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Where to Stay in El Calafate: The Best Hotels and Estancias

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For most visitors, El Calafate is a more practical base rather than a destination where you'll spend all day at your hotel. You're probably here to visit Perito Moreno Glacier, take a boat across Lago Argentino, explore the surrounding landscape or continue onwards to El Chaltén for some hiking. However, it’s always nice to have a nice place to lay down after a full day of exploring.

The town itself isn't enormous, but I found it surprisingly charming. It has a mix of frontier vibe and a town built for tourism. In the city centre you’ll walk amongst charming wooden houses that looks like cabins, and just outside the city centre you’ll find a cute residential area close to nature.

Patagonia and El Calafate can be quite pricey when it comes to accommodations and food, but no matter what your budget is, you’ll find something here. However, if you’re travelling on a tight budget, you might have to cut down on the luxury and stay in a shared hostel.

Even though the city is small, there are various spots you can consider staying. If you don’t want to stay in the city, you’ll find plenty of nice spots closer to the lakeside, in the hills or for a more special experience you could consider staying at a remote estancia.

In this guide I'll help you by answering the following:

Stay in the city centre: The best choice for most visitors

If this is your first time in El Calafate, and not you’re not planning to stay for more than a couple of nights, then the city centre is the best bet.

The main tourist area is concentrated around the main street called Avenida del Libertador and the streets running off it. This is where you'll find the largest concentration of restaurants, cafés, shops, tour operators and practical services. This makes life considerably easier if you're travelling without a car.

You can finish a long day at Perito Moreno Glacier, return to your hotel, have a shower and walk out for dinner without having to organise another taxi or drive somewhere.

The only downside with staying here is that it isn’t particularly remote or wild. You're in a small tourist town rather than somewhere surrounded by untouched Patagonia. So if your idea of visiting El Calafate involves waking up to mountains, Lago Argentino and complete silence, I would look at the lakefront or outskirts instead.

Best hotels in central El Calafate

There are plenty of options to choose from in the city centre, but these are some I'd put on a shortlist when it comes to location and value for money.

Hotel Posada Los Alamos
Hotel Posada Los Alamos

This is one of the most established hotels in El Calafate and is particularly convenient if you want a more traditional full-service hotel. It's right in town and has spa facilities and an indoor pool, making it extra appealing after a cold day exploring Patagonia.

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Calafate Parque Hotel
Calafate Parque Hotel

This hotel is a great pick if you want something close to the main tourist area. It's a good option if you're looking for a proper hotel rather than a hostel or apartment but don't necessarily want to pay luxury-hotel prices.

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Esplendor by Wyndham El Calafate
Esplendor by Wyndham El Calafate

This is a good option if you like the predictability of an established hotel brand but still want something with a Patagonian aesthetic. It's slightly removed from the busiest part of the centre, while still being within the main tourist area so it's just a short walk to all the restaurants.

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Stay near the lakefront if you want scenery

Right outside town you can stay at spots with amazing views over Lago Argentino. The lakefront properties here offer a much more scenic and peaceful experience than the town centre. So this is where I'd look if you want your hotel to be a part of the holiday rather than simply somewhere to sleep.

However, it comes with a catch. You're sacrificing convenience. Some properties are far enough from the centre that you'll probably want a taxi or hotel transfer for dinner and sightseeing. If you’re renting a car it’s no problem, but if not, I would personally choose something more central. Hotels here tend to be a bit pricier and getting taxis to and from the city is going to cost quite a bit as well, so don’t stay here unless you have extra time to actually enjoy the area and views.

Best Hotels with Lake Views Around El Calafate

When you move out of the city centre, there are less hotels to choose from, but below are some hotels I think are great picks if you want amazing views. Some are more remote and other closer to the city.

Xelena Hotel & Suites
Xelena Hotel & Suites

This is one of the better-known upscale options on the lake side of El Calafate. It's located on Avenida René Favaloro, away from the busiest part of the town centre, and is designed around the lake-view experience. It's perfect for those wanting peace and views instead of the city-scene

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Design Suites Calafate
Design Suites Calafate

This is a great hotel if you want a more secluded hotel experience with views towards Lago Argentino. It feels more like a destination hotel than a simple base for sightseeing with it's stunning views and peaceful surroundings. It's perfect of you want to relax between sightseeing.

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Mirador del Lago Hotel
Mirador del Lago Hotel

Despite the name, this isn't actually right on the lakefront. It's on elevated ground near the main part of town, which is actually part of its appeal. You get stunning views of the lake while also remaining reasonably close to restaurants and shops.

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Should you stay at an Estancia Outside El Calafate?

