EXPERIENCES

Puerto Madryn is one of the best places in the world for whale watching. The morphology of Patagonia offers calm and protected waters, where this giant mammals has chosen to get birth to their calves and for mating (as other species also do), turning this World Heritage in a huge nursery. Puerto Piramides becomes the undisputed place to watch the curious and friendly behavior of these animals aboard special boats. This village is located on Valdes Peninsula and it is the only location where whale watching boat trips are available. The boat ride has duration of 1.5 hour; visitors used to take a full day tour to Valdes Peninsula (departing from Puerto Madryn) and add a stop at Puerto Piramides for this optional boat trip. Lunch is optional.

This is a very leisurely hike, on almost flat terrain, ideal for those who enjoy a quiet walk. We begin by picking up passengers from their hotels and traveling 18 km to the trailhead. Our dirt route follows the course of the Río de las Vueltas River toward Lago del Desierto, until we reach the Río Eléctrico Bridge. At this point, the hike begins, following the right bank of the Río Eléctrico valley for much of the route and eventually detouring toward the reddish walls of Cerro Eléctrico. It's a two-hour hike to reach Piedra del Fraile, where Father Agostini established a base for his explorations in the area. There is currently a private campsite (Piedra del Fraile), where there is a shelter where we can eat or have a snack. A few meters away, there is a small viewpoint overlooking the north face of Fitz Roy. The return journey follows the same path until we reach the Río Eléctrico Bridge, where we take ground transportation back to El Chaltén.

An entire experience that combines a 4x4 expedition, a photographic safari and the possibility of a moment of relaxation in an authentic Patagonian estancia “post”. Leaving from El Calafate, a short route takes us to the entrance to Estancia Huyliche; after passing through its main house, we enter "Estancia 25 de Mayo" natural reserve. The first stop is an old stone post where the first family of the ranch used to live and we will have a brief explanation about these first settlers and the beginnings of El Calafate. We continue the tour in the vehicle until reaching the "section", an authentic ranch located in the immensity of Patagonia, where we will make the second stop, to begin to spot native fauna. We make this third stop front of the exuberant fauna after leaving the vehicle and walking towards the herds of guanacos, with a fantastic interaction with nature. Later, we travel about 4 km in the vehicle until we reach a fossilized oyster deposit -which is 23 million years old-, and we will learn about the paleontology and geology of the place, discovering that the desert where we are was once covered by the sea. Immediately we continue the trail south to the Mirador del Centinela -hill of 1,500 meters above sea level- from where we get a stunning panoramic view of endless basalt walls. Here the fifth stop is made, where the moment of relaxation arrives to feel the wind and the Patagonian immensity. Finally, we return to the "section" where lunch or dinner is served in an authentic ranch post, before returning to El Calafate. The house has a spacious living room with a beautiful view of the 25 de Mayo hill.