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| The Los Glaciares National Park is located in the southwest of the Province of Santa Cruz. A blanket of ice covers this protected area of 600,000 hectares.
Among the 356 glaciers, the Perito Moreno, with a 4 mile front and a height of more than 180 feet above water level. It is famous worldwide for its rupture process. Rupture occurs when the front of the glacier reaches the coastal margin, closes the passage of the waters from Brazo Rico and produces a dam effect where the water rises some 20 meters. The last rupture was in February, 1988. The show is never-ending. You can watch the detachment of ice blocks of different sizes from a short distance, hear the roaring they produce, and then watch them turned into wonderful floating icebergs. A unique experience is walking on the glaciers or to see the front of another great glacier, the Upsala from Lake Argentino. In 1981 UNESCO declared the Los Glaciares National Park a World Heritage Site. Getting There: El Calafate To have access to this wonder of Nature you have to reach the picturesque village of El Calafate, sitting on the shores of Lake Argentino and at 78 km. from the glaciers. From here, there are buses and programmed excursions that will let you live an unparalleled experience. This small village is located on the south coast of Lake Argentino, in the southwest of the Province of Santa Cruz. According to the latest population census in 1991, there were 3118 people living there. It was named after a typical thorny bush of southern Patagonia. The Calafate blooms in the spring with yellow flowers and in summer with purple fruits. According to tradition those who eat this fruit will always return to Patagonia. The Perito Moreno Glacier This excursion is one of the most spectacular in all Patagonia. At the beginning of the tour, you will skirt Bahia Redonda of Lake Argentino as well as have the chance to see Isla Solitaire. You will go through the Patagonia valley with its natural environment of species such as guanacos, ostriches, foxes, etc. Afterwards you will enjoy many interesting spots: Cerro Comision o De Los Elefantes, river Centinela, Cerro Frias (guanacos site), many Patagonian farmhouses and, across the Mitre river you will get into National Park Los Glaciares. Then, you will go 35 km along the coast of Brazo Rico of Lake Argentino, among vegetation of incredible trees such as ñires, lengas, notros and cherry trees. At Curva de Los Suspiros you will get the first panoramic view of Glacier Perito Moreno. But there's more: from the pier Bajo de Las Sombras, 8 km from the watching spot, you can hire the service of Sailing Safari (photographic) that consists of sailing for an hour just across from the wall of Glacier Perito Moreno. In order to get to the foot of the Glacier, the ships sail through the Channel of the Icebergs, which joins two of the great branches of the Lake. The Climate In El Calafate the weather is dry with only 300 mm of rain a year. In the National Park, situated to the west, the rains are rich (1500 mm a year). The average maximum temperature in summer is 66 Fº. The average minimum temperature in winter is 30 Fº. It's located at an equivalent latitude to that of the city of London in the north hemisphere. |
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