San Antonio de Areco, known for its estancias (ranches) and gaucho culture, is about 1,280 miles (2,060 km) away from El Calafate in southern Patagonia. Because San Antonio is a small town near Buenos Aires, the easiest way to reach it is to fly into Buenos Aires and take a bus or private transfer from there.
By Plane and Private Transfer
Duration: 4.5 hours, plus travel to/from airport
Your first step is to fly from El Calafate Airport (FTE) to Buenos Aires, which takes 2 hours, 55 minutes. Once you land, a private transfer will pick you up to take you to San Antonio de Areco, which is about 70 miles (108 km) away. There aren't any notable landmarks along the route, which goes through the Buenos Aires suburbs and into the pampas, the Argentine prairie. Depending on traffic, the transfer will take about 1.5 hours.
By Plane and Bus
Duration: 5.5 hours, plus transfers
If you decide to take the bus instead of a private transfer, once you land in Buenos Aires you will need to transfer to Retiro, the city's central bus terminal.
To do that, you can take a taxi or the 45A, 33C, or 33A buses from Aeroparque airport (AEP) to Retiro. From there, you can buy a bus ticket to San Antonio de Areco from the ticket counters on the second floor. Multiple buses leave daily, and the trip takes around 2.5 hours, depending on traffic.
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