| Los Glaciares National Park Parque Nacional Los Glaciares | |
 | |
| Area type | National Park |
|---|---|
| State | Argentina |
| Region | Argentine Patagonia |
| Surface | 4,459 km² |
| Institutional website | |
Los Glaciares National Park is located in Argentina.
Los Glaciares National Park: full screen map.To know
Los Glaciares (which in Spanish means "The Glaciers") is a national park located in the province of Santa Cruz, in Argentine Patagonia. In 1981 it was listed by UNESCO in World Heritage.
Geographical notes
The national park, established in 1937, is the second largest in Argentina. Its name refers to the gigantic ice cap (one of the largest in the world) of the Andes, from which 47 large valley glaciers originate (of which only 13 flow towards the Pacific Ocean). In other parts of the world glaciers originate from 2500 meters high, but, due to the particular geographic conformation, in this region they originate from only 1500 meters, and from there they flow up to 200 meters above the level of the sea, eroding the mountains that support them. 30% of the surface of Los Glaciares is covered with ice. The entire region can be divided into two parts, each of which corresponds to one of the two large lakes contained in the Park: Lake Argentino (the largest in the country with its 1,446 km²) to the south and Lake Viedma (1,100 km²) North. The waters of both lakes end up in the Santa Cruz River, which flows to Puerto Santa Cruz on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Between the two lakes there is a non-tourist area called Zona Centro, without lakes. The northern part consists of a part of Lake Viedma, the Viedma glacier and some minor glaciers, as well as mountains that are very popular with mountaineering and trekking enthusiasts, including Cerro Chaltén and Cerro Torre. The southern part instead contains the largest glaciers: the Perito Moreno, the Upsala Glacier and the Spegazzini Glacier, which all flow towards Lake Argentino. A typical excursion is carried out by boat among the icebergs of the lake to visit Bahía Onelli and the otherwise inaccessible Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers, while the Perito Moreno can be reached by land and is the closest to land.
Flora and fauna
The area is home to more than 1,000 species of birds (condors, eagles and others), of which only 100 have been cataloged. Between the ice and the Patagonian steppe there is a fertile area covered with forests, inside which live Andean deer and stream ducks.
How to get
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The starting point for arriving in the southern part of the park is the small town of El Calafate. In the north of the park, about 220 km away by car and 150 km north of Calafate, lies El Chaltén.
By plane
Calafate has an airport regularly served by Buenos Aires, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Gallegos and several other smaller cities in Patagonia.
By car
The best way to get there is to take the Ruta Nacional 3 to Río Gallegos and then the RP5 to Calafate. This is the only paved road in the region. With an off-road vehicle you can reach numerous dirt roads more quickly in the park. With the "normal" car this is an extremely slow task.
By bus
Calafate and Chaltén are also served by buses and are also very well connected. Regular lines in the region exist only from Río Gallegos.
Permits / Rates
The highest prices, updated to 2016, are for foreign tourists: 250ARS (about € 15), for citizens of Mercosur (South America and Mexico), and 330ARS (about 20 €) for citizens of other countries. Residents in Argentina pay 200ARS, while the residents of the province of Santa Cruz 40ARS.
The park opens at 08:00 and closes in July 16:00, in winter (Northern hemisphere) the opening hours are extended monthly until 21:00 (19:00 in November, 20:00 in December and 21:00 in January and February) and then shortened again in the spring.
How to get around
From El Calafate it is possible to reach the national park by hiring buses, minibuses or taxis. Most travelers are drawn to the more famous Perito Moreno Glacier, the only one that continues to grow despite climate change and is one of Argentina's landmarks. From Punta Bandera, about halfway between Calafate and Perito Moreno, the boats go up to the Upsala glacier. The road link from Calafate to the region around Lago Roca, south of Perito Moreno, is still covered with gravel.
