The Perito Moreno glacier is one of the star attractions of Argentine Patagonia. 250,000 visitors a year come to admire a glacier which is as big as the conurbation of Buenos Aires (250 km2). It rises 70 metres above the water and is about 5 km wide.
The first time that I went to Perito Moreno I was so amazed by it that I just sat in front of it for several hours, completely silent. I remember this incredible silence, only interrupted by the regular breaking off of blocks of ice which sounded like explosions. One thing that really struck me was that this great blue giant seemed almost infinitely big because its edges melted into the blue of the horizon.
For a completely different experience, try a hike on the glacier's blue surface. Absolutely unforgettable!
What can you say when faced with such natural splendour! This is without any doubt one of the most beautiful things to see in the whole of Argentina: 5 kilometres wide at its face, 60 metres high, and 30 kilometres in length! With its immense size and incredible beauty, the Perito Moreno Glacier truly is impressive.
I simply adored this place, and I consider Perito Moreno to be one of the absolutely essential things to see when visiting Argentina. It's easy to organise a trip here from the city of El Calafate. From memory, the journey takes just under two hours.
What I remember in particular about this visit is the sense of the otherworldly, the contrast between the white and sky blue colours emitted by the ice, and the impression of standing before a quite exceptional sight, one that you ought to see at least once in your lifetime. The glacier is not static and actually advances at a rate of two metres per day. In fact it isn't unusual to suddenly see huge pieces of ice breaking off it, creating a mighty sound reminiscent of the noise of cannon fire as the fall.
It was October when I visited, and I didn't see many tourists around. I also found the site to be very well organised and laid out, making it easy to view the glacier from various vantage points.
Perito Moreno is a monumentally big glacier. It's my favourite one, the one that I found completely breathtaking. This 5 km long and 60 m high monster moves 1 to 2 metres a day, which causes really impressive ice falls. A complete block can detach itself from the glacier and drop into the lake with such a loud groaning noise that you think you are in the middle of an earth quake.
It is defintely a "must-see". I certainly didn't want to miss such an amazing spectacle during my stay in Argentina.
There are three ways to approach the monster: some little wooden walkways have been created which let you see it from different angles, they are quite well done. This way you can see the glacier from the front. If you are braver, you can put on crampons and adventure out onto the glacier! As for you others, be patient...You're almost certain to see a slope slide down into the water, which is scary.
Even better: get on a boat, it will take you even closer...This is a very touristy option but I had some really beautiful photos as a result and I could see the glacier from the bottom up, to really realise how impressive it is!