Where to stay in El Calafate: 10 best hotels and 3 apartments, plus bonus!
El Calafate is one of the most convenient places to stay if you’re visiting the Perito Moreno glacier. So if you’re not sure where to stay in El Calafate, Argentina, let me help you!
The city is located on the coast of Lago Argentino, the biggest freshwater lake in Argentina. Occasionally, you can even see flamingos there!
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At a quick glance: The best places to stay in El Calafate
OVERALL BEST
#2 PICK
#3 PICK
The best area to stay in El Calafate
Although El Calafate is not the biggest town, obviously, the most convenient area to stay in there is the city centre. That’s where most of the restaurants and stores are located. You can find anything from hostels to luxury hotels in the city centre.
If you’d like to have some more amazing views, you have to look somewhere a bit outside of El Calafate. And it’s even possible to stay on the coast of Lago Argentino!
But the city centre is really the best of both worlds – you’re close enough to the Los Glaciares national park and have everything for a comfortable stay around you.
Best places to stay in El Calafate
So, there are quite a lot of places to stay in El Calafate, from hostels to luxury hotels.
Booking.comAs you can see, most of the hotels are located right around the main street.
Since we don’t stay in hostels, I won’t be listing them, sorry. You can check all out right here if you’re looking for something more budget friendly.
Honestly, I had trouble choosing the hotels to display in this article because just so many of them have great reviews and look amazing. But I hope you’ll enjoy my selection.
Where we stayed in El Calafate – Lagos del Calafate
We stayed in the hotel Lagos del Calafate when we were in Patagonia. The location of the hotel is quite nice, as it’s close to the main street with restaurants, but still far away so that it’s quiet. From the terrace, you can even see Lago Argentino.
Lagos del Calafate is a big hotel with lots of rooms, so it’s not going to have that personal touch. But still, the rooms are nice and big and you get some privacy.
The breakfast was tasty and had a lot of choices, which it should in a 4* hotel.
And! There’s a spa and wellness available as well! There are pools, saunas, a whirlpool, and even a gym available. And a play area for kids, as well.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Luxury El Calafate hotels
These hotels where to stay in El Calafate offer some of the best amenities, locations, and views in the town. Of course, to get more, you have to pay more, but sometimes it’s worth it, right?
Xelena Hotel & Suites
Xelena Hotel & Suites is a four-star hotel located just on the coast of lago Argentino. The views of the lake are really incredible, check out the pictures! Just imagine laying in that pool and looking at the lake… perfect!
The hotel is located a bit away from the centre of El Calafate, but there’s a free transfer available.
There is a spa and wellness, and, as mentioned already, a pool – actually, two of them. For an additional cost, massages can be arranged.
The rooms are nice and wide and many of them have views of the lake. The only problem some of the comments mentioned was that the walls are “like paper” – that is, you might get disturbed by noises from outside the room.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Imago Hotel & Spa
A five-star hotel not so far from the Xelena hotel & suites. It’s located on the outskirts of El Calafate and offers transfers to the city. But, according to the reviews, it’s better to have a car if staying here.
Imago Hotel & spa, as the name suggests, has a spa complex with a pool, sauna, and massages. They have 2 to 7-night “Imago Programs” where you can choose between the spa and esthetical treatments according to your goals.
The best thing about the location, though? There’s an incredible view of the lake, steppe, and mountains from Imago.
The rooms are quite spacious, especially if you go for a suite (available only on their website). There are all the amenities for a comfortable stay.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Hotel Posada Los Alamos
If you’re looking for luxury El Calafate hotels that are closer to the centre of the city, Hotel Posada Los Alamos is an amazing option. This four-star hotel is located close to Lake Argentino and the main street in El Calafate, which has restaurants, bars, and anything else you might like.
Posada Los Alamos has spa and wellness facilities available. There’s a heated indoor pool with floor-to-ceiling windows, 2 massage pools, a gym, a sauna, and more options available.
