23 Awesome Things to do in El Calafate, Argentina

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El Calafate, Argentina is one of my favorite Patagonian towns. It’s small, vibrant, filled with tasty treats, and of course, there’s a huge range of things to do in El Calafate.

But after my first visit, I barely scraped the surface, and not because I didn’t have time, but because I didn’t know where to look!

I mean, there are many obvious choices of things to do like tours in El Calafate and visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier, but other than that, it can be hard to know what to do in El Calafate when you’re not out on the glacier.

So, on my second visit, I looked a little closer and finally fell in love with El Calafate, Argentina. I found a huge range of things to do including some off-the-beaten-path activities as well as easy-to-do things right in El Calafate town.

Here are the 23 best things to do in El Calafate, Argentina that every visitor will love!

23 BEST Things to do in El Calafate, Argentina

1. Walk the Perito Moreno Boardwalk

One of the best and most popular things to do in El Calafate is to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier boardwalk. Besides the entrance fee to Los Glaciares National Park (10,000 ARS/$20 USD), the boardwalk is completely free!

In total, there are over 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) of boardwalk to enjoy and you could honestly spend hours here. This is one of El Calafate’s highlights, so read our guide on visiting Perito Moreno Glacier for all the tips!

One of the best things about Perito Moreno Glacier is that it’s so alive. Every 10 to 20 minutes, huge chunks of ice fall from its face. I can guarantee you’ll see a chunk of ice fall if you’re patient enough.

To get from El Calafate to Perito Moreno Glacier you can either take a large bus or shuttle from El Calafate to the boardwalk (around $50 USD each way), join a tour, or get a rental car and drive yourself.

The advantage of this full-day sightseeing tour to Perito Moreno Glacier is that it takes all the stress out of visiting. It’s a well-rated tour that includes transportation from your hotel, time to wander the boardwalks, and even a boat ride to get up close to this wonder. It’s only $179 USD including all of that (or cheaper without the boat ride) and will make for a truly memorable day.

Note: The best time to visit Perito Moreno Glacier is early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid huge crowds.

Book the tour we recommend to Perito Moreno Glacier here!

2. Drink Locally Brewed Craft Beer

When I said there are plenty of things to do in El Calafate after long days filled with adventure, I meant it! And what could be better than finishing off the day with a few locally brewed and delicious craft beers?!

El Calafate is the town of artisanal foods and drinks in Patagonia and the beer here is amazing! There are plenty of places to go where you can try many different beers with my personal favorite being La Zorra Taproom.

It has good, cold, craft beer at really cheap prices. In fact, at La Zorra during happy hour a beer is only 100 pesos, that’s less than $2 USD! Plus, it has amazing food, so we usually plan for a meal or two here while we’re in town.

3. Go Glacier Trekking

One thing I always regretted on my first visit to El Calafate was not going glacier trekking. To me, trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier was high on my bucket list as it’s the most impressive glacier I’ve ever seen.

This time though, I didn’t make the same mistake, and I joined this Mini Trekking tour from El Calafate and it was amazing!

We started at Puerto Bajo las Sombras (the port) in the national park (we drove because we had a car but they offer transfers from El Calafate) where we took a ferry to the start of the trekking. Although the ferry is just transportation, it felt like a short scenic cruise in itself.

We then got briefed on the tour and geared up before trekking on the glacier for 1.5 hours, drank pure glacier water, looked into crevasses, and saw glacier waterfalls. We finished off the tour with scotch on the rocks made with ice from the glacier and chocolate for a snack.

Overall, it’s a great tour and if you book the transport to and from El Calafate you also get 1.5 hours of free time to explore the Perito Moreno Glacier boardwalk before returning to El Calafate. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I highly recommend it.

For more information, be sure to read our blog which is all about what to expect from Mini Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier!

Book the exact same mini trekking tour we did here!

4. Visit Intendencia Parque Nacional Los Glaciares

This is a very quick and enjoyable thing to do in El Calafate. The Intendencia Parque Nacional Los Glaciares has lots of historical information on Perito Moreno (the explorer) as well as beautiful gardens to enjoy.

The visit here only takes around 20 minutes and is located right in town on the main street. It’s completely free to enter.

5. Take a Scenic Glacier Cruise

El Calafate’s many nearby glaciers that run into Largo Argentino make it the perfect place to join a cruise.

From the comfort of the boat, you can truly enjoy this spectacular national park. There are a few different cruise options available with the biggest difference between them being the duration.

