In 1909, a man called Armando Guillou asked for authorization to build up in Lake Argentino, near the Calafate stream, a hotel and a grocery store 500 metres from the Police Station.

In 1913, the Pantin and Freile families opened a general store and a lodging house giving origin to a stopping place in the middle of a Patagonian dirt road. According to Mateo Martinic, in that year, an importing and exporting stock company branch office from Patagonia is opened. This branch office was built up in Charles Fhuor at the beginning.

El Calafate was founded on 7th December, 1927.