The hotel has an 18-hole par 3 golf course – it’s the only place to play golf in El Calafate! Plus they can arrange different tours and activities for you, such as horse riding, trekking Perito Moreno, or navigation of Perito Moreno or all glaciers.
The rooms are nicely decorated and have all the amenities that you’d need. The guests that have stayed there rate the beds as very comfortable.
The restaurant serves a choice of American, Argentinean or Patagonian food. For dinner, you can choose to even have regional Patagonian specialities – such as Cordero asado (Patagonian Lamb).
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Related: What you should know about renting a car and driving in Patagonia
Best boutique hotels in El Calafate
The boutique hotels are very interesting-looking places where to stay in El Calafate. They are quite luxurious in price but more interesting than your typical hotel.
What makes boutique hotels special, though, is that they’re typically small hotels with less than 100 rooms. That makes it possible for the staff to offer a more personal touch to each guest.
Kau Yatún Hotel and Estancia
Honestly, Kau Yatún Hotel Boutique is quite close to a luxury hotel. It is a 4-star hotel so you get the appropriate service and amenities located a bit off the main street in El Calafate. That means – you’ll avoid the noise of the centre but will have to walk or drive if you want to enjoy some restaurants there.
Kau Yatún is located on an authentic Patagonian Estancia – Estancia 25 de Mayo – and is surrounded by the Patagonian Steppe. You can enjoy such Patagonian traditions as cattle drives and sheep shearing. The farm has self-guided walking trails available.
The rooms are the typical ones that you get in a hotel. They are decorated in a traditional Patagonian style, with wooden floors and nice décor.
Plus, there’s a very good breakfast included in the price. And in the restaurant, you can enjoy traditional Patagonian cuisine dishes made from the products grown on the ranch. Of course, a variety of Argentinean wines are available as well.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Patagonia Queen Hotel Boutique
If you’d like to stay just a few steps from the main shopping mall and still close to Lago Argentino, check out the Patagonia Queen hotel.
It’s a relatively small hotel (20 rooms) and – each room has its private jacuzzi! Plus, you can book massage services.
The hotel is designed to reflect the uniqueness and essence of Patagonia and is built using local materials. The facilities look nice, and there’s even a gym and a game room.
Of course, there’s a continental breakfast included. If you splurge for a deluxe apartment, though, you get both a kitchen and breakfast. Best of both worlds!
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Kosten Aike
Kosten Aike is located just a couple of minutes walk from the centre of El Calafate. That makes its location extremely comfortable, as you’re far enough off for the noise to be subsided if there’s any, but still close enough for all the comforts of the main street.
The hotel is designed in an Alpine style and offers a spa facility, a fitness room, and a game room. The spa facilities include saunas, a hot tub, and massages. In the game room, you can find billiard, table football (soccer), and even table tennis.
The rooms in Kosten Aike are big, nicely decorated, and spacious. All the bedspreads, curtains, folders, fittings and plastic compositions were made by artists from Argentina. They recreated ancestral designs from the town called Tehuelche.
Kosten Aike is a sustainable hotel. They try to use as much natural energy as possible and comply with current regulations related to the environment and biodiversity, historical heritage and culture, and safety and hygiene. Kosten Aike supports and promotes small local businesses. And so much more!
So, if you’re looking for where to stay in El Calafate and want something sustainable, Kosten Aike is definitely one of the best options there are.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Best mid-range places to stay in El Calafate
Mid-budget places are still hotels that offer quite nice things but are (sometimes) more budget-friendly. Maybe the room is smaller, or there’s no spa&wellness. But the hotel itself is nice and well-rated, just, you know, friendlier for the budget.
So if you’re looking for hotels in El Calafate that will be a bit nicer to the wallet, here are my picks.
Koi Aiken
Koi Aiken is located a 20-minute walk from the centre of El Calafate on the Paseo de la Costanera trail. On the other hand, it’s very close to the Argentino lake – just 5 minutes on foot.
