El Calafate - Argentina
A glimpse into Patagonia
Lago Argentina
We wanted to visit El Calafate given its close proximity to the Perito Moreno Glacier and our general desire to experience the Patagonia region. This was also probably more on my travel list than Dave’s. But honestly, we had no idea what to expect when planned this part of our trip - or how to pack for it. While its summer in the Southern Hemisphere, as we watched the weather leading up to the trip, there were 50 or 60F degree swings between the weather in Buenos Aires/ Mendoza and El Calafate. So we packed lots of layers - and we still managed to each travel with only a carry on suitcase and “personal item” (read very large tote bag)!
Patagonia covers this entire region of Argentina and Chile.
We opted to head to El Calafate in the Santa Cruz province in southern Argentina (over places like Bariloche in the northern part of Patagonia) primarily given its close proximity to the entrance to Los Glaciers National Park.
For most of the 3+ hour flight from Buenos Aires, there is nothing but empty land and endless landscapes. Landing in El Calafate, you see the Santa Cruz River leading water from the glaciers and Lago Argentina to the Atlantic Ocean.
You also realize that you are just about at the end of the world. You appreciate the remoteness of the area even more when you learn that the first European settlers arrived to the area in the 1950’s and the two-gate airport (FTE) and main two-lane road were built in 2005. No, that’s not a typo.
Stepping off the plane, the Patagonia winds just about knocked us over. They were fierce, never ending and moving - much like our entire time in Patagonia.
All puns aside, to say we were blown away by our time in Patagonia is an understatement.
Patagonia is without a doubt one of the most beautiful, awe inspiring places we have traveled to - from the beautiful vistas to the unbelieveable landscape to the kindness of the people who call it home (some only in season and others year round (not for the faint of heart, mind or spirit, we learned)). And while I want to tell you every detail of our three days in Patagonia, I am going to just hit a few highlights because this is one of those places that you just have to experience for yourself. Photographs and my descriptions simply cannot due it justice.
Based on recommendations from friends, the only place we considered staying was EOLO, a small 17-room Relais & Chateaux property which is about twenty minutes outside of El Calafate.
It took shuffling the dates of the trip more than once to get into this luxury, full board ranch style hotel in the heart of Patagonia - but it was totally worth it! The hotel is set on a 10,000 acre estancia that sits at the end of roughly 6 mile driveway just off the main road.
EOLO, from the Ancient Greek name Aiolos, translates to "moving" or "swift" in English. In Greek mythology, Aiolos was the ruler of the winds and it could not be a more fitting name for this property which sits in the middle of the vast steppe.
And much like the main road, EOLO is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year!
We booked one of only two corner rooms which sit on the front two corners of the hotel and have views in two directions. There are no suites at EOLO and the vibe is one of subtle luxury, when you consider the surroundings and the landscape. Breakfast was anything your heart desired, lunch was either a packed picnic to take with you for your day of adventure or a three-course meal in the dining room. Dinners were a more formal three-course affair with wine pairings. Our favorite was the lamb smoked onsite.
There is a fantastic spa on property, an outdoor hot tub (beware of the wind) and lots of on property activities such as hiking and horseback riding. But honestly, you don’t need any activities, you can simply sit and look out picture windows at the endless landscape in every direction while enjoying a mate. It is peaceful and it is beautiful.
(The hotel was also full of Backroads Tour Groups which I had very mixed feelings about (really lessend the vibe of the whole place if you get my drift)).
Views from our hike up the mountain of the steppe and EOLO. Chile is on the backside of the mountains.
On our first full day in Patagonia, we headed out early on an excusion to visit the Perito Mereno Glacier at Los Glaciers National Park - a UNESCO world heritage site. We went “mini-trekking” which invovlved a boat tour in front of the glacier, about a 45 minute hike to the glacier itself, walking on the glacier with crampons and then about a 30 minute hike back out from the glacier. EOLO packed a picnic lunch for us, so Dave and I had time to enjoy our lunch and take in the incredible views of the glacier from the warming house before heading back across the river by boat.
This was an experience unlike any other and we would definitely recommend experiencing the glacier up close. The walk on ice lasted about 70 minutes in total and required a moderate exertion level. We are fit people, it was fairly easy (assuming you didn’t get your crampons tangled together…).
Our second day was spent enjoying EOLO and exploring the property by foot and horseback. We also made a visit to the spa for hot stone massages. We easily could have spent a week here as it was the ultimate relaxation and unwinding.
I would love to tell you more about our time in Patagonia, but this is a special place that we’ll hold close for a long time. For now, I’ll leave you with some pictures and a recommendation to make the very long trek to Patagonia and experience this beautiful place for yourself.
A few travel tips —
We flew Aerolineas Argentina (yes, the app is only in Spanish) for all intra-country flights (also a Delta Airlines partner). Highly suggest booking Premium Economy as there is priority checkin at the airports (AEP, FTE and MDZ) and priority boarding. Believe me, you don’t want to stand in the economy check in line…. There’s also a larger carry-on weight limit for Premium Economy - 10KGs for carry on suitcases (otherwise the limit is 8KG). Unfortunately, the airline was very strict at enforcing the weight limit and Dave and I had to check our carry-on suitcases for all but 1 of 3 intracountry flights because they were too heavy. From an inflight perspective, its somewhat close equivalent to domestic first class (minus food/ alcohol) and a hell of a lot better than coach.
For our visit to Los Glaciers National Park we booked a private driver and park guide which I would 1000% recommend doing. Its a once-in-a-lifetime experience and let’s be honest, who wants to be on a bus with a bunch of other tourists?! Not us. We met our guide and driver at our hotel and had a sweet minivan with heated bucket seats for the approximate 1 hour drive to the park. Our guide was super informative - complete with maps and pictures and the history of the area, she ushered us through the park entrance, served as our photographer and made sure we made our 9am boat to the glacier with ease. She also knew where all the bathrooms were (clutch)! After the Mini-Ice Trekking (about 4 hours in total), the rest of the day was ours to explore the walkways with our guide and learn more about the glacier and the national park. This was all booked through EOLO.
The weather. This is an interesting one. We lucked out - it was in the low 50s with lots of sunshine every day (first week of February). Granted, this did not account for the wind which is pretty much constant during the summer months. For the glacier walking, I highly suggest lots of layers (not bulky). We started the day freezing between the wind and some rain, and by the time we finished the glacier walk, were sweating. Actually, the warmest spot was on the glacier itself. As we were exiting the viewing walkways to head back to EOLO, the sky opened up and it started pouring. Whew, we really lucked out on that one because we had great weather all morning for the glacier walking. It would have been an entirely different experience in the rain (and not in a good way)! The thermos of coffee and snacks from EOLO were key for the ride back to the hotel after spending all day outside.
Type I plug converted is needed at hotel.
It was a little windy in Patagonia….
Hotel booked by Jet Set Getaways. No portion of this trip was gifted.