El Calafate

This small village is located on the south coast of Lake Argentino, in the southwest of the Province of Santa Cruz. According to the latest population census in 1991, there were 3118 people living there. Its main activity is Tourism, which keeps growing year after year.

It was named after a typical thorny bush of southern Patagonia. The Calafate blooms in the spring with yellow flowers and in summer with purple fruits. According to tradition those who eat this fruit will always return to Patagonia.

The climate is dry with an annual rainfall of 300 mm. The average temperature in summer is 18º C and the average minimum temperature is -2º C.

Sun rises at 5:50 am and sets at 11:00 PM on the longest day of the year. The shortest day has only 8 hours of daylight.
The local population lives off the growing tourist activity in the neighboring Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.