For those wanting a short but sweet experience, then I’d recommend this full-day tour that includes a boat ride. The included cruise runs for an hour and explores the face of the Perito Moreno Glacier. On these cruises, it’s very common to witness huge chunks of ice break off at a close (but safe) distance!

If you want a longer cruise that explores much more of the park and visits multiple glaciers then you can choose a cruise such as this amazing 10-hour cruise that visits 3 glaciers and travels to the far north side of Glacier National Park near El Chalten!

Book the tour with the 1-hour cruise here or opt for the incredible 10-hour glacier cruise!

6. Eat Traditional Patagonian Food

Patagonia is home to unique dishes that are very hearty and meat-based. From the slow-roasted lamb to massive burgers and stews, there’s so much to try in El Calafate! The one dish you can’t leave without trying is the Lamb al Asador.

This unique way of cooking involves slow-roasting lamb over coals and then cutting it into pieces that are typically served with potatoes. It’s a hearty meal and it’s delicious! Of course, this meal isn’t usually cheap, especially at a top-rated restaurant.

If you want a cheaper option, then try the lamb stew or burgers. From La Zorra, I got the stew for around $7 USD and it’s really amazing! As for the burgers, there are so many places you can get a lamb burger around town for less than $5 USD!

7. Join a Perito Moreno Kayaking Tour

From the comfort of a cruise, seeing the glacier is impressive, but from a tiny kayak, the experience is breathtaking! Imagine being inches from the freezing water and mere meters from icebergs. It’s an experience I really want to do at least once in my life!

From El Calafate, this tour includes 1.5 hours of kayaking as well as free time to explore the boardwalk, lunch, all equipment. and hotel transport. I think the coolest part would be being close enough to hear the noise of the glaciers moving from water level!

We didn’t have time to do the kayaking tour when we were last here, but we heard from others that it was an amazing experience! Plus, it has a ton of 5-star reviews you can read here.

One thing to note is that for safety reasons and the fact the Perito Moreno Glacier is so active, you don’t get that close to the glacier, but you do get to paddle up to icebergs in the lake. The tour is $390 USD per person.

Book this once-in-a-lifetime kayaking tour here!

8. Try Artisanal Chocolate

El Calafate is oddly a really good place to try a huge selection of artisanal chocolate that’s locally made and super cheap. Throughout the town, there are plenty of different chocolatiers that serve small blocks of chocolate in a huge range of flavors.

These are priced per 100g but you can buy as little or as much as you want from one piece to a 1 kg box. My favorite chocolatier in El Calafate was Chocolates Patagonia. It was one of the cheapest and served great coffee and hot chocolate. They have free samples of chocolate too – it was hard not to want them all!

9. Learn all about Glaciers at the Glaciarium

On my first visit to El Calafate, I remember hearing about the Glaciarium but thinking, meh it’s just another museum. However, this time I decided to check it out just to see what it was like and wow, I couldn’t have been more wrong!

This museum is amazing and is easily one of the best things to do in El Calafate. For one, the museum is huge and filled with lots of interactive displays as well as two movie rooms that play informative videos in Spanish with English subtitles.

In my opinion, the museum is best visited before you go to Perito Moreno Glacier. This way, you’ll be armed with heaps of facts and know more about what you’re looking at.

Entrance to the museum is 11,000 ARS ($12 USD) and it’s located around a 10-minute drive from town. There are free shuttles to the museum that leave from this meeting point in El Calafate. These buses run every hour. 

10. Taste El Calafate Berry Products

The El Calafate Berry is a berry native to southern Patagonia. The berry itself is named after the town El Calafate (and not the other way around as I first thought). It’s a delicious berry that is visually similar to a blueberry. In Patagonia, the El Calafate Berry is used to make a huge range of products including beer, wine, ice cream, syrup, and jam.

Throughout El Calafate town, you can buy these products to drink or eat while you’re there or take them home as a souvenir for friends and family to try!

But the interesting part? The legend says that anyone who eats an El Calafate Berry will return to Patagonia – which must be true because I came back a second time!

Be sure to shop around at different stores and avoid the typical souvenir shops as these are hugely overpriced. The Chocolates Patagonia store in town has a small selection of liqueurs and jams that are very reasonably priced.

11. Explore La Leona Petrified Forest

One of the most unique things to do in El Calafate is to take a tour to La Leona Petrified Forest.

