Couple your EcoCamp stay with a visit to two of Argentine Patagonia’s most stunning sights: the epic Perito Moreno and Upsala glaciers! Massive fields of blue and white ice carve through the surrounding mountains, offering unparalleled views and unforgettable memories!
Today we arrive in El Calafate, a small town set on the edge of Los Glaciares National Park amid dramatic scenery and natural beauty. We have the whole day free to explore the town and enjoy its attractive restaurants, tango bars, and artisan handicraft markets. We stay overnight in town.
We wake up and prepare for the 60m high Perito Moreno glacier! Unlike the regular tours going straight to the panoramic viewpoint, we’ll first marvel at the splendor of the glacier’s less-visited north face. We watch and hear giant chunks of ice plummet into the waters of Argentino Lake and our guide will answer questions about the glacier. We then continue on to the footbridges and take a break to soak up the surroundings. After the thrilling encounter with the glacier, we drive back to Calafate and stay in the same hotel.
Optional Excursions: If you’d like to up the action when visiting Perito Moreno, you can sail across the Lake towards the glacier walls and do a short ice trekking; technical experience isn’t required. Please consult prices facts for rates for these optional activities.
After breakfast, we are driven to Puerto Bandera on the southern shore of Argentino lake in time to board the catamaran that takes us sailing through Lago Argentino. Great views of the stunning 9km wide Upsala Glacier await.
Embarkment and departure from Puerto de Punta Bandera (APN) at 08:15 AM in a modern and comfortable catamaran. We then sail through icebergs and stunning landscapes with views of the Western face of the Upsala Glacier, then through Canal Cristina, until we reach the landing point at Estancia Cristina an early 20th century 30,000-hectare sheep breeding farm where the Gaucho (Patagonian cowboy) way of living still exists in all its splendor. Arrival at Estancia Cristina is around 11:30 AM. Then, we have a guided visit to the Museo Costumbrista of the Estancia. Ascent on 4x4, driving through 9.5 km of mountain roads. We arrive at the Continental Ice Field Refugio, where we will enjoy a 30-minute hike on glacial erosion terrain with a privileged view of the Eastern face of the Upsala Glacier, Guillermo Lake, Hielo Patagónico Sur and Cordillera de Los Andes. We then proceed to return to the Estancia and depart at 17.30 PM. At dusk, we head back to El Calafate for our final evening.
Today is the end of our memorable trip, Adios Patagonia! Hopefully, we‘ll meet again. After having breakfast a transfer will take us to the airport and we’re free to continue traveling on our own or take another extension with Cascada.
Kosten Aike Hotel offers an unbeatable location in El Calafate, only 2 blocks from the city center and just a few minutes away from the Airport.
Included in the accommodation:
Departures every day from October to April 15th
The trip starts either in Torres del Paine/Puerto Natales at 8 am or Calafate at 2 pm. The trip finishes on day 4 at Calafate Airport at 10 am. For those taking the extension to finish in Punta Arenas, the trip finishes on day 5 at Punta Arenas Airport at 10 am. For domestic flights, you have to be at the airport 1 hour before your flight leaves.
The vast unbroken stretch of ocean to the west and south of the South American continent leaves the Patagonian Andes very exposed to the saturated winds that circle the Antarctic landmass. Also, the strong marine influence makes the weather hard to predict. In spring or early summer, fine weather may deteriorate almost without warning, bringing rain and eventually snow. Even in summer (December to March), you should come prepared to find cold strong winds (up to 80 km/hr) and rainfalls. In summer average temperature is 11ºC/52ºF (24ºC max, 2ºC min).
This trip does not demand physical activity other than walking a maximum of two consecutive hours over a rather flat terrain, considering many stops as necessary to fit with the rhythm of the group.
Day backpack (10lt), hiking shoes, a waterproof parka, sandals, pants, sun hat, sunscreen, sunglasses.
We reserve the right to change the order of the days in any itinerary at the discretion of the trip guide and based on operational considerations. The trip guide can modify, change or eliminate part of the itinerary based on safety/weather considerations.
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Updated October 4th, 2022
Dear Traveler,
We are very happy to announce that there are currently no travel restrictions in Chile.
Together with the above mentioned, it is mandatory to comply with the following requirements:
In case you have any questions, we will be happy to help you!
Best,
The Team at Cascada Expediciones & EcoCamp Patagonia