Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
366
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EL CALAFATE
222km (138 miles) S of El Chaltén; 2,727km (1,691 miles) SW of Buenos Aires
El Calafate was once a rough frontier town that served as the center for a vast community
of remote
estancias
(ranches). Today, it is primarily a tourist-oriented to wn that has seen
phenomenal growth in the past 5 years. It's best known for being the base from which to
see the spectacular P erito Moreno Glacier. The town hugs the shor e of tur quoise Lago
Argentino, and this location, combined with the to wn's leafy str eets, gives it the feel of
an oasis in the deser t steppe. The town's population has gr own from 5,000 in 1996 to
30,000 in 2008, and has a r emarkable 5,000 hotel beds—ther e are a lot of hotels her e!
Besides the natural wonders in the Los Glaciares National Park, the town depends heav-
ily on the many daily flights that arriv e at the E l Calafate International Airport packed
with foreign and national tourists. Thousands of visitors come for the chance to stand
face to face with tremendous walls of ice, including one of the few glaciers in the ice field
that isn't retreating (scientists say the P erito Moreno Glacier is “in balance,” meaning it
shrinks and grows constantly).
The town was named for the
calafate
bush found thr oughout Patagonia, which pr o-
duces a sweet berry commonly used in syr ups, ice creams, and jams. As the economy in
Buenos Air es deteriorated, follo wing the countr y's financial collapse in 2001, many
Argentines fled to the countryside as well as here, to El Calafate, which had suffered from
a tourist-trap mentality for years. While urban planning is nonexistent, the town is quite
pleasant, tidy, and clean, and ther e are more and mor e efficient and cr eative businesses
meant to ser ve visitors. B ut you won't find many attractions her e—they are almost all
within the confines of Los G laciares National Park. What you will find, ho wever, are
several good restaurants and a charming main str eet lined with boutiques boasting fine
leather goods and shops selling locally manufactur
12
ed chocolates, jams, and delicious
caramel cookies called
alfajores.
Most of the time you spend in the town will be on your arrival and departure days as
you transfer in or out of the airpor t.
Fast Facts
El Calafate
ATMs
There ar e only a f ew A TMs ar ound t own.
Banc o de la Nación,
A v. del
Libertador 1133 (
&
02902/429536
), and
Banco Provincia de S anta Cruz,
Av .
del Libertador 1285 (
&
02902/492320
), are the most conveniently located.
Note:
At press time, there was no A TM in El Chalt én. If you're headed ther e, be sur e to
withdraw extra cash in El C alafate.
Currency Ex change
The C asa de C ambio Thaler is at A v. del Liber tador 1242
(
&
02902/493245
).
Emergency
Dial
&
101
or 02902/451449 f or police;
&
100
for fire.
Hospital
T he
Hospital Distric tal José F ormenti
is at A v. Julio A. Roca 1487
(
&
02902/491001
).