For those who don’t know, a petrified forest is a fossilized forest where the trees that once lived here have turned to stone. The process is very complex and on the tours to the La Leona forest, you’ll learn all about it. If you have a dinosaur fan in your group, you can also spot fossils among the petrified wood!

This isn’t a place you can explore on your own since the forest is actually on private land. So I recommend booking this specific hiking tour from El Calafate. You’ll have 3 hours of hiking around the petrified forest to see all its wonders close up. The tour also includes a visit to Hotel La Leona, a guesthouse where infamous outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stayed for a month while they were on the run!

The tour runs daily from October to April starting at $227 USD.

See a fossilized forest by booking this tour!

Related Read: If you are considering crossing the Argentina boarder to explore other areas, I recommend going to see penguins in Punta Arenas.

12. Walk Around Laguna Nimez

Located right in El Calafate is a beautiful nature reserve called Laguna Nimez. Here, you can hike and explore the reserve, in fact, many consider it to be one of the best hikes in El Calafate.

This place is also a paradise for birdwatchers! At the reserve, you can view up to 100 different bird species including flamingos.

To walk the boardwalk around the reserve the entrance fee is 10,000 ARS ($11 USD) and is self-guided. The entrance fee goes right back to research and protecting the birds. The boardwalk is around 3 km (1.9 mi) long and is an easy walk with lots of information boards along the way. It took us about 1.5 hours to walk the full trail.

Overall, Laguna Nimez is a nice relaxing activity for the whole family – just be sure to go on a day that’s not windy!

13. Get Tipsy in an Ice Bar

Ice bars are bars made entirely of ice, including the glasses you drink from. If you’ve never been to an ice bar (or want to drink cheap alcohol) then this is the perfect activity in El Calafate!

In El Calafate, there are 2 different ice bars. Yeti Ice Bar is right in town and then Glacio Bar at the Glaciarium. That ice bar is actually made with ice from the Perito Moreno Glacier!

We really enjoyed Yeti Ice Bar since the entrance fee of around $20 USD gets you 30 minutes inside the bar where it’s technically an “open bar” and you can drink as much as you want. While we got special jackets, gloves and crampons for our shoes, I was still ready to leave at the end as it’s very cold!

Book tickets to Yeti Ice Bar here!

14. Shop at the Artisanal Market

The large souvenir shops are great, but if you really want to bring a part of Patagonia home with you then you simply must visit the El Calafate Artisanal Market.

Located right on the main street in town, this market features amazing works by local artists that are all handmade. The work here is very impressive and even if you’re not in a shopping mood, it’s well worth a look.

15. Eat delicious ice cream

Artisanal chocolate, beer, souvenirs, and … ice cream! It’s the last ingredient to an empty wallet and a slightly bigger waist, but if you’ve come all this way you simply must give the ice cream in El Calafate a try!

Along the main street of town, there are a few ice cream places (and I had ice cream at many of them) but my all-time favorite was Acuarela. If you love chocolate ice cream, be sure to get the Patagonian Chocolate flavor. It’s very rich so a small serving is more than enough!

16. Take a Day Trip to El Chalten

I honestly believe you should visit El Chalten for much longer than a day. But, I do understand those with limited time may see a day trip from El Calafate as their only option, so I’ve included a way to do just that!

El Chalten is a magical place in Argentina surrounded by stunning landscapes and unique mountain peaks that rival those in Torres del Paine National Park. It’s a place that just has to be seen!

My pick is this hiking tour in El Chalten that leaves from El Calafate. It includes two of the best hikes in the area that aren’t too difficult. You don’t need to be an avid hiker to enjoy these! The first is El Mirador De Los Condores which is worth it for the panoramic views and the chance to spot condors soaring overhead. The second is Chorrillo del Salto which is a quick and easy hike on a mostly flat path to a waterfall.

If you’d rather visit El Chalten and hike on your own, have a look at our guide to hike to Laguna de los Tres at the base of Mt Fitzroy. This is arguably the most beautiful hike in Patagonia and in my opinion, more beautiful than Las Torres in the Torres del Paine National Park. It is an all-day hike though, so you’ll want to plan to stay at least a night or two in El Chalten.

Book the day trip tour to El Chalten here!

Related Read: For more info on how to spend time in El Chalten, check out our blog on all the things to do in El Chalten!

17. Stay at Estancia La Estela

You will see “estancias” all around Patagonia. These are farms or stations and some of them are also hotels that offer a unique place to stay away from all of the hustle and bustle.

If you have a night to spare and want to break up the journey between El Calafate and El Chalten then I highly recommend spending a night at Estancia La Estela Hotel.

