After finishing the W trek in Torres del Paine, it was time to continue my journey upwards through Patagonia. Crossing back into Argentina, my next destination was El Calafate and the Perito Moreno glacier – the third largest reserve of fresh water in the world and one of the only non receding glaciers on the planet.
My mini passport scare
When getting the bus from Puerto Natales to El Calafate, I had a small passport scare!! After checking in at the bus company’s booth, I found my seat on the bus. As I was having a chat to the American next to me, I did my last check of important documents and items. With only 5 minutes till we were due to depart I opened my passport holder to discover no passport. I freaked, so many things rushing through my head!
Making a split second decision I asked the American to check my day rucksack whilst I dashed back to the office. Thankfully the smiling lady at the office had my passport and all was well again. Mini disaster over!! I’m so glad I checked before the bus left; I couldn’t imagine arriving to the border to find no passport!
El Calafate – the gateway to the Perito Moreno glacier
I arrived to El Calafate at 12.45pm on Thursday 7th March, just slightly earlier than expected. I’d heard that, aside from the glacier, there wasn’t much to do in El Calafate. With that in mind I’d booked one night at a hostel and planned to visit the glacier the following day and then leave to El Chaltén.
I checked bus times to the glacier and then headed to my hostel. There I checked the local weather specifically for Perito Moreno rather than just the Calafate area. Thank goodness I did as it showed rain forecast for Friday, despite sunshine predicted for El Calafate.
I jumped into action dashing back to the bus station to hopefully catch the 2.30pm bus to the glacier and see it in the sunshine. I wasn’t the only one taking advantage of the weather. At the ticket office I met two American girls who’d discovered the same thing. Together we joined forces and went to the glacier.
The bus journey takes approximately 1.5hrs. The first stop is to buy the entrance ticket which costs $700ARG (£12 approx) and you can pay by card. The next stop is for those who want to do a boat trip up to the glacier which costs $800ARG (£15 approx). We skipped the boat trip and got off at the final stop where the walkways are.
The glacier
There are several paths and viewpoints offering fab views of the glacier. It’s crazy how big it is – 30km long, 5km wide and up to 70 metres high. 7 metres fall off every day and the front layer is 5-6 years old! Every so often we would hear a loud crack and a piece of ice would crash into the water.
During our visit, we spotted one big block of ice that looked like it was almost ready to fall. Amazingly in our last half an hour of sitting watching the glacier there was a crack and it fell off! Talk about timing!
I was surprised by how quiet it was. There were people but I was expecting crowded walkways. In fact it was easy to find a spot alone to soak up the views. I think this was down to the time of day of our visit (late afternoon) and season (it was almost the shoulder season).
We spent 3 hours at the glacier which was plenty of time. I could have spent less time, however we had to wait for the 7.30pm bus back. The bus ride to and from the glacier is wonderfully scenic.
Tip: on the way to the glacier, try and grab a seat on the left for your first glimpses of Perito Moreno.
On the 7.30pm bus back, the sun was starting to set and there was a gorgeous golden glow over the lakes and hills. The sky also developed some lovely dusky tones and streaks.
It was great to be able to arrive to El Calafate and visit the glacier the same day. Not needing another day in El Calafate, I booked the 8am bus to El Chaltén for Friday morning. What was even better was the girls I explored the glacier with were also heading to El Chaltén so we planned to team up there! Follow this link to read about our time in El Chaltén.
Bus information
Buses from El Calafate to Perito Moreno glacier leave at 8.30 or 9am. They return at 4pm. You can also get a 1pm bus that returns at 7.30pm. There is a lesser known bus that goes at 2.30pm and also returns at 7.30pm. The 2.30pm bus worked so well for us as it let us visit the glacier the same day we arrived.
I’m glad I checked times at the bus station as my hostel didn’t know about it. They thought 1pm was the last departure time. All bus companies charge $800ARG (£15 approx) return and you can pay by card or cash. I think you can get a small discount if you pay by cash but I’m not entirely sure.
How to get to El Calafate
El Calafate is a well connected place and there are several options to get there. You can fly into El Calafate from various places, like Buenos Aires or Ushuaia.
If you’re going South to North then most likely you’ll be coming from Puerto Natales in Chile. This is the route I took. Buses leave daily at 8am or 8.30am and take approximately 5hrs including the border crossing. They cost around $25 but prices do vary. For the most up to date departure times, Busbud is good place to look.
If you’re going North to South, then El Chaltén is a popular place to come from. There are several buses daily that cost $800ARG (£15 approx). Chaltén Travel buses leave Chaltén at 7.30am, 11am, 1pm and 6pm taking around 3hrs.
Final thoughts
Personally I thought the Perito Moreno glacier was well worth the visit, especially on a blue sky day! It is so immense! I found I didn’t need long there. I was happy I could whizz in and out as I’d looked ahead at the weather for El Chaltén and was keen to get there for the sunny days!
If you’re tight for time, you could probably skip the glacier if hiking in Torres del Paine and El Chaltén is more your thing. That said, if you’re passing through it’s worth a brief stop!
