A Short Guide To Visiting The Perito Moreno Glacier
Discover how to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier Argentina and find out how visiting Perito Moreno Glacier might just be one of the best experiences in Argentina.
One could spend months Patagonia, there is so much to see and so much space to comprehend.
Patagonia is a vast area of land that lies in the southern tip of South America in the countries of Argentina and Chile. Patagonia has
It’s one of the few places on earth where you can feel truly alone with nature.
Patagonia’s glaciers are a massive part of the flora and fauna of the area and can’t be missed- the Perito Moreno in particular. Keep reading for the short guide to visiting Perito Moreno Glacier and for all the information you need for navigating this magnificent site like a pro.
How to Get to Perito Moreno Glacier
With El Calafate being the gateway to the Perito Moreno Glacier you’ll have to stay here, for one night at least.
It can be reached by plane from Buenos Aires, or by bus from any other Argentinian city nearby as well as the Chilean town of Puerto Natales.
From El Calafate it takes just 1 hour driving, to get to the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Driving – If you’re travelling through Patagonia by rental car, which I highly recommend, getting to Perito Moreno is easy. it really helps to have a car as the distances in Argentina and Patagonia are vast.
I always use Auto Europe or Rental Cars for car rental in Argentina. They generally have the best rates and offers. Click here to find a car with Auto Europe. Click here for Rental Cars.
Bus- It’s also possible to get to Perito Moreno Glacier by local bus from the local bus station. Just turn up, buy a ticket and you’ll arrive just an hour later.
Tour– If you prefer to have everything organised for you, a knowledgeable local guide and transportation, then why not go as part of a tour. Tours are a fun way to experience a place and you can meet people along the way too.
In El Calafate you can organise boat tours for the Perito Moreno as well as glacier treks- yes you can actually trek on the glacier.
Check out this amazing Perito Moreno Glacier Trekking Tour and Cruise. There’s also this general glacier tour with an optional boat cruise.
Check out some more fantastic tours below.
El Calafate
I started my Argentinian journey by arriving into El Calafate by bus from the Chilean town of Puerto Natales. It was a relaxing and mesmerising bus trip, with nothing but rolling green hills, rocky valleys and wind-battered plains.
El Calafate was once a sleepy mountain town with wooden-chalet style buildings. Visiting in December and it was anything but that. I found El Calafate to be a town transformed by tourism with cafes, restaurants, currency exchanges and souvenir shops lining the main boulevard.
It was alive and buzzing with people walking around in muddy trekking boots and sipping mate. I couldn’t wait to explore more.
El Calafate is a great place to base yourself to explore the surrounding area. You can spend the day just strolling around and it comes alive at night but for the highlights of this
Read more: The Ultimate El Chalten Travel Guide | Argentina’s Fitz Roy Range
Where to Stay in El Calafate
Kau Yatún Hotel Boutique – A lovely Argentinian style ranch house with a great restaurant, breakfast and comfortable rooms. Check rates and availability here.
Hotel Kosten Aike – A classic Patagonian hotel option with simple but comfortable rooms, great staff and wonderful service. Check rates and availability here.
Blanca Patagonia Hostería Boutique y Cabañas – A lovely inn with cabins on the road just outside town on the way to the Perito Moreno Glacier. Beautiful and comfortable cabins with hot tubs and amazing views. Check rates and availability here.
Visiting Perito Moreno Glacier
About 80km outside of El Calafate is the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the biggest glaciers and freshwater sources in the world.
The glacier is a magnificent sight. I’ve seen smaller glaciers in my life, way smaller but this is something else.
Standing there, dumbfounded, it was difficult to comprehend how much ice there really was lying in front of my eyes.
The glacier visitor centre has done a really great job constructing walk-ways on this side of the valley. You can get great views of the glacier from different angles as you walk around; from higher up, the right size, left and a little lower down. The ice wall itself measures about 70 metres and as you get closer to the ice you can see how huge it really.
What amazed me was the amount of detail you could see coming up really close to it. Spikes and jagged pinnacles of ice pointing out in different directions, black and brown pieces of sediment and turquoise pockets filled with water. The formations of all these different shapes and colours were like a natural artwork deserving the most prestigious award.
As the day heated up, even though it was absolutely freezing by the glacier, chunks of ice the size of skyscrapers broke off and cascaded into the water below, sending a wave of water in our direction.
It was actually really worrying how much ice was crumbling off the glacier. That being said, however, while the ice is thinning, due to global warming it is the only glacier in the world which is advancing and not retreating.
Heading to Buenos Aires? Check out the our 3 Day Itinerary for Buenos Aires
I’d love to hear from you and answer any comments and questions you have about visiting Perito Moreno Glacier. Leave them below.
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