# Travel inspiration : Patagonia ... El Calafate/ Perito Moreno / El Chalten.

Here is a new travel diary on our breathtaking roadtrip in South America.. During this amazing adventure of ours, we traveled from Mexico to Argentina via Chile, Bolivia, up to the Andes Cordillera, to end up on the beautiful beaches of Brazil.. a dreamlike experience, which I absolutely want to share with you..

#Next stop : Argentina ..

After our magical stay in Yucatán (here), we had a long journey ahead to join Patagonia’s Argentina.. And 4 planes later, we finally reached the small airport of El Calafate.. As soon as we landed, we got this weird feeling to be lost in the middle of nowhere in this huge, windblown, harsh and dry land. Such a different atmosphere compared to Mexico, and it was just a start!

#El calafate.. An absolutely inescapable stopover..

El Calafate is one of the places to stay of Argentina’s Patagonia ; firstly because it has its own international airport, and especially because it is located only 2 hours away by bus from the national park Los Glaciares, where we can find the sublime and majestic glaciars Perito Moreno (among other wonders..). That’s why this small city that look like an ugly ski village is the main point of access for numerous excursions, what makes it very busy and swarming with tourists.. Of course, we did not escape this pattern and stayed in El Calafate for 2 days in order to make the famous excursion of Perito Moreno ..

I was pleasantly surprised by this place, as I had read quite a lot of negative things, and specifically that there was nothing to do there, strictly speaking.. Actually, El Calafate is a city of transit, not necessarily attractive, but there are all the same beautiful strolls to take around lake Argentino to occupy an afternoon, between 2 excursions.. The view of the protected lagoon is beautiful, the light at the end of the day is just stunning and bird lovers will enjoy the watching of the many birds species that lives here.. It is also nice to wander in the streets of the city, stop for a hot chocolate and a little window shopping (but not actual shopping, the prices are extravagant for everything ; hotels, shops, souvenirs etc..). Do not even think about buying your trekking equipment here.. make sure that you are well prepared and equipped before your departure.. To conclude about our stopover in El Calafate, it is not what we call a city full of charm (it is actually quite unattractive) but we had an amazing time there nevertheless…

Good to know :

Where to sleep : We slept in the Calafate hostel which is great, really good value for money, clean, well located and 10 minutes from the bus station.. The only drawback could be the breakfast and if you are looking for delicious breakfast, unfortunately this is not going to happen.. but we got over it , and in any case it’s pretty much like that whereever you go in the area….
How to go there : the city is great for transport and services of all kinds, buses, planes, shuttles, restaurants, hotels etc… By bus, there are numerous departures regularly to and from El Calafate, and by plane we can reach it via Buenos Aires or Puerto Natales.

#The Perito Moreno… One of natures true wonders..

We had heard so much about the famous Perito Moreno that we really looked forward to discovering it and actually, the place deserves its reputation and more.. There are no words to describe the breathtaking and truly magnificent glacier with its blue tints, just simply sublime, impressive, magnificent, majestic or simply WOW amazing.. Everything is beautiful, the sky, the trees, the rocks and the colors are all just incredible..The lake in particular is bright blue which highlights the bluish white of the enormous mass of ice from which we cannot stop staring.. It is really, really beautiful..

I guess you got it by now but if there is one thing to see during your visit to Argentina’s Patagonia it is the Perito Moreno, a real beauty which stands in the national park Los Glacieres (Patrimoine World of Unesco).. It is constantly moving and growing, and regularly, some huge parts of ice are breaking and fall into lake Argentino with an impressive rumbling.. A truly hypnotizing show that we can admire throughout the day from the footbridges which follow the site, or on the boats that navigate around the glaciar…

Good to know :

