotel.
Day 3
El Calafate:
Extension to Chalten / Fitz Roy & Torre Treks
Day 1
Transfer to the bus station to take the bus to Chaltén. Upon arrival in Chaltén, transfer to the bus terminal to take the bus to the hosteria.
Day 2
Full-day private trek to Laguna de los Tres. From Chaltén, going upward by a hill and having Fitz Roy Hill at our side, we start walking up to Capri Lagoon. There we take a winding road for around 90 minutes. The lake is a beautiful spot full of color and varied bird fauna. If the weather allows it, you can see the Chaltén mountain chain. From Capri Lagoon, we go back to the path and toward the Fitz Roy base, crossing various small streams. The landscape becomes greener, and the mountain vegetation shows its majestic landscape; from time to time, the sound of a cascade becomes the background in this spectacular path. Ninety minutes from the Rio Blanco camp, we will find Laguna de los Tres, which is nearest the impressive hill, the Fitz Roy, which you can reach by walking without any special equipment. Box lunch is included. We return to the Hosteria El Pilar, where we will stay an additional night.
Day 3
Morning guided trek to Tower Lagoon. The hike is uphill and will take about three hours until we reach Tower Lagoon, a spectacular and relaxing place. Box lunch is included. We will return to Chaltén to catch the bus to Calafate. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel in Calafate.
Day 4
Transfer to airport to take the flight back to Buenos Aires.
Opcionales
Minitrekking on the Glacier
Season: October / May
Services: bilingual, daily with specialized guides on ice.
Departure time: depends on the year time and weather conditions.
Duration: 5 h.
It is important to take a packed lunch or box lunch with drinks.
This trek is of medium physical requirement and unsuitable for people with displacement difficulties like overweight, handicapped and pregnancy. People from 10 to 60 years old are allowed. Size 36 shoe is the smallest.
We depart from Bajo Las Sombras Port at 75 km away from El Calafate. From the ship we watch the southern wall of the glacier at a distance of about 500 m. We arrive at the opposite shore for disembarking to reach Moreno River Waterfall and there we deal with the use of crampons and ice axes which both allow us to walk on the glacier.
Big Ice- A trip to the Glacier inner core
This unique experience starts at our departure from El Calafate to Bajo Las Sombras Port. There we take "Tehuelche" ship to cross Rico Bend and disembark ten minutes later in the western coast. The mountain guides take us even closer the glacier so that we put on the crampons and start our approach adventure. The path is placed on the Perito Moreno Glacier's southern moraine and in less than 1 hour we find a spectacular viewpoint where we can go into the ice. Once we are inside the glacier, the world turns completely different and it takes a new perspective: blue lagoons, deep crevasses, huge sinkholes, magical caves and the ineffable sensation of feeling like in the glacier inner core. We are always accompanied and instructed by expert guides so we altogether explore the hidden corners of the most special glacier in the world for 3 hours. During the tour the guides help us to know the ice and its surroundings best. Besides we have half an hour for a picnic on the white carpet and being delighted in a place of unique beauty. Once on the moraine we go for a walk for an hour to take the ship and return to the "civilization" at about 15:00 h. after having enjoyed one of the most superb ice treks on the ice.
Important: due to both the physical requirement and the ground difficulty in this tour, it is only suitable for people who are from 18 - 45 years old without any kind of physical handicaps and very fit. We must take into account that we walk on ice and stones, too.
Argentino Lake-Upsala / Onelli Glaciers Shipping
Seasons and departures: September / April daily, May / August consult. It always depends on weather conditions.
Services: Spanish informing sailors.
Distance: 108 km to the port.
Departures: from El Calafate 07:30 h, from the port 08:45 h.
Return: 18:00 h.
