An unforgettable adventure in the ice, admiring breathtaking views and perhaps even choosing to participate in an organized minitrekking: all the tips for your trip to Patagonia in the post.
For those planning a trip to Patagonia, there is a stage that absolutely cannot be missed: the Create alert. You can reach the famous glacier from El Calafate, well connected with internal flights from various cities in Argentina as well as from Buenos Aires. It is advisable to stay overnight in one of the many hotels in the city in order to be able to leave the next day at an early hour for the glacier.
Where is the Perito Moreno
The Perito Moreno is located inside the Los Glaciares Park which is about an hour from El Calafate. To visit it there are several options. The first is to admire it from the walkways of the Park. In this case, the visit is free, upon payment of the entrance ticket and you can stay as long as you want. Once there, the glacier can be seen from different angles, following the walkways. There are also several vantage points where you can stop for some photos, perhaps waiting for some small piece of ice to fall into the water. An unmistakable noise.
The most beautiful point, both for perspective and for the panorama in front of you, is the one further north that directly overlooks the Argentino lake. From here, in fact, the Perito Moreno can be seen not only completely but also slightly more from above, in all its extension. The excursion structured in this way, following the paths of the area, is absolutely suitable for everyone.
The advice is to dedicate a whole day to the Perito Moreno, both if you choose to visit the Los Glaciares Park alone or to do the minitrekking. The walk in the park and the minitrekking can also be done on the same day. In both cases, a packed lunch is recommended. As for clothing, technical, windproof garments are suggested as well as a scarf and hat.
How to reach the glacier and Los Glaciares Park
Once you get to El Calafate, you can choose whether to reach the Parco de Los Glaciares with your own means or with an organized group. In the latter case, in fact, you can visit the park and the glacier accompanied by local tours that also take care of transport. The latter can be booked directly in El Calafate. The alternative is to reach Perito Moreno by own means by renting a car or a bus.
Mini trekking to Perito Moreno: an unforgettable experience
An experience to try, if you do not have particular motor and respiratory problems, is the minitrekking among the ice of Perito Moreno. The activity can only be carried out through the agency Hielo y Aventura which has the exclusive right for glacier trekking. There are two alternatives: the minitrekking which involves about half an hour of walking between the walls of Perito Moreno and the Big Ice, which lasts about three and a half hours. Minitrekking is certainly the easiest but, not for this reason, less exciting. The walk takes place with the use of crampons, provided directly by the agency.
During the visit the guides, very prepared and professional, tell the history of the glaciersor. They illustrate its conformation as well as the origin of the many “holes” of intense blue from which only fresh and clean water comes out, in some places even drinkable. Some cavities are even 60 meters deep, almost the entire depth of the Perito Moreno. The tour is very interesting and recommended if you want to try a different experience, directly between spiers of the Perito Moreno. Furthermore, the routes take place in total safety, being concentrated in the safe areas of the glacier. The advice, if you are planning a trip in high season, is to book it in advance, as these are areas with high turnout. The tour available in English and Spanish, is well organized.
