El Calafate

El Calafate claims its livelihood from a single tourist attraction, the spectacular Glaciar Perito Moreno in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, It can be devided into two parts the north and the southern part, with El Calafate on Lago Argentino the gateway. The main highlights are Perito Moreno Glacier, motorlaunch excursion to Upsala, Onelli, Spegazinni glaciers and the cute town itself. There are also several estancias that host guests, including one "Chateau y Relais" member. The park is the second largest in Argentina, extending some 170 km along the Chilean frontier and covering some 759,000 hectares. It was declared a World Heritage region by UNESCO in 1987. Some 40% of the park is covered by giant ice fields, with 47 major glaciers of which 13 flow east descending into the park to feed the two big lakes, Lake Viedma in the north and Lago Argentino in the south. There are also about 190 smaller glaciers that are not connected to the ice fields. All together a great spectacle you have to see. The township itself is prettily clarified, tree-lined and stuffed with souvenir shops, restaurants and prominent weekend vacationers.