Sunrise in El Calafate (photo by Karen Palmer)
This past spring I had the great fortune of taking a ten-day trip to Argentina with a friend of mine. Buenos Aires was, as expected, a delicious mix of food, wine, culture and nightlife, but one of my favorite parts of the trip was an excursion we took down to El Calafate, down in the far southwestern portion of the country (practically Antarctica, if you look it up on a map).
Argentina has gotten a lot of press lately, because it’s not only a beautiful and lively place to visit, but still relatively affordable. And it’s funny; since our trip, I’ve read countless stories about El Calafate; Vogue even did a fashion shoot there. It’s no wonder: The glaciers are breathtaking and beautiful.
Here are some recommendations from our trip.
Where to Stay & What to Do:
We stayed at a gorgeous boutique hotel, the Esplendor Calafate. The lobby, decked out in lush brown leather couches, a huge fireplace and antler-shaped hanging lights, calls to mind a chicer-than-chic lodge, and is the perfect place to relax with a bottle of wine after a day out on the glaciers.
Esplendor El Calafate
The rooms are luxe modern, with hardwood floors, natural tones and big, fluffy comforters for the chilly nights there. Service was prompt and friendly, and the Continental breakfast was well-stocked, fresh and delicious (important when you’re filling up for an excursion into the cold).
Rooms at the Esplendor El Calafate
Luckily for travelers, the Esplendor offers a package deal, which we did, that offers two glacier excursions. One day, we took a boat cruise to the Upsala glacier; the second, we took a bus tour to the massive Perito Moreno glacier.
Upsala glacier cruise (photo by Karen Palmer)
All transportation was provided to and from the hotel, and both tours offered gorgeous views of the massive glaciers (to give you an idea, Perito Moreno is larger, square footage-wise, than the city of Buenos Aires).
Perito Moreno glacier (photo by Karen Palmer)
The excursion to Perito Moreno offered birds-eye views of the glacier (as seen above). The most incredible part of the trip, perhaps, was witnessing first-hand huge sheets of ice falling from the glacier and crashing into the water below. Breathtaking.
More adventurous travelers can also opt for an excursion to hike on the glaciers. Had one of us not been nursing a foot injury (me), we would have chosen to do so. Reviews from other travelers at the hotel were all positive.
Where to Eat:
I’m not going to lie; El Calafate is by no means a thriving metropolis. It’s a tiny town sustained by tourism to the glaciers, so there aren’t a ton of restaurant options. We did, however, have one truly memorable meal.
La Tablita was the site of the truly delicious meal, located at the end of the town’s main street. Patagonia is known for its lamb, and this spot didn’t disappoint. Queasy eaters, be forewarned: In a huge fire pit at the entrance of the restaurant, you can see lambs strung up on spits. And when our lamb arrived at the table it was absolutely delicious, perfectly charred on the outside and rosy on the inside, as was the rest of a paradilla, or mixed grill we ordered with chicken and beef (that other Argentine specialty).
The glaciers? Spectacular. The hotel? Gorgeous. The lamb? Delectable. El Calafate is already on the up-and-up; book your trip now.
Technorati Tags: Travel, Argentina, El Calafate, Patagonia, glaciers, glacier tour, glacier hike, Perito Moreno, Esplendor, Upsala, La Tablita
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