Even El Calafate's staunchest defenders admit that's it's a shithole. It used to be a one horse town before the horse bolted in disgust. But no matter, they say, it's a shithole within striking distance of one of the great natural wonders of the world, the Perito Moreno glacier. What kind of sad person complains about poor, rip-off accommodation when such a sublime, life-enriching experience is just a rip-off package tour away?

This argument would make sense if Calafate were just a small, ugly town with no pretensions to being anything else. Instead, thanks to the millions of dollars poured into it by hoteliers looking to cash in on the post-2002 Argentine tourist boom, it's now larger, uglier and more expensive than ever.

No grand plans were laid, no smart schemes were hatched - and no plot of land that could not be quickly filled with a soulless monobloc has remained unfilled with a soulless monobloc. Find a space, pour some concrete into it, hack the interior into compartments that can be called 'rooms', add windows to these compartments to create 'a view'. Charge foreigners a lot of money for the privilege of dumping their luggage here before heading off to the glaciers. Don't worry if they complain - you're overbooked anyway.

Now for the good news. First - and we think we've probably said this in every installment of this series - there is excellent accommodation in the Calafate area, if not in the town itself. In fact there's really no need to visit the town at all, except to hop on a shuttle bus. Secondly, a number of people - hoteliers, the local tourist board, investors, pissed-off local residents, etc - seem to have woken up, rubbed their eyes, and realised what a hash they've made of El Calafate. Development is still rampant here but noticeably less reckless. The sensible step would probably be to replicate the 1970s Vegas 'solution', i.e. blow up all the eyesores and start over. That won't happen; it makes too much sense. But we're optimistic that Calafate's hotel scene is going to improve over the next five years.

Watch this space. And think twice before putting a hotel in it.

If you want to go goggle at glaciers, here are the best lodging options:

Eolo

Located about 12 miles outside El Calafate en route to the Perito Moreno glacier, Eolo is a modern estancia-cum-rural hotel with sublime views in all directions (on a good day you can almost peek into Chile.) The rooms are large (something that most people expect at a ranch-style lodging but rarely get), the food is pretty good (though not as good as the advance hype leads you to imagine, another common problem with Argentine estancias), and the excursion and outdoor activities options almost endless. Expect to get severely stung for using the hotel's own transport if you don't have a hire car. Then again, if you have a hire car you will already have been severely stung, so it's Hobson's choice. Several users on the TripAdviser board rated Eolo as their best vacation experience ever.

Los Notros

Located inside the Los Glaciares national park, Los Notros is the only hotel which faces the Perito Moreno glacier head-on. If anything, the cracking sounds made by this restless ice behemoth (one of the few in the world that is still advancing) are more impressive than the views: like the sound an ice cube makes when it comes into contact with a stream of Coca Cola but amplified a thousand times. Rooms are well-equipped but the service can be as flaky as the glacier. Expect to pay a whopping 1,500 dollars a night for a room with a view of Perito Moreno.

Helsingfors Lodge Also inside the national park (but without direct views of the glaciers), Helsingfors deserves its reputation as one of Argentina's best luxury estancias. Food, service and excursions are of the highest quality. The star trip is the boat ride around the Viedma glacier - as spectacular as Perito Moreno but without the hordes of oooohing and aaaahing tourists. Exclusive, secluded and highly recommended.

Hostería Alta Vista

Popular with high-rollers who want to pay 500 dollars a night for the chance to shear a sheep or two, Alta Vista is both a working farm and luxury ranch, set in 74,000 hectares of stunning landscape. Great for exploring your rugged side - but we have an aversion to 'all-inclusive' ranches which have 'alcoholic beverages not included' in the small print.

Design Suites

As we progress farther south we seem to be getting steadily less rude about this chain. By the time we get to Tierra del Fuego we'll be raving about it. Fifteen kilometres outside El Calafate (the hotel operates a shuttle bus), the location is fantastic, right on the edge of Lago Argentina. The rooms and facilities adhere to the DS philosophy of looking better than they work, but the staff are more efficient than their BA counterparts, and the juxtaposition of modern urban design and stunning natural setting is compelling.

Hostel del Glaciar

You only need to look at the website's URL to know this place has been around a while - 17 years to be precise, an aeon in Patagonian terms. This is a great budget option, smart and comfortable, and one of the few lodgings in El Calafate itself that can be safely recommended.