If you’re considering staying longer in El Calafate I would take a look at some of the really cool estancias outside the city. This will give you a completely different Patagonia experience. Instead of just going from hotel to excursions and restaurant and then back to hotel, you can add on lake visits, horse riding and evenings by the fire.

If you're spending several nights in the region and want the accommodation itself to be part of the experience, this can be a fantastic add-on to your itinerary. However, I don’t recommend this if you’re only staying one or two nights in the area and your main goal is to see Perito Moreno glacier. At least not if you don't have a car.

Best Estancias Outside El Calafate

If you want to stay in an estancia in El Calafate you have to be prepared to pay more than what you would in the city, so I recommend setting aside enough time to actually enjoy it if you do.

Estancia Cristina Lodge
Estancia Cristina Lodge

This estancia is located inside Los Glaciares National Park, so your stay starts with a boat journey to get there. You'll be surrounded by nature and have plenty of activities to do. This is the estancia I'd choose if I wanted to feel like I'd actually escaped into Patagonia.

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Estancia Nibepo Aike
Estancia Nibepo Aike

The property is located inside Los Glaciares National Park and is based around a historic Patagonian ranch house converted into a country lodge. They have plenty of activities to choose from like horseback riding and fishing. This is the one I'd choose for a more traditional estancia experience.

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Estancia Patagonia Luxury Camps
Estancia Patagonia Luxury Camps

This camp is located at Estancia Dos Lagos and consists of luxury domes designed around the surrounding landscape. It offers a combination of luxury, sustainability and views across the Patagonian steppe and Lake Argentino. This is a luxury glamping experience instead of a traditional ranch.

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El Galpón del Glaciar
El Galpón del Glaciar

This estancia is easier to reach, so you get some of the atmosphere of staying outside town without committing yourself to an isolated wilderness experience. It has a rural estancia atmosphere with plenty of things to do and a nice restaurant. It's perfect for those with shorter time in the area.

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Should you stay at an estancia or just visit one for the day?

If staying overnight at an estancia is either out of your budget or you don't have time for it, you can still visit one for the day. It obviously wont be the same peaceful experience as spending the night there, but several estancias around El Calafate offer day-packages with activities such as horseback riding, meals and various demonstrations.

From the ones above, both estancia Christina and estancia Nibepo Aike offer day visits and horseback riding.

Activities
Activities
Activities

Another estancia that offers more day visits is Estancia 25 de Mayo. They have various trips you can take including ones with dinner and evening shows with traditional dancing.

If you just want to go horseback riding in the stunning nature without visiting an estancia you can check out this tour that is a bit more budget friendly.

Activities

Where to Stay on a Budget in El Calafate?

There's no way around the fact that accommodation in Patagonia in general is quite expensive. However, there are some spots around the city that is more than pleasant enough without the luxury price tag. Unless accommodation is genuinely important to you, I don't recommend overspending on a hotel. Save the money and use it on one of the many fun activities you can do here.

Best Budget Friendly Stays in El Calafate

Hotel Kapenke
Hotel Kapenke

This is a simple hotel option that still has a more "Patagonian feel" to it. It's also close to the city centre when you want dinner in the evening. I think this is a great pick if you want a private room and hotel environment without moving into the higher price brackets.

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Calafate Sunset
Calafate Sunset

This is a smaller accommodation option that can work well for travellers looking for something inexpensive, but don't want to stay ay a hostel. they offer basic rooms in a house in the outskirts of the city, but you'll still be bale to walk into town when you need to.

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America Del Sur Calafate Hostel
America Del Sur Calafate Hostel

This is one of the better-known hostel options in the city, with a location on Puerto Deseado and views towards the lake. It's particularly appealing to solo travellers and backpackers. They have both dormitories and private rooms with shared bathrooms.

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Final verdict: Where should you stay in El Calafate?

For me it really comes down to how long you're staying in the area. If you're only here for one or two nights to see Perito Moreno and head on, pick one of the budget friendly stays close to the city centre.

If you're staying a bit longer I would start thinking about splitting up my stay with either a couple of days in the city centre followed by a more peaceful stay close to the lake. Or if you're budget allows it add on a couple of nights at one of the more remote estancias. This will give you the ultimate Patagonia experience.

Plan Your Trip to El Calafate

Hopefully this guide has given you everything you need to plan your trip to El Calafate. To make planning the rest of your trip even easier, I've included all the resources I personally use when I travel.

Hotels
Hotels
Currency
Activities
Activities
Sim Card
Insurance

Every recommendation is based on tools and services I genuinely use and would recommend to friends and family.

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-Ingrid

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