Patagonia Ice & Ranch Experience

We collect you from your hotel in El Calafate at around 08:30 for the drive to Nibepo Aike, a traditional Patagonian estancia spanning more than 12,000 hectares on the Southern Arm of Lake Argentino, reaching the Chilean border and framed by the Andes. On arrival we are welcomed with drinks and pastries before a guided visit. We learn about the ranch’s main livestock activities – now centred on a Hereford cattle herd with traces of the region’s sheep-farming past – while taking in views of Lake Argentino, lenga and ñire forests, and local wildlife such as woodpeckers and eagles. We also watch demonstrations and hear insights into traditional sheep shearing and riding practices. The visit continues with a walk through the vegetable garden, which supplies much of the produce used on site, before we reach the quincho, where the asador is preparing traditional Patagonian lamb to enjoy with views of the Andes. We return to El Calafate for the night.

At around 09:30, we collect you from your hotel in El Calafate and set off for the Perito Moreno Glacier on an itinerary planned to avoid the crowds. We travel in a small vehicle with a specialised guide who shares insight into the landscape and its ecosystems en route.

On arrival at the national park, we take in the spectacular views from the walkways and enjoy a gourmet packed lunch with the glacier as our backdrop. You can choose to add an optional one hour boat ride for a closer look at the glacier’s towering ice wall.

Before we return to your hotel, we pause at a traditional Patagonian rest point with panoramic views, where a snack is served and we taste Argentine mate – a custom deeply rooted in local life.