This place overlooks the mountains of El Chalten and Glacier National Park. It’s remote and arguably in the most breathtaking location. From the hotel, you can explore the landscape on horseback and just enjoy being in Patagonia away from the busy tourist towns.

The hotel also serves amazing Patagonian food and breakfast is included in the room rates.

Check availability and book a room online!

18. Eat Delicious Pastries at PANtagonia German Bakery

Just in case you hadn’t eaten enough, I have one last indulgence to tell you about and that’s the German Bakery in El Calafate – PANtagonia is the name, how clever! I stumbled upon this place on my first morning in El Calafate in search of a delicious breakfast.

I ended up eating several empanadas and about 3 different pastry desserts – even the lady who worked there was impressed! But honestly, this place is really nice and if you haven’t already, it’s a great place to try empanadas and enjoy a morning coffee.

19. Join a Kayak Tour on Santa Cruz River

One of the most breathtaking ways to enjoy some of the scenery near El Calafate is on this kayaking tour across the Santa Cruz River.

You’ll start from the mouth of Lago Argentina and go all the way to Estancia El Rincón – following part of the same route that Charles Darwin did hundreds of years ago. You’ll learn about the history and landscape from your guide in a small group setting. You’ll also get to visit the Patagonian steppe (desert).

This tour isn’t a beginner’s tour and I recommend having at least kayaked once before (although they are two-person kayaks so as long as one of you has the experience, you should be fine). The total distance paddled is about 15 km (9.3 mi), so you will have earned the yummy lunch waiting for you on the other side of the river!

Book this kayaking tour here to get FREE cancellation!

20. Explore Lago Argentina

Lago Argentino is arguably the bluest lake I have ever seen! It’s El Calafate’s crown jewel and on my trip, I found myself just simply staring at its beauty. From town, you can easily walk to the edge of the lake and go for a stroll.

Along the shore, there are a few viewpoints and on a calm day, it’s really beautiful. This activity is a must-do (especially if you make it for sunset)!

21. Hike El Calafate Mountain

To be honest I wasn’t sure whether to include hiking El Calafate Mountain on this list or not. One of the reasons was that after reading about it on other blogs (and then going for myself) I realized those bloggers hadn’t actually done the hike.

The reason I knew this was because there is no clear path, no signs to the hike, and you essentially just find your own way up – and none of this is mentioned in their blogs!

With that said, it is doable and it’s a completely free activity that has you hiking through a unique landscape with amazing views. If you’re lucky you might also see condors flying above!

How to hike the mountain: Get yourself to the point below on the map either by driving yourself, by taxi, or by walking. Then walk into the field along the gravel road and start making your way to the far side of El Calafate Mountain (away from town) and begin walking up.

You can find some very faint paths but for the most part, you’re on your own. We didn’t reach the top but enjoyed nice views from around halfway up. If you can, ask your hostel for more info.

Please be aware this isn’t a great activity for children nor those with any injuries, it’s very back-country! 

22. Explore El Calafate by bike

You don’t have to travel far to be wowed when visiting El Calafate – some of the best views and things to see are right in town.

Save your legs for hiking excursions by renting a bike to explore El Calafate. A mountain bike is not only a great way to sightsee and explore the town, but it’s also one of the more semi-affordable activities. There are several different bike rental companies in El Calafate town where you can rent a bike for the day for around $30 USD.

23. Ride the longest zipline in South America!

Away from civilization, the wide open landscapes on the outskirts of El Calafate are super picturesque with seemingly endless grassy plains and mountainous landscapes. Particularly, there is this spot called Frias Hill in the Los Glaciares National Park, and it is here you can actually take a ziplining tour. You’ll feel like you’re flying!!!

This zipline is actually one of the longest in all of South America! The tour includes pick up from your hotel and the zipline course for $130 USD.

Cerro Frias also has a few other tour options you can do instead of, or paired with, the ziplining – a 4×4 wildlife tour, horseback riding, or trekking.

Book a ziplining tour right here!

Things to Consider Giving “a miss” in El Calafate

In every place, there are some activities that didn’t live up to the hype or just don’t make sense.

Of course, this depends on your personal preference and the time of your trip. But to me, these are a few things to do in El Calafate mentioned in other blogs that I found not to be that great nor would I personally recommend.

