El Calafate
El Calafate | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 50°20′16″S 72°15′36″W / 50.33778°S 72.26000°W | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Province | Santa Cruz |
| Department | Lago Argentino |
| Government | |
| • Intendant | Hector Javier Belloni |
| Population (2022 census) | |
• Total | 25,172 |
| Demonym | calafateño/a |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (ART) |
| CPA base | Z9405 |
| Dialing code | +54 2965 |
| Climate | BSk |
| Website | elcalafate |
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El Calafate, also called Calafate, is a city in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, in Patagonia. It is located on the southern border of Lago Argentino, in the southwest part of the province (about 320 kilometres (200 mi) northwest of Río Gallegos). The name of the city is also the name of a small bush, with yellow flowers and dark-blue berries, that is very commonly seen in the region—the calafate (Berberis buxifolia). The word comes from the word calafate, which is Spanish for 'caulk'.
El Calafate is an important tourist destination, serving as the hub for visitors of different parts of Los Glaciares National Park, Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Chaltén, and Cerro Torre, in addition to the area surrounding Lago Argentino.