Four-star Two MICHELIN Keys Los Glaciares National Park, well outside El Calafate, El Calafate
Estancia Cristina
A sheep ranch founded in 1914 at the end of an arm of Lago Argentino, inside Los Glaciares National Park, with no road in: guests arrive by boat, past the icebergs of the Upsala glacier.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Two Keys in 2026, up from one
- Rooms
- 20
- Founded
- 1914, as a sheep ranch
- Season
- Mid-October to April
The hotel
The Masters family's ranch.
Joseph Masters and his wife Jessie settled at the far end of the Cristina Arm in 1914, on the north-west shore of Lago Argentino, and for decades raised sheep, cattle and horses there. The land is now inside Los Glaciares National Park. The animals have gone, and the old shearing shed holds a museum of ranch life, next to the family chapel.
There is still no road. Guests are driven to Punta Bandera, about thirty minutes from El Calafate, and sail up the lake past the front of the Upsala glacier. The twenty rooms are in cottages facing the North Hill and the estancia valley. Residents have the Octagon, a lounge, bar and dining room kept for them alone, while day visitors eat elsewhere. The lights go out at half past eleven.
- The Upsala glacier The boat in passes close to the glacier front, and a 4x4 trip climbs to a lookout above it.
- On foot and in the saddle Guided treks of half a day or a full day, and horse riding from the estancia's own stables.
- Fishing Fishing can be arranged in season, from November to April.
Rooms & suites
Cottages under the North Hill.
The twenty rooms are in cottages of four, each with its own bathroom and heating, and windows on the mountains.
- Rooms Twin and double rooms Each with a bath and shower and a heated towel rail.
- Larger rooms Rooms for three A few rooms are large enough for an extra bed.
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Boats leave Punta Bandera at 9:00 and 11:00. Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by 11 am. Plan a night in El Calafate before and after.
- Perito Moreno The glacier cannot be reached from the estancia. See it from El Calafate on the days either side of your stay.
- Electricity Switched off every night after 11.30 pm.
- Pets Not accepted.
Getting there
Flying to El Calafate.
El Calafate airport has flights from both Buenos Aires airports and takes private jets on its 2,550-metre runway. From town a van takes about thirty minutes to the port of Punta Bandera, and the rest of the way is by boat across Lago Argentino.
- Punta Arenas 45 min
- Ushuaia 1 h 05
- Bariloche 1 h 40
- Santiago 2 h 50
- Buenos Aires 3 h 05
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Estancia Cristina have?
- Two. The MICHELIN Guide raised it from one Key to two in its 2026 selection.
- How do you get to Estancia Cristina?
- Only by water. A van runs from El Calafate to Punta Bandera in about thirty minutes, and boats leave there at 9:00 and 11:00 for the crossing past the Upsala glacier.
- Can I visit the Perito Moreno glacier from Estancia Cristina?
- No. Perito Moreno trips leave from El Calafate, so most guests see the glacier on the nights they spend in town before or after.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to El Calafate?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to El Calafate, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in El Calafate
Other hotels worth the trip.
- EOLO – Patagonia's Spirit A lodge on a 4,000-hectare estate in the open steppe, with two MICHELIN Keys.
- Xelena Hotel & Suites On the edge of the lake, with an indoor pool and the water in view.
- Imago Hotel & Spa Looks straight onto the bay, with a spa, indoor pool and sauna.
- Design Suites Calafate Sixty rooms with views of the lake, outside town, with a spa and indoor pool.
- Alto Calafate Hotel Patagónico A hundred and three rooms on the hillside at the entrance to town, with a heated outdoor pool.
- Kau Yatún Hotel de Campo A country hotel among native plants, within walking distance of the main street.
Staying at Estancia Cristina?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to El Calafate, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.