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Los Glaciares National Park in ArgentinaAugust 14, 2008
Located in Santa Cruz, Los Glaciares National Park appears in 1937, right in the middle of Patagonia in Argentina. It was declared a Natural Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO in 1981, thanks to its beautiful landscapes and fragile ecosystem, which needed to be recovered and protected from mans harm and global warming.
It was named after the many glaciers it includes in its interior. Its maximum attraction is Perito Moreno glacier, although it also includes other glaciers in its 600 thousand hectares, such as Upsala, Spegazzini and Onell.
Perito Moreno Glacier is the main attraction in the park, because it is hard to find one like anywhere else in the world. This giant block of ice is about eighty meters high and five kilometers long, formed by rocks of ice that are in constant movement and, when they detach, flow into Argentino Lake.
It is possible to walk on the glaciers, with the help of a guide and with the proper permit. Walking on ice, on a moving piece of ice, and at the same time being surrounded by snowy mountains its a dream come true for those who love nature and want to get closer to it.
To embark on any trip and excursion to the park you need to visit El Calafate, the nearest city to the park and natural base of operations for any excursion into Los Glaciares. The city is about eighty kilometers away from the park and it features quality infrastructure to receive all tourists who travel to the park, the glaciers and its surroundings.
In Los Glaciares you can also visit lakes and rivers, mountains and forests. All these places are available for adventure activities, although it is advisable to consult in the administration beforehand to find out about the state of the roads, the circuits you can cover and accessibility to all the places you may and may not visit.
Lago Argentino, Lago Viedma and Mount Fitz Roy are only three examples of places you can go to if you want to trek or hike, for example, besides taking a good look at the parks wildlife in its natural habitat.
Flora and fauna species that you will be able to see and photograph in the are the pudu, the smallest deer in the world; the river otter, pumas, cattle and sea birds as well as condors. Meanwhile, when it comes to trees, you can see flora all around the mountains and lakes, mostly in the shape of bushes and cypress trees.
You can go to the park throughout the year, although rain and snow is permanent in winter and can cut roads and accesses.
