Dis, Dat & Dee Udder ;-): Patagonia & Beyond (4 of 9)

El Calafate is a very good base point for any Patagonia trips. Modern airport with several daily flights. The largest “city” (if we can call it that) for hundreds of miles. The main thoroughfare is always busy. Overpriced souvenir shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Most hotels and lodging options are within walking distance. But having a car – another advantage – we were able to secure cheaper AirBnB lodging, 5 minutes away. After a quick unpack (by now we were pros) off to a nice Christmas dinner at Rústico Asador y Parrilla. As always, abundant meat options. Such a carnivore nation! But eyes are always bigger than appetite. Huge portions. Lots of leftovers. Which explains why the dog on premises looked like the one in “Up”.

Backyard view from our rental

The area wasn’t always a tourist center, but with the opening of the Perito Moreno National Park in the late 1930’s, it started growing rapidly. In 1990, it had only about 3,000 permanent residents. Double that 10 years later. Now, it’s close to 30,000. Tourism really flourished. I spoke with a couple locals (transplants from BA) who said they visited, fell in love, and never went back. After spending only a few days there, I can see why!

Perito Moreno Glacier is a must. Omnipresent in all Patagonia brochures. And of course, pictures don’t do it justice. It’s about 80 km away, so given the proximity, and the low price of admission, it’s very popular. Read busy. For only about $15 you get to experience this wonder from a network of walkways merely a couple hundred yards from the “stage”. A boat ride gets you closer (extra fee) and if you really want to splurge, Hielo y Aventura (they have a monopoly on it) offers glacier trekking packages. They are not cheap, but if you made it this far, might as well treat yourself to a unique experience.

For dinner that night, another unique experience: a semi-private dinner at Rancho Aparte. Gabo, a self-taught cook, and quite a character, hosted with a home-made meal, decent wine, and interesting conversation. Always love connecting with locals and other fellow travellers; learn so much…

Cordero: "Before"............ and a delicious "After"

Speaking of immersing ourselves in the local culture, we spent the next day at Estancia Nibepo Aike, about an hour south-west from Calafate, on the shores of Lago Roca. Once a working ranch, today it caters mostly to tourists, offering a few rooms for overnight stay, and countless activities, from hiking, to horseback riding, and ample demos and discussions about life on a remote farm. The cherry on top: best wood-fire-grilled cordero (lamb) I had in my life. The crunchy, salty, smoky, crackling-like pieces from around the ribs induce a food orgasm like no other

There are other similar Enstancias in the area. This one popped up with good reviews. For those of us familiar with life on the farm, it wasn’t all that exciting, but people seemed to have enjoyed it (like the sheep-shearing demo, or barrel racing, for example). It does, however, provide a real perspective as to what life looks like in these remote areas (electricity generated by windmills, water from the well, food from the garden, and so on). And the other interesting bit: this farm was started by Croatian immigrants, who were given lands in the area to encourage farming.

Back in El Calafate for a quick dinner and souvenir shopping. There are plenty of options in the ‘downtown’ area, and it’s always busy. Parillas are at every corner and they're all very good (can't go wrong with the local lamb). Mi Viejo is great. Estilo Campo is all you can eat buffet style. For a quick bite, Give LaZorra a try. Gastro-pub food (hard to decide between the lamb burger and the guanaco sandwich) with a decent selection of craft beers to wash it down.