Los Glaciares National Park is a national park located in the Santa Cruz Province, Patagonia, Argentina. All of the 48 glaciers inside the national park are fed by Southern Patagonia Ice Field, the third largest ice cap in the world after Antarctica and Greenland. The Los Glaciares National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.

Covered 30% by ice, the national park can be divided into 2 parts, each containing 1 big lake. They are Lake Argentino in the south and Lake Viedma in the north. The Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the most visited places in Argentine Patagonia, is located in the southern part of the national park. The terminus of Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 kilometers wide, with an average height of 60 meters above the surface of the water and 170 meters in total ice depth. One of the most spectacular views here is to watch the rupture of the Perito Moreno Glacier. As Perito Moreno Glacier separates the 2 halves of the Lake Argentino, it actually blocks the path of water from 1 lake to another. Thus, water level in 1 lake rises. The water pressure of that lake causes the Perito Moreno Glacier to collapse. The Perito Moreno Glacier ruptures about every 4 to 5 years and after that it grows back.


The Perito Moreno Glacier

There are flights each day from Buenos Aires to Rio Negro which takes 3 hours. From Rio Negro, one can take another flight to El Calatafe. El Calatafe is an important hub to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, which can be reached in 2 hours by bus. The best time in the year to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier is from October to April. One can join one of the many trekking tours, walking on the surface of the glacier!