El Calafate
A trip to the natural past of Patagonia
El Calafate is a small and picturesque town located in the extreme southwest of Argentine Patagonia, within the province of Santa Cruz. It is known worldwide as the access to Los Glaciares National Park, home of the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier, and more than 300 thousand-year-old glaciers.
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Los Glaciares National Park
Los Glaciares National Park is located in the southwest of Argentine Patagonia, near the border with Chile. Its many glaciers include the Perito Moreno, best known for the spectacular ice falls from its front wall towards Lake Argentino.
In the north is Mount Fitz Roy, with peaks that rise above the Andean city El Chaltén and Lake Viedma. The park is home to many birds, such as condors and black eagles.
The Perito Moreno Glacier
The Perito Moreno glacier, named in honor of Francisco Moreno, director of the museum of the Argentine Scientific Society and active explorer of the southern area, originates from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the third largest ice mass in the world after the Antarctica and the North Pole.
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This ice colossus is surrounded by a wonderful forest made up of Lengas and Nhires, and is more than 5 km wide, 30 km long and an average of 60 meters high.
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The breaking
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Thanks to its constant advance, the Perito Moreno Glacier forms a natural dam with the waters of the Rico arm of the Argentino Lake, which generates a difference with respect to the rest of the lake, which has reached up to 30 m. Due to the pressure of this body of water, ice leaks that create a tunnel with a vault over 50 m high. The collapse of this vault constitutes an unusual natural spectacle and is one of the park's greatest attractions.
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The name of the glacier honors Francisco Moreno, director of the museum of the Argentine Scientific Society and active explorer of the southern area of ​​that country.