It is recommendable to take some food or a box lunch with a drink. The pleasure boat departs from Bandera Port and firstly it sails the cross of Southern and Northern Bends known as Garganta del Diablo. We sail among huge adrift ice floes until we arrive at our first stop: Upsala Glacier. This glacier surface is 590 km2 becoming, in this way, into one of the most extensive glaciers in America. After sailing along the snout area, we go to Onelli Bay for a hike through the forest until the homonymous lake on which a lot of ice floes make up a huge white carpet. We return to the port and to El Calafate.
Lunch at Onelli Bay restaurant:
Menu 1: starter: cream of legume soup. Main course: chorizo steak with French fries. Dessert: flan with caramel.
Menu 2: starter: cream of legume soup. Main course: homemade noodles with Bolognese sauce. Dessert: flan with caramel.
Packed lunch:
Starter: vegetable pie. Main course: meat escalope filled with ham and red pepper; some salad (beetroot, green bean, corn). Dessert: Ice cream with chocolate chip. Drink: mineral water. It includes some dressing, bread and cutlery.
Cristina Farm
This activity starts at Puerto de la Cruz in Punta Bandera at 8. We sail the Northern Bend of Argentino Lake up to the snout of the outrageous Upsala Glacier. Then we sail along Cristina Channel until we reach Cristina Farm port where the adventure continues in one of the most fascinating unknown and legendary valleys in Patagonia.
Continental breakfast service is offered on board.
ACTIVITIES IN THE FARM:
1.Off- Road Cross-Roads:
Duration: about 2:30 h.
It combines the off-road vehicle route with a short hike. It covers about 9.5 km through a mountain road. The way is very varied; it goes through different landscapes: Caterina River, Mallín (hydromorphic soil) del Bosque Quemado, De los Loros Mount and high in the mountains some stony areas which were once covered by the glacier. We go trekking on loosen stones until the viewpoint where we can see Guillermo Lake and Upsala Glacier smallest snout. During the trip the guide gives us a full explanation about the glaciological and geological place history. On our return we have lunch at the "Quincho" (outhouse), the old sheep drying shed of the farmhouse. This one has been restored to a comfortable place with refining details so as to enjoy a different world perspective by protecting itself from the wind that often blows in this southern land. Some typical Patagonian barbecued lamb is offered with some salad variety, corn pasty and a wide selection of homemade desserts. Drinks and coffee are also included.
Recommendations: as we go trekking for about 15 minutes along a slightly pending uneven rocky ground and a smooth stony path that may become slippery, we suggest to wear proper footwear (trekking trainers or rubber sole trainers).
2.Cañadón de los fósiles trek:
Duration: 5 h. (including stops for lunch and at interesting points).
The same route like the off-road cross-road, except for a return on foot. We descend through a path that goes down the Fossil Canyon. This canyon distinguishes by the thousands of fossils left in the open by means of the glacier action there, changing it into a unique valley in the park. The guide chooses a good place for a country lunch that includes drinks. Our descent continues surrounded by 100-m-high walls and when we leave the rocks behind, we follow a path up to de La Pesca Lagoon and then to the farmhouse.
Recommendations: this trek is for those people who are used to walking among nature and / or to doing gym frequently. We suggest this activity for passengers who are between 12 and 65 years old.
3.Long horse-riding with Upsala Glacier panoramic view
Duration: 5:30 h (including stops for country lunch with drinks and interesting points).
Important: those passengers who want to do this activity must be able to ride on a horse. Children under 6 are allowed to do the activity as long as an adult accompanies them.
Nautical Safari- Rico Bend
Season: September / May
Services: bilingual, daily.
Departure time: depending on the season and weather conditions.
Duration: about 1 h.
We depart from Bajo de las Sombras Pier at 75 km away from El Calafate. We sail opposite the glacier southern wall at about 500 m away with the possibility of watching the ice slides in the 60-70-m-high glacial wall. Then we return to the pier.
Moreno Party
Season: September / May
Services: bilingual, daily
Departure time: depending on the season and weather conditions.
Duration: about 1 h.
We embark in Moreno Port and sail up to the northern wall near the glacier breaking area. We disembark opposite the glacier to go for a short hike up to the footbridges.
