Best time to visit El Calafate

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
864211123568
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
986910
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
221111121121
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
432222233333
February 8/10 feels 14°C (+2°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 76/100
Day 17° · Night 11° 54% humidity 26 km/h wind 8 rain days (91h) 255h sun
Thermal 6
Sky 9
Rain 8
Wind 9

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in El Calafate

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you.

  1. 1Perito Moreno Glacier Private Tour with Boat Ride5.00★ (4)8hfrom $480🔥 Selling fast
  2. 2Shuttle Bus from El Calafate City to El Chalten5.00★ (1)4hfrom $80🔥 Selling fast
  3. 3El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Walkways, Boat & Nature Tour5.00★ (2)8hfrom $187
  4. 4El Chaltén with Trekking from El Calafate4.27★ (165)10h 30mfrom $97🔥 Selling fast
  5. 5El Calafate: Gourmet Upsala and Spegazzini Glaciers5.00★ (6)11hfrom $270🔥 Selling fast
  6. 6Explore El Chaltén in a Day–Full Private Tour and get the best price4.95★ (62)from $429

Last refreshed 2026-06-09.

Similar climatesWellington81% · Dunedin80% · Christchurch80%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to El Calafate (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against El Calafate's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 10–17 13 9 97 10.8 51% 28 317 8 Quiet 7
Feb 11–17 14 8 91 11.4 54% 26 255 6 Quiet 8
Mar 8–14 10 11 132 12.0 62% 24 224 4 Quiet 6
Apr 5–11 7 11 132 12.0 68% 19 185 2 Quiet 5
May 3–7 3 9 109 12.1 75% 16 146 1 Quiet 5
Jun 0–4 0 10 141 14.1 79% 16 115 1 Quiet 4
Jul -1–3 -1 9 139 15.4 79% 17 128 1 Quiet 4
Aug -1–4 0 11 150 13.6 76% 17 164 2 Moderate 4
Sep 1–7 3 8 118 14.8 68% 17 216 3 Quiet 5
Oct 4–10 6 10 120 12.0 63% 22 271 5 Moderate 5
Nov 7–13 9 8 85 10.6 57% 25 302 6 Peak 7
Dec 9–16 11 8 83 10.4 52% 29 317 8 Busy 7

UV Index in El Calafate by Month

UV index in El Calafate peaks at 8 (high) in December, dropping to 1 (low) in June. January, February, November, December have high UV — SPF 30+ and sunglasses recommended.

Best months in detail

February

8/10

11–17°C (feels 14°C) · 8 rain days (91h) · 255 sun hours · 54% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)

January

7/10

10–17°C (feels 13°C) · 9 rain days (97h) · 317 sun hours · 51% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

December

7/10

9–16°C (feels 11°C) · 8 rain days (83h) · 317 sun hours · 52% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

March

6/10

8–14°C (feels 10°C) · 11 rain days (132h) · 224 sun hours · 62% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate)

April

5/10

5–11°C (feels 7°C) · 11 rain days (132h) · 185 sun hours · 68% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)

May

5/10

3–7°C (feels 3°C) · 9 rain days (109h) · 146 sun hours · 75% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

June

4/10

0–4°C (feels 0°C) · 10 rain days (141h) · 115 sun hours · 79% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

July

4/10

-1–3°C (feels -1°C) · 9 rain days (139h) · 128 sun hours · 79% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

August

4/10

-1–4°C (feels 0°C) · 11 rain days (150h) · 164 sun hours · 76% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 2 (low)

September

5/10

1–7°C (feels 3°C) · 8 rain days (118h) · 216 sun hours · 68% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

October

5/10

4–10°C (feels 6°C) · 10 rain days (120h) · 271 sun hours · 63% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)

November

7/10

7–13°C (feels 9°C) · 8 rain days (85h) · 302 sun hours · 57% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

Frequently asked questions about visiting El Calafate

When is the best time to visit El Calafate?

February is the highest-scoring month (8/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 11–17°C (8 rainy days). The top three months by score are February, January, December.

What is the worst time to visit El Calafate?

June is the lowest-scoring month (4/10). Typical conditions: 0–4°C (10 rainy days).

When are crowds lowest in El Calafate?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in April and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in El Calafate have good weather but fewer tourists?

February (climate 8/10, crowd index 24) and January (climate 7/10, crowd index 24) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in El Calafate by month?

UV peaks at 8 (high) in December and is lowest in June at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 8, Feb 6, Mar 4, Apr 2, May 1, Jun 1, Jul 1, Aug 2, Sep 3, Oct 5, Nov 6, Dec 8.

What is the UV index in El Calafate in December?

December is the peak UV month in El Calafate, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (high). Apply SPF 30+, wear sunglasses, and seek shade during midday hours.

How high can UV get in El Calafate on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. December is the worst case: typical days average UV 8 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 10 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: January, February, October, November, December. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.