Perito Moreno Glacier

Although the Southern Patagonian Ice Field feeds almost fifty glaciers, Perito Moreno is arguably the most famous. Located two hours from El Calafate, the glacier has gained popularity both for its accessibility and its status as one of only three Patagonian glaciers not retreating. Perito Moreno advances an average of two meters per day, and its face stretches five kilometers across Lago Argentina. The ice towers sixty meters above the water and reaches a depth of one hundred seventy meters below the surface.

Visitors arrive via car or bus (tip: avoid the large bus tours) and start their visit with a boat ride to a rustic visitor center where ice trekking excursions begin. Crampons and guides are required for both the two-hour mini-trekking walk and the more challenging “Big Ice” tour. Although these excursions are no longer done with private guides, it is well worth the frustration of a larger group to experience walking on an actual glacier. The trekking is challenging – not suitable for young children or the disabled – but it is safe, exciting and well within the abilities of anyone who has a basic level of physical fitness. Have your lodge pack a lunch to eat on the picnic tables near the visitor center after your morning trek.

Following the ice climb, your guide will drive you to the northern side of the glacier, where the park recently installed a circuit of wooden catwalks that offer unparalleled views of Perito Moreno. This is also the point from which 17,000 travelers gathered in March 2006 to watch a gigantic ice bridge rupture (YouTube videos of this phenomenon abound and are worth a watch). As the glacier advances, it eventually hits a series of cliffs that divide the two sides of Lago Argentina. The water level rises and the pressure eventually begins to chip away the underbelly of the ice, creating a soaring frozen arch attaching the glacier to the land. The collapse is truly spectacular.

Most visitors won’t get a chance to witness this phenomenon (it happens every few years and is impossible to predict), but everyone who comes to Perito Moreno will see the huge chunks of ice that calve as the glacier advances. Come armed with a camera and a quick trigger finger to catch this amazing sight on film.