Patagonia: A mountain, a berry, a city - El Calafate

Jacob Jørgensen, editor

12 months ago

Patagonia - Argentina - mountains - travel

Patagonia: A mountain, a berry, a city - El Calafate is written by Jacob Gowland Jørgensen

Travel with to Patagonia

Another trip Argentina. Patagonia. Taste the word. There is adventure in it. Something big and unpredictable and beautiful. All that draws many travelers towards the endless plains and massive mountain ranges in the southernmost part of the South America.

A trip to Patagonia must be experienced.

In the middle of Patagonia there is a small town, El Calafate.

El Calafate is named after the local mountain, and has given its name to the local berries, which taste slightly more delicious than blueberries. That is, if you can wrest them from the thornbush they grow on.

El Calafate

Until 15 years ago, the city had only a few thousand inhabitants, but the Argentines could see the huge tourist potential there was, and therefore built a large airport near the city. And when the regional child Nestor Kirchner went and became president, the number of planes was greatly increased, and then it flooded in with new inhabitants and tourists.

El Calafate is the entrance to what Lonely Planet's guide to Argentina stands and shines on a 1st place above major attractions: Glacier Perito Moreno and the national park it is located in.

See Nature trip to Argentina and Chile

This is very well done in a country that has a whole host of world-class natural attractions, including Iguazu, which was deservedly voted into the list of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

El Calafates balcony

Many visitors to Patagonia rush out of town to the glaciers, but that's a shame. Because even though you can not hike as much yourself, as in Argentina's trekking town El Chalten on the other side of the lake, there is some beautiful nature just above the town.

Above must be taken quite literally – the beautiful rock formations with a view of the city and the lake, Lago Argentino, it is called El Calafate's balcony.

Of course we had to try that, and with a four-wheel drive bus we came up above the city and got to experience the rock world that many others don't get to see in Patagonia.

Here is a small photo safari from the trip. Travel to Patagonia - it's an experience you won't soon forget.