Visiting the lake shore in Los Glaciares National Park: what do you think of these icebergs?

After planning and planning for months, the day we had been waiting for had finally arrived. You could say that everything else we did was filler to justify the stay, because our main objective was to get to this place. Luckily the weather was with us on a cloudy day but without rain, perfect for us to spend the whole day outdoors. After the long trip from home to El Calafate in the province of Santa Cruz, it was time to meet the ice giants we had hoped to see ❤️.

The city of El Calafate has the necessary tourist development so that visitors can easily reach the area where the Perito Moreno glacier is located, the most famous here and in the world, I would say. If you want to get to this place, of course you can go by private vehicle, private excursion or public transport. My cousin and I chose the public transportation option: it was a bus that for 12,000 ARS in January 2023 (approx. 35 USD) would take you to the park, wait for you for 3 hours, and then return you to the city center. This time was enough to tour the area and take a good postcard of the place .

The journey from the center to the area of the glaciers was approximately 45 minutes. For much of it we were able to skirt the Argentino lake, then plain and plain with mountains, until finally we could make out some ice at the bottom. When we got to the park entrance, we had to sign in and pay an entrance fee. The cost was 1500 ARS (4 USD approx) for Argentine residents and 5500 ARS for foreigners (15 USD approx), retirees and children could enter for free. There is also a 50% discount promotion if you go the next day: many people take advantage of this because the place is so beautiful that it makes you want to continue enjoying it .

When we arrived, the bus driver gave us instructions on where to wait for him on the way back and then we had free time to do whatever we wanted. This park is made up of different trails, most of them with metal walkways that surround the entire area of the glacier and the lake. In the three hours that we had free time we could cover all of them perfectly, and according to the recommendations, we should start with the so-called Sendero de Los Témpanos ❤️.

This trail was the only one that did not have metal walkways: at first it was a small section of wood but then it was just the natural shoreline of the lake. We got closer to there and I can't explain the frozen wind that hit you in the face. Of course, the temperature had to be accordingly to keep all giants in the water. I could not believe the large masses of ice that we were seeing floating on the lake, they had such an artificial turquoise color that they even seemed fake. They were beautiful .

After going along the shoreline of the lake and playing a bit with the smaller ice that came to the shore, the ideal would have been to go back towards the beginning of the trail to take the second trail to the left, but since this is Argentina, what What we did was get caught by the stones, jump over the railings and we reached the second trail faster. I'm not proud of this outrage but I had to tell it because that's what we did. These walkways were already part of the Central Trail and from it we could see more icebergs up close ❤️.

All this distribution along trails reminded me a lot of Iguazú National Park, touring the beautiful falls. All these structures are prepared for people to walk and enjoy the scenery without having to worry about the route. After having done so much trekking in El Chaltén, going through many unstable trails, walking on firm platforms was a real pleasure .

If the weather had taken pity on us the day we walked to Laguna Torre in El Chaltén we would surely have seen icebergs like these there, but that day there was so much rain and cloudiness that we could see very little. Luckily this day was clear and dry and we were able to see these giants in all their splendor. If you are wondering how these giant ice sheets got here, well, they are the product of the detachment of the Perito Moreno Glacier that is at the end of this route .

Finally, I share with you the photo of my traveling "mate" conquering a new destination. Unfortunately, during all my tours in El Chaltén I forgot to take it with me so it doesn't have any photos there, but the day I went to the glacier it was the first thing I put in my backpack. This mate has been with me since March 2021 and so far we have traveled everywhere. We Argentines can lack anything, except drinking some good "mates" in a beautiful landscape .

Los Glaciares National Park covers an extremely large area, but this is the most touristy and crowded part by visitors from all over the world. Being there was an incomparable feeling, I felt so happy to have achieved what I wanted, which was to see these landscapes with my own eyes. Nature is surprising, exciting, each incredible landscape fills you with satisfaction and always leaves you wanting more. I'm very grateful for the life that brought me there, and for all the favorable conditions that allowed me to get to know this great place .

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