CALAFATE: Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate
Description
Adventure aboard jeeps, making scheduled stops of El Calafate, The Lago Argentino, and The Andes. You'll enjoy a panoramic view of El Calafate and the central part of Lake Argentino. The tour offers stunning views of the Andes Mountains and the glacier accumulation zone, leading towards the Boca del Diablo. If the weather is clear, you might even catch sight of the Fitz Roy and Torre mountains in El Chaltén. Keep an eye out for the magnificent flight of the Condors, a truly unforgettable sight. For those looking for an even more immersive experience, choose our BALCON & QUAD EXPERIENCE option. Ride on Quads for an 8 km journey into the heart of Cerro Huyliche. Throughout the entire journey, our guides will accompany you, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience. After an hour of travel in a 4WD vehicle, we'll arrive at the starting point for the Quad adventure, the Quads allow you to explore the ancient geography and discover the most picturesque corners of Cerro Huyliche.
Tour Options
Itinerary
A 35 km adventure in 4x4 vehicles, where you’ll enjoy the breathtaking scenery of El Calafate Balcony, Lago Argentino, and the Andes Mountains. We’ll make strategic stops to admire unforgettable views.
From the Balcón, a stunning natural lookout, you'll enjoy breathtaking, panoramic views over El Calafate and the central expanse of Lago Argentino. This exceptional tour provides awe-inspiring vistas of the Andes and the remarkable Patagonian ice fields, where glaciers originate. You’ll see La Boca del Diablo, the lake’s narrowest passage leading to the Upsala arm, and on clear days, glimpse the iconic peaks of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre in El Chaltén.
The Andes serve as a constant, awe-inspiring backdrop, offering magical moments when, weather permitting, the Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre peaks reveal themselves. The journey continues to the intriguing Laberinto de Piedras, a fascinating rock formation dating back to the Cretaceous period, some 85 million years ago. Once a riverbed, it now holds fossils that provide glimpses into a long-lost world. During the excursion, we’ll pause to enjoy a snack at a panoramic point, then begin our descent along the northern slope towards the unique Piedra de los Sombreros—iron-rich rock formations so rare they can only be found in four places worldwide.
With two daily departures, the tour starts with a convenient pick-up from your El Calafate hotel and covers 35 kilometres over the scenic mountain ridges that encircle the town. The route ascends through striking highland vegetation, reaching 1050 metres above sea level.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
As soon as you make the reservation we will send the pick up time - please send your hotel name and adress
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This service is non-refundable for cancellations made within 4 days in advance of the service date. However, if you need to change your booking, such as adjusting the number of participants, changing the date, or requesting a refundable cancellation, we can accommodate your request as long as it's made at least 4 days before the service date
- With two daily departures, the excursion starts from the hotels of El Calafate and completes a journey of 35 kilometers on the line of hills behind the village. The trail takes us through landscapes that marvel at its varied vegetation of height. It reaches up to 1050 meters above the sea. There, the first stop is a natural viewpoint where passengers enjoy a panoramic view of El Calafate and the Argentino Lake .
- In the background, the unforgettable and imposing framework of the Andes Mountains, and time to time, during the route, clients will enjoy views of the accumulation zone of the glaciers, towards Boca del Diablo (narrowest part of the lake, towards the Upsala arm) . Sometimes it is even possible to see the Fitz Roy and Torre hills in El Chaltén and, with some luck, the condor, master of the Patagonian skies, may be seen in his long plan. A unique show.
- If you choose option with QUAD EXPERIENCE : Our guides accompany you throughout the whole trip. After an hour of travel in 4WD, we arrive at the starting point of the crossing in “Quads“. With the necessary technical equipments already prepared, you begin a route of 8 km towards the heart of the Hill. The Quads allow you to enter into ancient geography and penetrate the most attractive corners of Cerro Huyliche.
- Option BALCON & QUAD EXPERIENCE: minimun 16 years old to do this option for this activity
- Option ON SNOWMOBILE EXPERIENCE: minimun 8 years old to do this option for this activity
- Menu: 1 braised beef empanada. • Guanaco stew or Chicken Milanesa Napolitana with french fries or salad. Vegetarian option: • 1 vegetable empanada. • Vegetarian lentil stew. Dessert: Cheese and jam. Includes 1 non-alcoholic beverage per person