From El Chaltén it is possible to reach many sites on foot, because the place is already in the National Park. From here, in particular, the Fitz Roy is climbed. It is also possible to reach the Chilean border via mountain trails (on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback) and by boat up to Villa O'Higgins (the boat does not operate every day, opening hours in spring). This route is also used by many cyclists or hikers to continue on the Carretera Austral, which starts at Villa O'Higgins.
What see
Los Glaciares is a famous international tourist attraction. Tourist routes traditionally start from the village of El Calafate, a town on the banks of the Argentino lake (albeit outside the park) where the park administration has its headquarters, and from the village of El Chaltén, in the northern part of the park, at the foot of Cerro Chaltén. Other tourist sites within the park include Lago del Desierto and Lago Roca.
1 Perito Moreno Glacier. The ice formation, which extends for 250 km² and 30 km in length, is one of the 48 glaciers fed by the Campo de Hielo Sur, part of the Andean system, shared with the Chile. This continental glacier is the third largest freshwater reserve in the world. The glacier, located 78 km from the tourist resort El Calafate, takes its name from the explorer Francisco Moreno, a pioneer who studied the region in the 19th century and played a leading role in defending the Argentine territory in the conflict that arose around the dispute. on the international border with Chile. The Perito Moreno front is advancing at a speed of about 700 meters per year, although it loses mass at a practically similar rate, which means that, apart from small variations, the front has neither advanced nor retreated over the past 90 years.- 2 Upsala Glacier. Also on Lake Argentino, it is the largest in the park. It is approached by boats, but its "wall" is less attractive than that of the Perito Moreno. However, the boat tour is worth taking, as it gets very close to the glacier and the icebergs separate from it. The landscape is partly similar to the Antarctic. By boat it is also possible to reach the starting point for the excursion to the viewpoint at the Upsala Refuge. It has a width of 10 km and its walls reach a height of 60/80 meters.
- The area around the Roca lake in the south of the park it is less crowded. Here you can climb the panoramic mountain Cerro de los Cristalles / Cerro Cristallo on the multi-day hike to the glaciers on Lake Frío. The best starting point for the southern part of the National Park with the Perito Moreno and Upala glaciers, as well as the Lago Roca region is El Calafate.
- The Cerro Torre-Fitz Roy it is the highest peak in the park. Its characteristic pointed shape has always attracted climbers from all over the world. The neighbour Cerro Torre it is therefore very well known. There are many trekking opportunities throughout the area of this massif in El Chaltén.
What to do
- Mountaineering and climbing, especially from El Chaltén. There are also many free hiking and camping trails in the northern part of the park.
- Mini trekking on the glacier. Some tour operators offer tours to the Perito Moreno Glacier, where you can climb the glacier with crampons on your feet. If this makes ecological sense, everyone has to decide for themselves.
Shopping
Where to eat
Both in Calafate and in Chaltén there are restaurants and canteens of all kinds; they are usually a bit more expensive than in the rest of Argentina. In the park itself (with the exception of Chaltén) there is only a small kiosk in Perito Moreno in the tourist season.
Where stay
- Hotels and hostels: a lot of choice in Calafate and Chaltén. The most exclusive accommodation is probably a room in a hotel complex directly in front of the Perito Moreno Glacier.
- Camping: there is no campsite near the Perito Moreno glacier. Alternatively, the organized camping on Lago Roca south of Calafate is attractive, you can also swim there in the summer. Free camping is prohibited in the park.
Safety
It is very dangerous to get too close to the glacier walls. Often larger pieces of ice fall off; in extreme cases, they are more than 50 meters long and therefore heavy and big as a skyscraper! Therefore, one should never leave the official channels; at best with an experienced leader.
How to keep in touch
Around
A trip across the Chilean border with the Torres del Paine National Park. There the glaciers are less interesting, but there are more spectacular mountains with curious rock formations.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Los Glaciares National Park
Commons contains images or other files on Los Glaciares National Park
