Experiences & Useful Information

EL CALAFATE

There’s a lot to experience at the southernmost tip of the planet. El Calafate has a privileged offer, not only of activities, but also of its main tourist attractions.

Our city is the ideal place to explore La Patagonia and to dare to undergo new experiences: ranging from the typical trip to the Glaciers National Park (Parque Nacional Los Glaciares), UNESCO world heritage, to the most extreme excursions, such as walking on a glacier, sailing the lakes, climbing mountains, kayaking expeditions or going on 4×4 excursions on the mountainous balconies of the city.

With our tips you’ll be able to enjoy El Calafate the way you want and find both adventure and relax. In “Las Cumbres” we’re delighted to give information about anything you need, whether you feel like taking pictures to Patagonian landscapes or sighting flora and fauna. Advice on excursions in Glaciers National Park is also provided.

El Calafate is a city full of offers and options and in “Las Cumbres” we love helping our guests to organize their trip since the very moment they make the reservation: we can give advice and tips to our guests about everything they can do at the destination.

Apart from the typical excursions, you can explore not only an archaeological site, which is at 7 kms. from downtown and where cave or rupestrian paintings made by the first inhabitants who used to walk on these lands, can be seen. But you can also dare to do a trip to an ancient oil field, where fossils and petrified logs can be found or you can enjoy life in a typical Patagonian ranch.

There are also spots for travelers fond of history, for example there’s a historical interpretation museum only a few blocks from the city and in Glaciarium (the Ice Museum) you can get the most complete and up-to-date information.

The city is plenty of activities to enjoy everyday. During your stay, we’ll keep you abreast of what is going on in this city. Please do follow us in Facebook or Instagram and become one more fan of El Calafate.

El Calafate takes its name from a small bush called “calafate”, which is typical in the southern part of La Patagonia. According to tradition, if somebody eats “calafate fruit”, he/she will come back to eat more. According to experience, if somebody visits El Calafate, he/she will refuse to leave this place.

USEFUL INFORMATION

The climate in our town is predominantly “Dry” and the large stationary thermal variations do not prevent you from enjoying the different options of walks.

The winds of the West and Southwest predominate. During the summer the frequency and intensity of the winds is greater.

The average annual temperature is 7.2ºC, while the average for July is around 1.8º C and January is 18.6ºC.

As for clothes, it is advisable to always be casual and, if possible, comfortable and comfortable. Windbreaker with hood and coats such as gloves, scarf and jacket, footwear is especially recommended training shoes or trekking shoes and do not forget sunglasses and UV protector factor 40.

The tourist seasons to visit our city are divided into: Spring / Summer: which officially begins in August ending towards the month of April during Holy Week, during this time you will share with people from different parts of the world, even from the most remote places. The rest of the year is considered the Autumn / Winter season, including, for some establishments, the winter holiday time, so it is advisable to check in advance. However, this does not prevent enjoying recreational activities, events, excursions to the Perito Moreno Glacier, Uppsala, Onelli and other glaciers.

If you are from Argentina or from neighboring countries, the usual document in your country of origin will be sufficient both to stay and to make local and regional excursions such as visiting Chile. On the other hand, if you come from any other country, you must carry your Passport along with your Assistance Insurance and should consult your Embassy or the Migration Department of your country for visa inquiries. It should be considered as “mandatory” for minors the possession of their identity document and the permanence with their parents or legal guardians duly accredited especially for lake excursions, trekking to the Patagonian Continental Ice and to visit Chile, since they will be required to perform them.

