Lives up to the Hype: Perito Moreno Glacier

We did not even plan to go to Perito Moreno Glacier. But, we had an overnight stay in El Calafate and our bus to cross the border into Chile didn’t leave until 4 pm. As we’ve said before, there isn’t much to do in El Calafate other than drink beer and buy overpriced outdoor gear. So, Perito Moreno glacier was the obvious choice for a day trip and one of our favorite days in Patagonia (although we had many favorites).

A little bit about Perito Moreno Glacier

The glacier itself is actually a branch off of the Southern Patagonian Icefield that terminates in Lago Argentino, a huge 40 mile long beautiful glacial lake. The glacier noses down to the lake across a narrow stretch of water which is occasionally bridged by the glacier creating a dam or arch of ice separating a portion of Lago Argentino from the rest of the lake. The walls on the nose are about 100 feet high, and extend about double that under the water. Due to the narrow section of lake separating the viewing area from the glacier, the boardwalks are super close and really allow spectators to get the full experience of hearing the creaks and groans and monstrous splashes of the very much alive glacier. When large portions calve off, enormous waves carrying ice debris form in the lake and then remain for hours as little rings of icebergs around the point of impact. Despite all the activity, Perito Moreno Glacier is actually advancing slightly having gotten closer to the viewing area since they first started tracking it about 100 years ago. Although it is losing mass through thinning due to climate change.

More information can be found on the official park page.

How to Get There

First off, Perito Moreno Glacier is NOT located in Perito Moreno the town. The glacier is best accessed from El Calafate and is located in Los Glaciares National Park. The options of getting to Perito Moreno from El Calfate include hitchhiking, cycling, taking a bus, renting a car, going with a tour, or hiring a taxi. Glacier trekking requires a tour and is likely an impressive experience, but we did not have time and the cost is steep.

We chose a private taxi company called Taxi Remis Calafate to get to the glacier. Taxi Remis was easy to coordinate with on What’s App and the driver, Alex, picked us up on the dot at 8 am to head to the glacier before the busloads. He gave us some commentary along the way and stopped whenever we asked for photos. We felt safe leaving our luggage in the vehicle since the private taxi service has some accountability and is easy to contact versus a regular taxi. We walked around the boardwalks near the glacier for about 5 hours. Alex drove like mad, but we arrived back in plenty of time before our 4 pm bus.

*Pro-tip: Always arrive before the buses if you can.

*Pro-tip: Park entrance fees are discussed on many web forums and it isn’t 100% clear. If you are not an Argentine national, cost per person is 700 pesos. This cost seems to vary depending on time of year, direction of the wind, and at the park’s whim. 700 pesos is (at the time of this writing) is roughly 16.50USD per person! They really gouge you on this visit. Most importantly, they only take cash so make sure you have enough or the closest ATM is about 80 kilometers away back in El Calafate.

Map of the extensive viewing boardwalks.

How much time do you need at the glacier?

I seriously didn’t think we needed more than an hour or two at the glacier. I was so wrong. The glacier is not a stagnant piece of ice. It growls and the ice calving off in the afternoon sun is magnificent beyond what I imagined (real life always wins over youtube). If you have all day, spend all day here. There are miles of boardwalks which provide different perspectives, but if you have mobility issues, there is a handicapped accessible platform for viewing.

Try and go on a sunny day. We were so fortunate to have beautiful weather, unique clouds, and lack of wind. Weather will likely dictate your experience here. Many people who don’t have afternoon buses to catch choose instead to take a tour that leaves at 3pm and spend the afternoon and early evening at the glacier. If the weather is right, this maximizes the amount of calving and melting you will get to watch.

There is a boat tour option, but that was just more $ and it looked packed and uncomfortable from our perspective.