Sights

Tours to the Moreno Glacier [1] and other attractions are possible with several competent operators. They include Aventura Andina (Av. del Libertador 761, Local 4, tel. 02902/491726, aventuraandinafte [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar), Cal Tur (Av. Libertador 1080, tel. 02902/492217, caltur [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar), Cordillera del Sol (25 de Mayo 43, tel. 02902/492822, www.cordilleradelsol.com [2]); Mundo Austral (Av. Libertador 1114, tel. 02902/492365, mundoaustral [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar), Rumbo Sur (Av. Libertador 960, tel. 02902/492155, rumbosur [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar), and Visit Patagonia (Av. del Libertador 1532, 02902/491119, visitpatagonia [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar).

After years of apparent abandonment, the Museo Regional El Calafate (Av. Libertador 575, tel. 02902/491924) has reopened, but it’s hard to say that the sparse and poorly presented exhibits on paleontology, natural history, geology, and ethnology were worth the wait. The pioneer photographic histories show promise, but it lacks any explanation of the 1920s labor unrest that led to several shooting deaths on the estancias. Hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays only.

More promising is the Centro de Interpretación Histórica (Almirante Brown and Bonarelli, tel. 02902/492799, calafatecentro [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar), whose sophisticated timeline puts southern Patagonian natural, cultural, and historical events in context; it has many photographs, good English translations, and a quality library. Hours are 10 a.m.–9 p.m. daily from September to Semana Santa, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. the rest of the year. Admission (US$3 pp) includes remise (meterless taxi) transportation from downtown.

Nearby, at the north edge of town, municipal authorities have recycled a onetime sewage pond into Reserva Municipal Laguna Nimez, a freshwater body now frequented by more than 100 bird species. With a US$1 admission charge, it’s open 8 a.m.–9 p.m. daily; English-speaking biologist Cecilia Scarafoni leads bird-watching excursions (US$5 pp) through her Ecowalks (tel. 02902/493196, ecowalks [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar).