- Buenos Aires : Explore over the weekend
- Gaucho Day Trip from Buenos Aires
- Visit Ushuaia : Tierra del Fuego National Park
- Visit Ushuaia : Laguna Esmeralda Hike
- Visit Ushuaia : Cruise on the Beagle Channel
- Explore Heart of Patagonia : El Calafate
- Explore El Chalten : Hike Laguna Capri and Chorillo del Saltado
- Explore Torres Del Paine from El Calafate
- Half Day trip from El Calafate to Perito Moreno Glacier
- An evening train to Tigre Delta
The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life.Unknown
After visiting the capital Buenos Aires and the gorgeous Ushuaia we were on our way to the final and the most awaited pitstop of them all – the heart of Patagonia – El Calafate. As we bid adieu to Ushuaia and started making our way inward the terrain down turned more barren and desert like. And landing at EL Calafate was like landing on Martian landscape – a little scary as we dint foresee this. I knew we are up against the mountains and snow peaks, but I dint know the valley beneath these gorgeous peaks was a dry and barren land. So, let’s see what El Calafate has to offer.
Picked our car from the Airport car rentals. We picked the car and the initial few kilometres – I couldn’t understand why the car was so wobbly. Stopped to check if I had a flat tyre and When Li got down to check the tyres, we realised the magnitude of the winds we were up against. It was the sheer force of the winds which was swaying the car.
Tip 1
The winds are crazy around this area. They can literally overturn a car and you are advised to hold the door when you open it. There were many instances of the door getting ripped out! Also while you drive – both hands on the wheel.
Tip 2
There is no traffic whatsoever here and there is no way you can get lost. It’s a dmm straight road! However, the biggest danger – Guanaco! You can spot them everywhere next to the roads and they tend to run across the road at times. So keep an eye out.
We had one such moment while returning from Chile. A long drive and we were close to the destination as the sun was setting on the horizon. I wanted to capture a Guanaco crossing in front of the car. And then all of a sudden on a curve I spotted one next to the road and straight away he sprinted across the road – luckily, I had spotted it in time to quickly lower my speed and stop! The car we rented had a big dent from a previous such Guanaco incident – A reminder for us to keep an eye out.
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Finally we made our way from the airport to town of El Calafate. This is a small and peaceful little town in the heart of this barren landscape and is the main gateway for hikes and tourists visiting the Perito Moreno glacier, El Chalten and also Torres Del Paine.We stopped for some groceries at La Anonima – there are two of these shops – one at the town centre and the one at the outskirts – more like the little hill overlooking the town. The one on the outskirts is bigger and has more options.
We checked into our place – this was our longest stay in Argentina and was a beautiful place overlooking the Lago Argentina and had its own courtyard with 2 beautiful dogs. Addy loved the place – it had bunk beds, and she was clear that she would sleep on the lower bunk bed and her bunny on the upper bunk bed.
We quickly cooked a meal and head out to explore nearby areas of El Calafate. Except for the main road coming into the town the rest of the roads are more gravel and muddy. By this time, I had got a hang of driving on the other side and also the winds. We reached the shore of the Lago Argentina and spend some time there taking in the Scenery this place had to offer
Addy loved doing her newfound obsession of throwing stones in water and finally we made our way back to the house. I had found these little dough cheese balls at the grocery store earlier – which tasted awesome – so I went to pick up another round! We called it a day as we had an early morning start to drive towards El Chalten- the trekking capital of the world.
On returning from Chile and on the last day at El Calafate, we walked around the town. We visited the lake with the big El Calafate signage (Cartel de El Calafate) with the pink Flamingos, the high street and the little church in the town centre as it was Easter.
El Calafate is a perfect hub for seeing the Patagonian heartland with great connections. The people, the place and the scenery resembling the American southwest from various Hollywood movies were all worth it.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.