The hotel is traditionally decorated and looks cosy and comfortable. Some of the rooms actually offer views of Lago Argentino! There’s an observation deck as well.
After a day out in nature, you can make use of the free dry sauna for relaxing.
The restaurant in Koi Aiken serves a daily breakfast and the staff are happy to prepare a boxed lunch to take on your excursions if needed. For dinner, you can enjoy traditional Patagonian food there as well.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Hosteria Miyazato Inn
A no-frills hosteria, Miyazato Inn is located in an optimal location. It’s approximately 500m from the city centre, which means quiet but still close enough for comfort. And you are just 250m from Laguna Nimez, an ecological reserve.
The house is really charming and small and surrounded by a garden. The breakfast room has huge windows which make for excellent views while sipping on your morning tea or coffee.
The rooms are basic but still have everything you might need, such as amenities, bath, towels, etc.
The best part, though? Reading through the reviews both on booking and TripAdvisor, I noticed that pretty much all of them praised the staff or owners. So, you can be assured that if you ever need any help while staying at Miyazato Inn, you’ll get it.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Sierra Nevada
A bit on the more expensive side, Sierra Nevada is a small-ish hotel located straight on the main street in El Calafate and 500m from Lago Argentino. From this hotel, you can see Bahia Redonda, a highly rated and beautiful bay of Lago Argentino.
The rooms in Sierra Nevada are spacious and light, with huge windows. There are gardens around it, which means you’re in the city, but still in the greenery.
There’s a continental breakfast served every morning. If you’d like to, you can order a takeaway lunch – perfect for those times when you go on tours. For dinner, there’s a reasonably priced restaurant in the hotel.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Best apartments in El Calafate
I’ve mentioned it before, but I love staying in apartments when travelling, especially if it’s a longer trip. Sometimes, I just crave some homemade food instead of eating out all the time. So if you’re looking for a place where to stay in El Calafate with a comfort of a kitchen, an apartment is the best idea for you. Plus, quite often, staying in an apartment is actually cheaper than a hotel, especially if you consider the costs of eating out.
Los Ponchos hotel
Although it says “hotel”, the rooms in Los Ponchos have kitchenettes, so I’m counting it as an apartment.
Los Ponchos is located in a lovely area a bit off the city centre. The upside of it is that you’re in a quieter area, but the downside, obviously, is that it’ll take longer to get to the centre. If that’s not a problem for you (it’s better to drive a car in Patagonia, anyways, than use public transport), the location is perfect! There’s greenery, there’s the lake, there’s the scenery.
The rooms themselves look lovely and have huge windows – good for those views. The rooms themselves are quite big as well, with a resting area. You get all the amenities that are needed, plus, the kitchenette is fully stocked with kitchenware. The hotel has traditional décor all over the place, which adds a nice touch.
And! There’s breakfast included! And if you don’t feel like cooking for yourself, the hotel hosts a restaurant.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Aparts Calafate suites
Beautiful apartments that are set not far from the main street and not far from Argentino Lake and the laguna Nimez. As with some other places where to stay in El Calafate that I’ve mentioned, this is kind of the best of both worlds.
The apartments are quite spacious with a fully stocked kitchenette. The design is more on the dark side, I really like it, actually. You get all that’s needed in the Aparts Calafate suites, such as toiletries, towels, sheets, hairdryers, and even heating. The only thing is – there’s no breakfast, but of course, you can just prepare it yourself.
It’s a private apartment in an apartment building, so it is a perfect place to stay for those who like privacy.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
South Apartments
A bit off the centre, South Apartments are located in an incredibly beautiful location in El Calafate. The apartments offer a very beautiful view of the lake and you have several hiking trails nearby.
The apartments are spacious and very well-equipped. You get all of the amenities that are necessary for a comfortable stay.
