Alkylation of calix[4]arene by 2-tert-butoxyethyl bromide led to the tetraalkylatedcalix[4]arene in the 1,3-alternate, the conformation of which has been established byX-ray crystallography. This spatial structure included a cavity potentially useful forhost–guest complexes achieved with metal cations, especially with Ag⁺. The titlecompound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Cc with cell constants a = 29.901(2),b = 8.139(1), c = 22.264(3) Å, = 90°, = 117.08(1)°and = 90°. This conformer represents an example for Ag⁺-tunnelingacross an aromatic cavity. This behaviour could lead to important implications with regardto the metal cation- interaction expected for metal transport through ion channels,metal inclusion in fullerenes, intercalation of metal cations into graphites, etc.