Glaciar Perito Moreno and its ice wall over Lake Argentino
Published on 08/21/2026 at 07:57 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Glaciar Perito Moreno near El Calafate is an immense wall of ice rising above the southern arm of Lake Argentino, bringing the Southern Patagonian Ice Field right to a roadside viewpoint.Southern Patagonian Ice Field The glacier lies within Los Glaciares National Park in Santa Cruz Province, part of a landscape recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.Los Glaciares National Park
An advancing Patagonian glacier at road’s end
Glaciar Perito Moreno flows for around 30 km (19 mi) from the Andes towards Lake Argentino, ending in a high, fractured ice front above the water.30 km long glacier The ice forms part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, one of the largest reserves of fresh water on Earth, shared between Argentina and Chile.third-largest freshwater reserve
The glacier’s front stretches for roughly 5 km (3 mi) across the lake and rises about 74 m (240 ft) above the surface, with ice extending far below the waterline.5 km wide front Beneath the visible face the ice reaches depths of around 170 m (558 ft), giving the glacier a total thickness that approaches 700 m at its greatest measured point.depth figures
Ice, lake and walkways facing each other
Glaciar Perito Moreno descends into the southern arm of Lake Argentino, where its ice front stands opposite the Magallanes Peninsula across a narrow channel.channel blockage At the peninsula’s edge, a system of metal walkways and viewing platforms runs along the lakeshore and up the slope, giving multiple angles on the ice wall and its impact on the water surface.
The face is banded with vertical crevasses and jagged towers, with tones ranging from compact white at the top to deep blue in fissures and sheltered surfaces. From the walkways the glacier can be seen calving blocks of ice into Lake Argentino, which then drift away as floating bergs on the milky, sediment-rich water.
History, naming and World Heritage status
The glacier takes its name from Francisco Moreno, an Argentine explorer and scientist active in the nineteenth century, who studied Patagonia and contributed to border surveys between Argentina and Chile.Francisco Moreno Glaciar Perito Moreno itself began forming during the last Ice Age, around 18,000 years ago, as regional ice sheets fed the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and carved basins that later filled with lakes.Ice Age origin
Los Glaciares National Park was formally declared a protected area in 1937, and its combination of outlet glaciers, Andean peaks and Lake Argentino led to its inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.World Heritage inscription Within this protected landscape Glaciar Perito Moreno stands out for its accessible front and for the rare equilibrium of its mass balance, with snowfall and melt broadly offsetting one another.
Visiting Glaciar Perito Moreno: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Glaciar Perito Moreno lies about 80 km west of El Calafate in southern Patagonia, reached by paved road through the Patagonian steppe towards Los Glaciares National Park.
- The walkways facing the glacier climb a hillside above Lake Argentino, involving stairways and ramps over changing gradients along the viewing circuit.
- The glacier and surrounding park lie in Argentina; the official language is Spanish and the currency is the Argentine peso.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Glaciar Perito Moreno on social platforms
These links open searches for Glaciar Perito Moreno on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Glaciar Perito Moreno
Where is Glaciar Perito Moreno?
Glaciar Perito Moreno is in Los Glaciares National Park in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina, west of the town of El Calafate in southern Patagonia.
What can visitors expect when viewing the glacier?
Visitors see a high, wide ice front rising above Lake Argentino, reached by walkways and platforms on the Magallanes Peninsula that face the glacier across a narrow channel.
What makes Glaciar Perito Moreno distinctive among Patagonian glaciers?
Its accessible lakeside terminus, equilibrium between ice gain and melt, and the way it periodically blocks part of Lake Argentino give Glaciar Perito Moreno a distinctive character within the park.
