Welcome to El Calafate!
El Calafate is a little town situated on Lake Argentina, in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in southern Patagonia. It’s main industry is catering to the needs of tourists and adventurers who are preparing to explore the Glacier National Park of Argentina (Parque Nacional de los Glaciares), or cross the border into Chile to visit the remote Chilean National Park of Torres del Paine. The presence of a convenient modern airport makes El Calafate a vital commuter hub for Patagonian adventurers.
El Calafate is not easy to get to. After a 42 hour trip (including a 20 hour layover in Buenos Aires) I landed in El Calafate, ready to begin the adventure. After hours of traveling I still had not seen any mountains- they were covered in dense clouds. I had to trust the word of our trip leader, Santiago, that yes, the Mountains were there.
When we reached the hotel (Hosteria del los Helios), I grabbed my camera and my rain gear and set off to explore the town and the lakefront.
Like Dorothy in the land of Oz, I knew I wasn’t in Kansas- or Pollock Pines- anymore. In between cloudbursts and wild gusts of wind my eyes and ears were treated to a feast of interesting new scenes and landscapes. The town is home to a little over 6,000 permanent residents and was originally a center for wool traders. It is a tiny speck on the shore of Lake Argentina (Lago Argentino), which, at 546 sq miles, is the largest lake in Argentina. 
There are restaurants, cafes, outfitters, gift shops, markets, a glacier museum, and shops that sell nothing but chocolate in a hundred different varieties. There are lots and lots of dogs.
I enjoyed the company of a handful of friendly local strays who were happy to show me around in exchange for a few friendly pats on the head!
Thousands of birds inhabit the lakefront, including swans, grebes, and a large array of ducks.
Lago Argentino
Due to some recent and interesting activity up at the Perito Moreno glacier which feeds the lake at the western end, the El Calafate shoreline was flooded. At first I assumed that the flooding must be due to climate change related melting of the glacier, but the actual truth was far more interesting and complicated.
To explain, I have to start with the geography of the Lake and the Perito Moreno Glacier (See the sketch. I drew it myself!)
Glaciers are rivers of ice that flow down from higher elevations where there is a lot of snowfall. When Perito Moreno Glacier reaches Lago Argentino it terminates in a great cliff of ice. Icebergs, some large, some small, are constantly breaking off the face of the cliff and falling into the lake. Many glaciers around the world are receding due to climate change. But Perito Moreno is actually advancing, (no-one could give me a clear answer as to why). This means that it grows and actually comes in contact with the little point of land you see on my sketch, labeled “Peninsula”. The Canal of the Ice Bridge is usually closed off by the contact of the advancing wall of ice with the point of land I have labeled “viewpoint”. I hope you are with me so far! Because what happens next, is that the very large body of water on the left side of the sketch is trapped. It continues to get fed freshwater from the glacier, but it has no outlet, and so the water level rises. On the right side the water can drain out into Lago Argentino and down to the vast plains of Patagonia. But every few years when conditions are right, the ice that is blocking the canal breaks up and the water trapped on the left side of the canal bursts free with tremendous force.
The water pours into Lago Argentino, enough to cause the lake level to rise and flood the shoreline. Since this is a regular and somewhat predictable event, it is not a disaster for the town of El Calafate or the downstream residents of the river. They are prepared for it. But it is still an exciting and cataclysmic event, to see and appreciate the power of the glacier.
We missed seeing the breakup of the ice bridge by only a few days, but we were able to experience it’s effect on the landscape throughout our trip.
Tomorrow I will take you to see the glacier up close. Until then, enjoy the tour of El Calafate and the birds of Lago Argentino!
Happy Trails,
Shirley
excellent explanation of the flooded shoreline / lake level, which seemed so unusual for what we would consider a time of the year (end of summer-early fall) when lake levels are at their lowest
I always thought of glaciers as being slow moving and taking eons to shape the landscape, so it was amazing to find that they can have such a rapid and dramatic impact also!
I’m enjoying your writing. Keep it coming!
You got it!
Amazing, Shirley!
Gosh…thanks!
I LOVE looking at your photos and reading your trip comments! It’s like experiencing the trip all over again- through new eyes! I thought your art was pretty good too! Cecilia says; “Is that a diagram for the innervation of the urinary bladder?” =) You Vets… Awesome!
It was a great trip, that’s for sure!