A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Terre-de-Haut vs. El Calafate for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate?

Terre-de-Haut

Les Saintes (also known as Iles des Saintes) is a small archipelago of Guadeloupe, a French overseas territory in the Caribbean. The islands here are best known for their tropical beauty, untouched beaches, and bayside villages. Only two of the nine are inhabited.

Terre-de-Haut of Les Saintes is the most popular island to visit. It is known for the Pain de Sucre, a small bay lined with coconut trees and an ideal location for snorkeling, in addition to white sandy beaches like the Plage de Pompierre. There is also a nineteenth-century fort which can be reached on foot for striking views of the surrounding area.

El Calafate

Located in Patagonia, El Calafate has become a popular tourist destination in Argentina because of its beautiful setting on the stunningly blue Lago Argentina. The town sits on the southern border of the lake in the southwestern part of the Santa Cruz Province. It's about 320 kilometers from Rio Gallegos.

The rise in popularity of Patagonia as a tourist destination has truly put this small town on the map. You'll find no shortage of trekkers in the town and it makes an excellent base to explore different parts of the Los Glaciares National Park. Popular places to visit include Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Chalten, and Cerro Torre.

El Calafate has a cold semi-arid climate. The summers are cool to warm and very dry while the winters are cold and damp. Lago Argentino has a significant influence over the town's climate. The shallow bay where the town is located is usually frozen during the winter months.

Check out our ultimate guide to Hiking in Patagonia.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Buenos Aires, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Argentina.


Which place is cheaper, El Calafate or Terre-de-Haut?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Terre-de-Haut is €173, while the average daily cost in El Calafate is €55. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Terre-de-Haut and El Calafate in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Terre-de-Haut 68
    El Calafate 35
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Terre-de-Haut 136
    El Calafate 70
Compare Hotels in Terre-de-Haut and El Calafate

Looking for a hotel in Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Terre-de-Haut


Hotels in El Calafate


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Terre-de-Haut Hotel Prices and El Calafate Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Terre-de-Haut 44
    El Calafate 3.97

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Terre-de-Haut

Also for Terre-de-Haut, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Deshaies or Trois Riviers to Pointe a Pitre Airport by SUV: $96

Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Calafate

Also for El Calafate, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Perito Moreno Full Day Minitrekking with Transfer & Walkways: $460
  • Perito Moreno Glacier Mini Trek with Transfer: $441
  • Private Airport Transfer: $296
  • "Todo Glaciares" Boat Tour + optional transfers from El Calafate : $205
  • Transfer from El Calafate Airport to El Chaltén: $190
  • Roundtrip transfers to Perito Moreno Glacier: $149
  • FTE Aiport transfer Group 4 to 6 people with luggage: $116
  • Excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier, with guide and transfer to / from the hotel: $79
  • Transfer to Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: $77
  • Private Transfer: Calafate Airport to City Center: $59
  • Private Airport Transfer in Calafate: $45
  • Transfers Between Airport and Hotels: $44

Is it cheaper to fly into Terre-de-Haut or El Calafate?

Prices for flights to both El Calafate and Terre-de-Haut change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Terre-de-Haut 78
    El Calafate 6.32

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in El Calafate

For El Calafate, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Estancia 25 de Mayo Dinner & Show with Transfer: $72
  • Estancia 25 de Mayo Tour with Dinner & Transfer: $98
  • Country Afternoon with Dinner Show - Estancia 25 de Mayo: $115
  • Stargazing Tour with Dinner and Transfers: $120
  • Estancia 25 de Mayo in El Calafate - PM visit with dinner: $165
  • Estancia 25 de Mayo Experience with Dinner from Calafate: $190
  • Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner and Wine Included: $190
  • Lakes and Caves Tour with Dinner: $255

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Terre-de-Haut 20
    El Calafate 49

Tours and Activities in Terre-de-Haut

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Terre-de-Haut.

  • Boat Tour with Lunch in the Water in Guadeloupe Lagoon : $149
  • Guadeloupe Bus Tour: $72
  • Guided Kayaking Tour of the Mitan Pond and its Mangrove: $42
  • Private French Caribbean Rum Tour with Tastings: $188
  • Private Shooting Tour Around Soufrière: $131
  • Small Day Cruise (Ilet caret, mangrove, coral reef: $118

Tours and Activities in El Calafate

For El Calafate, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Argentine Cuisine Experience in El Calafate: $130
  • 4 Days & 3 Nights El Calafate & El Chaltén Magical Adventure: $1,350
  • Adventure Horseback Riding on Cerro Frias: $140
  • CAÑADON EXPERIENCE - TREKKING & STAY - PRIVATE VEHICLE: $1,500
  • CALAFATE: Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate: $194
  • Calafate Panoramic tour: The best balconies of Calafate 4x4: $210
  • Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier Boat Tour: $207
  • DARWIN EXPERIENCE KAYAK & ADVENTURE: $240
  • Day Tour to the Perito Moreno Glacier from El Calafate: $88
  • Discover La Leona Petrified Forest: Guided Hiking Tour: $224
  • EL CALAFATE Native experience lakes and caverns: $214
  • "Perito Moreno Glacier with the Tour - Blue Safari".: $319

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Terre-de-Haut 44
    El Calafate 7.87

Sample the Local Flavors in Terre-de-Haut

Also in Terre-de-Haut, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Guided tour with tasting of the Distillery Bonne Mère : $11


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Terre-de-Haut and El Calafate, we can see that Terre-de-Haut is more expensive. And not only is El Calafate much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Terre-de-Haut is in Caribbean Islands and El Calafate is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to El Calafate would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in El Calafate and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Terre-de-Haut would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Terre-de-Haut than you might in El Calafate.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Terre-de-Haut Expensive? and Is El Calafate Expensive?.