Patagonia here we come!
No sooner did we arrive in Buenos Aires (BA) that we unpacked and packed again (much less luggage this time!) to head to El Calafate in Patagonia - an easy 2,400 kilometers (1,491 miles; ~3 hours) flight from BA. El Calafate is the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park, home to one of the most unique and massive glacier formations in the world called, Perrito Moreno.The town of El Calafate is comprised of a humble population of just over 25,000 residents and has a main street that stretches a mere 8 blocks. Aside from being the "base" town for dozens of extreme nature explorations in the area, the town boasts a lively rustic Patagonian atmosphere that still seems to remain somewhat under the radar. Each block filled with small local artisan stores, proud food crafters, fragrant chocolate shops and no Argentine town would be complete without its heladerias (ice cream shops!).
Since our flight got in later in the afternoon, we decided to have a traditional El Calafate dinner to top off the day, and planned to save the big glacier adventure for the next day. Our trusty 'food guide' (my husband, again!) booked us a dinner reservation at a funky local restaurant called, La Zaina which was a delicious start to our visit in El Calafate. Much like Colorado, Patagonia has a proud reputation of breeding some of the best lambs in the country that are enjoyed mainly in native stews (truco and casuelas) served on almost every menu. Each with its slight variation and twist on the traditional recipe.
La Zaina comedor in El Calafate
As a perfect ending to our first day in El Calafate, we returned to our hotel to a breathtaking sunset over the Lago Argentino. This was the best invitation to our next adventure that would take us along the Lago Argentino on our journey to Perrito Moreno the next day. Good night, El Calafate. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us tomorrow!
El Calafate sunset (view from the Hotel Esplendor above town)
Day 3 destination, Perrito Moreno!
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