After years of near abandonment, the Museo Regional El Calafate (Avenida Libertador 575, tel. 02902/49-1924, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays, free) has reopened, but it’s hard to say that the sparse and poorly presented exhibits on paleontology, natural history, geology, and ethnology were worth the wait. The pioneer families’ photographic histories show promise, but it still lacks an explanation of the 1920s labor unrest that led to several shooting deaths on the estancias.

More promising is the Centro de Interpretación Histórica (Almirante Brown and Bonarelli, tel. 02902/49-2799, calafatecentro [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. daily Sept.–Semana Santa, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. the rest of the year, US$5.50), whose sophisticated timeline puts southern Patagonia’s natural, cultural, and historical events in context; it has many photographs, good English translations, and a quality library. Admission includes remise transportation from downtown.

At the north edge of town, a onetime sewage pond is now Reserva Municipal Laguna Nimez, a freshwater body now frequented by more than 100 bird species. It is fenced, but locals and others often squeeze through gaps for a walk through the wetlands and along the lakeshore.

One sight that locals know but few foreigners recognize is the Casa Kirchner (Los Gauchos and Namuncurá), the home of Argentina’s first couple, ex-president Néstor Kirchner and current president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

Tours and transport to the Moreno Glacier and other nearby attractions are possible with a variety of competent operators. In alphabetical order, they include:

Aventura Andina

Avenida del Libertador 761, Local 4
tel. 02902/49-1726
andinafte [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar

Cal Tur

Avenida Libertador 1080
tel. 02902/49-2217
www.caltur.com.ar

Cordillera del Sol

25 de Mayo 43
tel. 02902/49-2822
www.cordilleradelsol.com

Eurotur

Avenida del Libertador 1025
tel. 02902/49-2190
www.eurotur.com.ar

Mundo Austral

Avenida Libertador 1114
tel. 02902/49-2365
mundoaustral [at] cotecal [dot] com [dot] ar

Rumbo Sur

9 de Julio 81, Local 2
tel. 02902/49-2155
www.rumbosur.com.ar