The commercial activity in our environment is governed by the changes of winter or summer season. Being the first between the months of May and September where the business hours are: Monday to Friday from 09: 30hs to 12: 00hs and from 16:00 to 21: 00hs and Saturdays from 10: 00hs to 13: 00hs and from 16 : 00hs to 21: 00hs although not in all cases. In the summer season the schedules are: Monday to Saturday during regular hours. On Sundays you can find commercial activity in shops for souvenirs and supermarkets as well as in neighborhood shops between the hours of 09:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. especially at this time. For the banking activity the schedule is: Monday to Friday from 08: 00hs to 13: 00hs both at the Banco Provincia de Santa Cruz S.A. , B.T.F. (Bank of Tierra del Fuego), Banco Nación and Banco Patagonia, being able to operate with ATMs outside these hours. For fuels, we currently have two Service Stations: YPF and Petrobras, which maintain their business hours 24 hours, although for spare parts or services you must wait for business hours. The Provincial Public Administration attends from 08:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The post office serves all year round from 9 am to 4 pm.

This question is not uncommon because although the legal currency of course is the Argentine Peso, it is no less true that since our city is an international tourism point it is possible to make payments in US Dollars (US $) or Euros in almost all shops, there are also those that accept traveler’s checks at bank rate and in some cases Chilean currency is also accepted.

If you want to change money on paper, banknote or traveler’s checks or need to make withdrawals from your bank account or credit card, the ideal is to go to any of the three Banking Entities of our city: Banco de la Provincia de Santa Cruz S.A. , BTF (Bank of Tierra del Fuego), Banco Nación Banco Nación and Banco Patagonia, from Monday to Friday from 08.00 to 13.00 h. Exchange office South Changes Av.Del Libertador n ° 963 local n ° 2 contact: 02902-491455 E-mail Camboscalafate@gmail.com opening hours from March to August from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from September to April from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day.

If for any reason you will need an emergency service, consider the following:

All hotels can call any of the medical, police or fire emergency services.

Check your medical assistance service for travelers about the professionals you have in our environment and their specialty.

The local Hospital has qualified services of Medical Clinic, Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Traumatology, General Surgery, Trauma, Cardiology, Anesthesiology, General Medicine and ambulance vehicles for land transfers (time to arrive at reference hospital and high complexity in summer: approximately two and a half hours) as well as qualified personnel for air transfers.

Useful phones

Hospital 107

Telefonia 110 customer information

Official Time 113

Long Distance 19

Access to DDN 0

Access to DDI 00

Serv. International per Operator 000

Firemen 100

Police 101

Civil Defense 103

If your emergency were on the access routes, keep in mind that passenger vehicles have radio equipment to communicate with El Calafate, Río Gallegos or La Esperanza on the Civil Defense frequencies: HF 3857.5 USB – 6970 USB or VHF 149.335 and so be able to request the necessary assistance.

If you need information on the status of routes, go to the following page and search by district, route or section https://www.argentina.gob.ar/vialidad-nacional/estado-de-las-rutas

The intention of Los Glaciares National Park reminds tour operators and visitors that, as established in Resolution No. 136/19 of the National Parks Administration Directory, since June 1, 2019 the new entrance fee is in effect to Los Glaciares National Park, with the following values

General Rate ……………………………………………………… .. $ 800

National Residents ……………………………………………… .. $ 410

Children 6 to 12 years ……………………………………………… … $ 200

Univ / Tertiary Student in the country ………………………………. $ 80

Provincial Residents …………………………………………… … $ 80

Local Residents ………………………………………………… … $ 0

Argentine retirees and pensioners ……………………………… .. $ 0

People with Disabilities …………………………………………. $ 0

Under 5 years ………………………………………………… …. $ 0

To access each category, the corresponding condition must be accredited

A 50% discount in value of the right of access on the second consecutive day of the same visitor is implemented.

Exempted from the application of the access card for students up to 16 years of age, from public and private schools to the Argentine Republic, as long as they are part of an excursion organized by the school establishment to which they belong, for educational purposes properly accredited in the National Park Administration.

Both in the Río Miter-Glaciar Moreno corridor and in the Port of Punta Bandera, the access Ticket can be purchased with a credit card (Visa / Mastercard), debit card (Electron) or cash (ARGENTINE PESOS).

You can also get ONLINE tickets by entering here

The entrance times to Los Glaciares National Park are: Summer from September 1 to April 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Winter from May 1 to August 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.