South Apartments have, well, apartments with 2 bedrooms. You get a full kitchen instead of a kitchenette, which is a lot better option for those who love cooking properly. The same as with Aparts Calafate suites, you don’t get breakfast, though. But I’m pretty sure the view makes up for it.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Best places to stay just outside El Calafate
These are some interesting places that are close to El Calafate, that is, not in the city itself. If you’d like a more special place where to stay in El Calafate (and have the budget for it), these are definitely incredible options to consider.
All of these places are about an hour from Perito Moreno glacier, which is just a tiny bit closer than the other places to stay in El Calafate.
EOLO – Patagonia’s spirit
EOLO – Patagonia’s spirit is a 5-star hotel located on a 10 thousand acres estancia. It’s located just 30 minutes outside of El Calafate and 50 minutes from the Perito Moreno glacier.
The entire hotel is inspired by the historic estancias of the area. So everything, from the inside and outside design of the EOLO to the cutlery used in the restaurant aligns with the surrounding nature and the historic roots of Patagonia.
To “foment a dialogue between our visitors and their surroundings”, there are no TVs in the rooms. But there are huge windows and couches just by them to enjoy the views. You can even see animals roaming around on the steppe.
The hotel is all-inclusive, so you get all meals, all drinks (alcoholic as well), spa and wellness, and many other things included.
There are tours available as well, but almost all of those are for an extra price. The only ones included in the rate are horseback riding at EOLO, 4X4 and zipline at Cerro Frías. It’s definitely one of the best hotels in El Calafate.
Read more information and reviews on Booking.com
Hostería El Galpón Del Glaciar
Hosteria El Galpon del Glaciar is the perfect place to stay near El Calafate if you want to enjoy an actual Patagonian country stay. It’s located 20km from El Calafate on the shores of Lago Argentino.
The hotel has only 16 rooms – double and triple rooms and a two-bedroom suite with a living room. All of the rooms come with a view – either of Lago Argentino or of the Andes.
El Galpon del Glaciar is located on a farm that has been dedicated to wool activities since 1912. Some of the activities organized by the hotel teach the guests about the history and processes of wool production in Patagonia, like sheep herding and shearing demonstrations.
Other activities that can be joined are bird watching in the Laguna de los Pájaros Nature Reserve, where you can see more than 30 species of birds, horseriding, and “field day”.
The breakfast is served every day – a continental breakfast. And you don’t have to worry about being 20km from El Calafate – there’s a very good restaurant where you can have a typical Patagonian dinner.
El Galpon is one of the best places where to stay in El Calafate if you want to enjoy a typical Patagonian farm stay.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Related: A packing list for Patagonia
La Soberana
La Soberana is a well-priced inn located not far from Lago Argentino, in Punta Soberana. It’s quite a distance from the city centre, so La Soberana is more suitable for those who have a car.
But you pretty much have everything you need in the hotel for a comfortable stay. The rooms are nicely sized and beautifully decorated.
The food is homemade by the host, so you get freshly made breakfast in the mornings. If you’d like, she’ll even cook dinner or a takeaway lunch for you. At an extra cost, obviously, but it’s still very convenient.
The thing everyone likes the most about La Soberana, though, is the tranquillity and views you get from this hotel. From the house, you can see the lake and the city of El Calafate, the mountains and birds. It’s magnificent.
Read more information and reviews and check availability on booking.com
Other well-rated places where to stay in El Calafate
There are so many great places to stay in El Calafate that I, obviously, couldn’t describe them all. So, let me just list them for you.
- Calafate Parque hotel
- Casa Chica
- Esplendor by Windham El Calafate
- Cabañas de Nené Aparts
- Salamandra Apartamentos
- Refugios del Lago
- Design Suites El Calafate
And so many more.
Last words about El Calafate hotels
It took me quite a long time to write this article. As I just mentioned, there are really a lot of incredible places to stay in El Calafate, from apartments to luxury villas. Many of them have perfect locations and wonderful reviews.
But in the end, these are the places that caught my eye the most.
What do you think? Which one do you like best?
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