EL CALAFATE (not to be confused with Cafayate in Salta Province) is the centre of the tourist network in the deep south of mainland Argentinian Patagonia, and is one of the country's most-visited tourist destinations, though this is due more to the town's outlying tourist attractions than the place itself. These offshoot attractions cluster around the tremendous bloated tuber of
Lago Argentino , the greatest of all exclusively Argentinian lakes, and the third biggest in all South America, with a surface area of 1600 square kilometres - it's so deep that its temperature remains almost constant at 8°C year round. Catch it on a cloudy day and you could be looking at a tarnished expanse of molten lead, while when the weather is brighter the lake soaks up the light of the Patagonian sky to reflect a glorious hue of polarized blue. Most of the lake is surrounded by harsh, rolling steppe, but the scenery becomes more interesting around its western tendrils: transitional scrub and southern beech woodland press up on its shores, and the snow-capped mountains that fringe the Southern Patagonian Icecap rear up behind.
By any standards, the town isn't cheap, although it does offer some decent budget hostel accommodation and a couple of well-stocked, reasonably priced supermarkets. The best months to visit are those in spring and autumn (Nov to mid-Dec, and March to Easter/early April), when there's a nice balance between having enough visitors to keep services running but not too many for the place to seem overcrowded. High season's advantage is that you're sure to meet up with many friendly and exuberant Argentinian holidaymakers, but you're advised to book accommodation, and especially flights or car rental, well in advance.
The TownEl Calafate is one of the few towns in the world which makes its living from ice - not that you're likely to find any in town, at least outside the bars. It's not a completely chilled-out place either: the main street is crowded with garish and often noisy souvenir shops and, in high season (above all in January and February), the place is invaded by everyone and their grandmother, come to marvel at the great glacier ( ventisquero ) that lies some 80km away.
If emerging from the RN40, arriving in Calafate seems like coming to suckle at Mammon's very breast; if you've flown in from Buenos Aires, you'll be surprised at just how modest and dusty the place is, sprawled under the umber ridge of its eponymous mountain ( cerro ). Apart from shopping or eating, however, there's little to do in town. The small museum (Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 2-8pm; free) in the Dirección de Cultura, Libertador 575, has the standard collection of pioneer family photos plus some indigenous artefacts, but isn't particularly inspiring.
A thirty-minute walk north of town along Calle Dr Bustillo, the bird reserve of Laguna Nimes has black-necked swans (the only two-coloured swan in the world), upland geese, Chilean flamingoes, the silvery grebe ( macá plateado ) and other species of dabbling waterfowl. Though suffering from the effects of pollution, it still makes for a pleasant spot for an evening walk. In winter, the lagoon is for skating.
Some 11km east of town, down a signposted track to the left (north) are the Wualichu Caves (also spelt Gualicho and Gualichu), home to some poorly preserved indigenous rock art and plenty of twentieth-century graffiti - the name comes from the malign spirit feared by the Tehuelche. If you cycle there, don't be tempted to go back along the lake shore, as some malign dunes will sap your spirit. Another option is to hire a horse from the gauchos at Casa Quinta, Bustillo s/n (on the way to Laguna Nimes; $30 per person for a 4-5hr trip); these guys also offer a three-day trip to the Sierra Baguales by the Chilean border for the amazing price of $70 (arrange a day in advance; food included, but bring a sleeping bag).