How to get there : It is rather simple actually and it takes only 1 hour and half by bus to arrive at the site of Perito Moreno. We took the bus in the morning from the bus station of El Calafate.. (There are several departures).. To go/return by bus costs approximately 400 and 450 Argentine pesos per person (approximately 23 euros.). We bought the bus tickets directly from the bus station but you can also buy directly from the hotel. The road is very pleasant with sublime landscapes and the buses are rather comfortable ; there are buses regularly between El calafate and Perito Moreno, both ways .. We arrived by 10:15 am and we took the bus back to El Calafate at of 4:00 pm…
The visit : We paid the entrance fees to the park while in the bus (300 Argentine pesos each = 18 euros per person) and for the rest, we did choose to visit by ourselves which actually works out a lot cheaper than with an agency or a guide.. You really don’t need to book in advance in El calafate or on the web, which costs an arm and a leg, you can observe Perito just fine from the footbridges and fitted out balconies that line it.. It is actually very well-organized and the site is very clean. The visit can take 3/4 the hour, but plan 6 hours to take advantage of the glacier and see its different color changes according to the light as it offers us a different show according to the moments of the day. There is a restaurant and a toilet on the site, but we preferred to take a picnic on the rocks in front of lake and the glacier, it was the best picnic in the world and the scenery truly worth it..
Activities : For those who wish, we can approach closer by taking the boat trip, but we preferred to stay on the footbridges for a wider and higher view.. We can also walk on the glacier or rent kayaks (but not approach too near because of the falling ice).

Note..

From the first days in Patagonia you understand very fast that the weather can change in a few minutes. It can begin being very hot, very cold, very windy to even snowing in a snap of the fingers so it better to be well prepared just in case… And in Perito the wind tends to blow a lot near the glacier where it is colder as opposed to the lake side which can get really hot, so when you leave be prepared for all sorts of weather conditions.. Pack your backpack with winter gear ; hats, headband, ear muffs, gloves, extra layers for under your clothes (like Gore-Tex) yes, even if the sky is blue.. Don’t forget the summer equipment : cap, t-shirt, sunglasses, sunscreen (an absolute must)..

Of course, picnic, water, dried fruits, almonds and other little snacks that you can buy easily in the supermarket at El Calafate are also necessary.. And last but not least always bring a thermos with hot beverage in your bag (I have to admit that we did appreciate a nice hot drink when the weather was getting a bit cold or when traveling for hours by bus..)

#El Chalten .. The place to be for trekkers & nature lovers..

The second stage of our journey brought us to El Chalten, yet another unmistakable part of Patagonia, especially for lovers of treks, long hikes and walks in the heart of nature.. Well personally, I didn’t really like this town in itself that much but there are lots of small wooden cute restaurants, just like from the Shire in Lord of the Rings, and there are numerous nice excursions to be made in the region which is the starting point of the magnificent walks, and you can observe the huge mountains Torre and Fitz Roy…

Regarding treks, there is a little of everything, excursions that last for days, and shorter hikes or trails that take half a day or a day or two, with different levels of difficulty. For those that are pressed for time (or no so sporty) there are short walks lasting only a couple of hours, that are quite easy (even if they do involve climbing up steep hills. ).. It is wiser to start the excursions in early morning cause the light is more beautiful and there is nobody around, which is not the case later on in the day..

In any case, before leaving for a trek, inquire about weather conditions, difficulty levels, the route, the equipment etc.. in the bus station there is an information center where you can ask about this.

Good to know..

Where to stay & eat / It’s very easy to find accommodation in this small village filled with hotels and restaurants .. We booked on hotel.com with no problem at all.. Some advice however : choose hotels near the bus station or in any case not too far .. Ours was really far and with a 17 kilo backpack ( in the rain) it’s hardly fun… And regarding food, we had an enormous crush on La Tapera , an adorable, small wooden restaurant, a bit like a chalet with logs and a cosy, authentic and family atmosphere, and most importantly, excellent cuisine …we stuffed ourselves.. A perfect place to stop for a snack after a day of trekking…
How to get there / From El Calafate, count roughly 3 hours by bus.. El Chalten is very well serviced and there are regular departs to and from El Chalten and other towns..

There you have it for this first stage of our journey in Patagonia, the next chapter, coming very soon !! And since many of you asked me some questions about this trip and our road map so I will be putting our complete itinerary at the end of each post on South America, and I will complete the links below as I go.. Leave me a comment or pm me if you have any question or if you want to share so tips with us <3

xxx

Translation @Natalya Paupe & Pics by @Peter soubbotnik