El Calafate

Arrival in El Calafate

Upon arrival in the town, we made sure to book two seats on the bus that arrives this morning and goes to El Calafate. With German punctuality, the bus arrived and departed on time, and we found ourselves among a group of friendly people traveling around Patagonia by bus, taking advantage of the excellent service they offer. It departs at 7 am and after three hours, we arrive at our destination. Halfway there, it stops at the La Leona ranch, a Western-style establishment where Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid are said to have stayed for some time during their escape. Newspaper clippings and memorabilia attest to this. Bruce Chatwin also passed through here, while Perito Moreno was attacked by a puma, which in Argentinian Spanish is called La Leona. This is the origin of the name given to the river and the area.

In El Calafate, we'll book a minibus that will take us to the airport at 4 pm (everything is very well organized here), then we'll go to say goodbye to the staff at Nunatak car rental, and finally, a visit to Laguna Nimez. bird sanctuary where the dense groups of still stand out. pink flamingos.

In case we were worried about missing out on the Argentine beef experience, we head to a restaurant where we enjoy a perfect lunch with one last steak. A stroll along Avenida de Libertador for some last-minute shopping (although there aren't many temptations that catch our attention), and this marks the end of our wonderful Patagonian adventure.

A ride that has become both more stressful and more exhilarating for us. With the weather cooperating so much, it was automatic and necessary to try to make the most of it, seeing as much as possible, as always, with the belief that there would never be another opportunity to visit these places. And once again, Nature, through luck, has rewarded its faithful and humble admirers with landscapes we could scarcely have imagined. Another factor in our success was the courtesy and hospitality of the people we met, whose cooperation proved invaluable for the trip's success.

The urban face of El Calafate

Finally, almost like the icing on the cake, we once again admire Ushuaia. This time, however, we arrive from above, as the flight to Buenos Aires makes a stop in the southernmost city in the world, and seeing this spectacle marks the end of our journey.

Speed limits on the roads up to 110 km/h. The road markings are scarce, so you need to pay attention at intersections to understand who has right of way. Argentinian drivers aren't as bad as we've been told. At least, they don't seem that way to us, as Italians.

Flight to El Calafate

Flight from El Calafate to Buenos Aires (via Ushuaia, arrival at 19:45 - departure at 20:25): 18:30 – 23:45 – flight AR 1872