1. Day trip to Torres del Pain National Park

Torres del Paine National Park is a MUST visit! However, this is a super long day. To make the journey all the way from El Calafate just to the front gate is a mission that takes a good 3.5 to 4 hours. And then to hike all the way to the Las Torres Viewpoint and drive back to El Calafate turns this into a huge day.

I only recommend this tour to those who really really can’t find the time to visit Torres del Paine National Park from Puerto Natales or stay in the park itself.

Important info: On Google Maps the directions tell you to follow Ruta 40 the entire way. Although shorter, 60 km (37 mi) of this road is unpaved and must be traveled slowly. This adds more time to your trip. Instead, the bus route follows the 40 to the 5 and then onto the 7 to Torres del Paine.

Related Read: If you decided to spend a proper amount of time in the national park separately then check out how beautiful the hotels in Torres del Paine National Park are!

2. Visit the Casino

A very average casino that consists almost entirely of slot machines. Unless you’re really into gambling, probably give it a miss.

3. Walichu Caves

These caves would be interesting to those who are really into old rock paintings. Although I usually find this stuff interesting, I found this site to be a little boring and overpriced.

If you don’t have your own car, it’s also hard to get out there as you’d need a taxi and it’s a good 20-minute drive from town (on a mostly gravel road).

4. Visit El Calafate Mountain Park

The El Calafate Mountain Park seems to be on everyone’s “things to do in El Calafate” blogs, so I decided to check it out. However, aside from being a decent viewpoint, there’s not much to the park and during my visit, it appeared closed or even shut down.

The road there isn’t paved and is very rough so it may not be wise to drive on in a nice rental car.

Related Read: We have a separate blog all about renting a car in Patagonia which provides you all the information you need to determine if it’s worth it!

Where to Stay in El Calafate, Argentina

Budget

Hostel Lago Argentino – A really good budget option that I have stayed at before. These guys include a nice breakfast, a good kitchen, and very friendly staff. The location is also perfect! It’s also super easy to book on either Hostelworld.com or Booking.com.

Red House Hostel – a very highly rated hostel at a very good price. The hostel is very modern, clean, and has a great social vibe. You’ll want to book a room in advance via Hostelworld.com or Booking.com.

Folk Hostel – This is arguably the best budget hostel in El Calafate. It’s a great option (if it’s available). The staff is amazing, the facilities are modern and clean, and the location is good! Folk Hostel is available to book online on Hostelworld or Booking.com.

Mid-Range

Hotel Amado – This beautiful hotel is located as close as you can get to the center of town. It’s clean, modern, and a great place to stay for those looking for a quiet room.

Todos Los Glaciares – A nice modern hotel with amazing reviews about the staff who go out of their way for guests including picking people up from the bus station. The breakfast is also highly reviewed and they bake their own bread!

Del Glaciar Libertador Hotel – Simple hotel located only 5 minutes from town. Includes a good breakfast. They also have a social bar and restaurant.

Luxury

Aparts Calafate Suites – This place specializes in self-contained apartments for optimal privacy. The apartments are modern, well furnished, and perfect for those wanting more comfort and quality in El Calafate.

Boutique Hotel La Cantera – If you really want a slice of luxury then this hotel is perfect. The building itself is stunning and the location and views are amazing. They serve a buffet breakfast and have an onsite restaurant and bar.

Plan your trip to El Calafate, Argentina

Booking tours

We love booking our tours on the website Viator! Not only does it make it super easy because you can compare tours all in one place, but it is safe and you can pay in your home currency (so you’ll save on currency conversion fees from your bank!) On top of that, you can check reviews from other travelers so that you know exactly what you are getting.

Most tours on Viator also offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour starts, which we love! Being flexible when we travel is super important to us.

You can browse Viator easily online here.

Renting a car

We had a rental car in Patagonia and this was honestly a lifesaver. In the end, it saved us money between buses and taxis. The best place to look for a rental car in Argentina and Patagonia is by far Discover Cars.

We find they consistently have the cheapest prices online and we got our rental car for only $40 USD a day during peak season in Patagonia! (We booked well in advance though to secure this deal).

Thanks for reading!

Thanks so much for reading our things to do in El Calafate blog! We really hope you found it helpful and are excited about your trip to El Calafate.

If you have any questions or comments please do leave them below and we will get back to you! If not, enjoy and safe travels!

Be sure to check out our other Patagonia, Chile, and Argentina blogs! Otherwise, here are a few articles you might also find helpful:

15 Absolute BEST Places to Visit in Argentina

Argentina highlights

How to spend 1 day in Santiago

The best hikes in South America

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