The Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina is a 250 square kilometer ice formation that feeds into Largo Argentino and is a major tourist attraction in Patagonia. El Calafate, Argentina was again one of the huge markers for my trip. After setting off from Gobernador Gregores at first light, I got on my way for a pretty tough riding day on Ruta 40.
I left El Calafate in the early morning for the 50-mile journey to the Perito Moreno Glacier. There are a couple of stops along the way with great views. You can ride right into the park and the entry fee is $25 USD to the Los Glaciares National Park.
Only buses and disabled cars are allowed up into the top park area with the best views although I pretended to not know so I could get some photos, pleading ignorance is a great excuse for tourists in many situations in foreign lands!
I also got the ferry out to the face of Perito Moreno Glacier (an additional $100 USD) prices vary at different times of the year. The ride goes for about 45 minutes and is a great way to get a bunch of photos. Unfortunately, no icefalls from the face occurred during my trip. You can hear really loud claps from the glacier as it slowly moves into the lake.
Perito Moreno Glacier
The Perito Moreno Glacier (Spanish: Glaciar Perito Moreno) is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentinian Patagonia.
The 250 km2 (97 sq mi) ice formation, and 30 km (19 mi) in length is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This ice field is the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water.
The Perito Moreno Glacier, located 78 kilometers (48 mi) from El Calafate, was named after the explorer Francisco Moreno, a pioneer who studied the region in the 19th century and played a major role in defending the territory of Argentina in the conflict surrounding the international border dispute with Chile. From Wikipedia
Los Glaciares National Park
Los Glaciares National Park is in the southwest of the province of Santa Cruz. It has an area of 726,927 hectares and was created to preserve an extensive area of inland ice and glaciers, southern Andean-Patagonian forest and samples of the Patagonian steppe. It is the most extensive of the National System of Protected Areas in Argentina.
El Calafate, Argentina
El Calafate is a town near the edge of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. It’s mainly known as the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park, home to the massive Perito Moreno Glacier, whose ever-shifting icy landscape is popular for hiking and sightseeing. A modern interpretive center called the Glaciarium serves as a primer on the region’s numerous glaciers. From Wikipedia