City Tour and Walichu Caves
Departures: 09:00 and 15:00 h.
Duration: 3 h.
In El Calafate we can hire a very amusing city tour in which we go past the most traditional city places by a very comfortable vehicle.
At first we visit Walichu caves to go back in time to learn about this area originary community's customs. We can also appreciate some cave paintings (created by the hunters and collectors that used to inhabit in this place) and notice the surrounding landscape geomorphologic evolution, flora, fauna and some other interesting details that this archaeological place stores up. This circuit mainly goes round the town old part showing the pioneers' typical first constructions, the civic centre and the main public institutions. We visit Nimez Lagoon or the coastal walk (just a few metres away from Argentino Lake) to watch the abundant local avifauna by means of binoculars, which are at our disposal in the vehicle. Finally, at the Historical Interpretation Centre the exhibition allows us to "travel" along the regional history by showing us both its social and environmental evolution. Besides we can enjoy some interesting documental from its video library. In this fascinating historical - cultural tour we can be also delighted of the different panoramic views of the tourist town which is in continuous development and in this way, we realize that we are also part of this town history by contemplating this Calafate which is so far from everywhere but at the same time so lively.
Cultural English - Spanish guide. It includes both Historical Interpretation Centre and Walichu Caves tickets.
El Galpón with Dinner and transfer
Season: October / April
Services: bilingual, daily
Distance: 42 km
Departure: 17:00 h
Return: 22:30 h
From El Calafate we leave for the farm so as to learn about the Patagonian country work. Welcome tea. Then it is showed some sheep driving with kelpie dogs, sheep shearing and some comments on exploitation, manufacturing and baling are made. Hike to Los Pájaros Lagoon. It is possible to go horse riding. Dinner is included: barbecued lamb without drinks. Folklore and tango show. This tour can be combined with Moreno Glacier or Upsala / Onelli lake tours.
Torres del Paine
Full day
Departures: Wednesdays and Sundays
We leave early from El Calafate to Cancha Carrera (Argentina) and Castillo Hill (Chile) border. After crossing, we continue our trip to Torres del Paine National Park, a place of lakes, lagoons, cascades, glaciers and hills where it is possible to admire the different forms of living in their natural style. On our way we are accompanied by guanacos and American ostriches; we drive among several lagoons covered by herbs and water birds. We visit Nordenskiold Lake, Big and Small Falls del Paine and Pehoé Lake, where a box lunch is served. We continue along a road surrounded by vegetation and steep slopes until we arrive in Grey Lake. We hike for 1 hour along a demarcated path until Grey Lake banks; all this stands for an unsurpassable landscape surrounded by forests, hills and part of Los Andes Range.
Return to the border and then to the hotel in El Calafate.
Our services include:
:: Full day excursion to Torres del Paine
:: Lunch
:: National Park tickets
:: English - Spanish guide during the excursion in El Paine.
Southern Bend and Perito Moreno Glacier with footbridges
Transfer from each hotel in El Calafate up to Mitre River Pier where the ship departs to Southern Bend. After a 30-45 minute shipping, we arrive in Southern Bend shore. We disembark to go to a viewpoint near Nibepo Aike farm post where we can appreciate Stockes Hill (Chilean border), Cubo Hill, Dedo del César Hill, Adriana, the Castle and Grande and Frías Glaciers as well as some hanging glaciers. We sail to Perito Moreno Glacier where we go on a nautical safari. We disembark at Bajo Las Sombras Port and then we move to Perito Moreno Glacier footbridges to remain there for 2 - 2:30 h. We return in excursion to El Calafate.
Schedule:
08:00 h: departure from El Calafate
09:30 h: Mitre River Pier
11:00 h: viewpoint near 3 de abril Lagoon and Nibepo post
12:00 h: Nautical safari
13:30 h: Bajo Las Sombras Port
13:50 h: arrival at the footbridges
15:30 h: return from the footbridges
17:30 h: arrival in El Calafate
Ship: ALACALUFE (67 passengers)
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