EL CALAFATE INFORMATION
El Calafate is a small town in Patagonia, Argentina. It is situated in the southern border of Lake Argentino, in the southwest part of the Santa Cruz Province, about 320 km Northwest from Río Gallegos. Its name comes from a little bush with yellow flowers very common in Patagonia, with dark blue berries: the calafate (Berberis buxifolia); the word comes from the word "calafate", which is Spanish for "caulk".
El Calafate is an important tourist destination as the hub to visit different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park, including the Perito Moreno Glacier (one of the most visited in the world) and the Cerro Chaltén and Cerro Torre. The history of El Calafate began in the first decades of the twentieth century. Originally, it was just a place of shelter for wool traders.
In the last census 6,143 permanent residents were counted (2001 census [INDEC]). This represents a 20.1% increase compared with the 1991 census. However, due to the expansion of tourism, the population was estimated at 8,000 people in 2005. (The population was estimated at 20,000 people in 2007.)
The gliding altitude record of 50,699 feet (15,453 m) was set near El Calafate on 30 August 2006 by Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson in their 'Perlan' high altitude research glider. This record is pending certification by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. |
