Glaciar Perito Moreno and the wall of ice above Lago Argentino
Published on 09/19/2026 at 17:26 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Glaciar Perito Moreno is a vast river of ice in southern Argentina, where the Andes descend towards Lago Argentino and the steppe around El Calafate. It forms part of Los Glaciares National Park in Santa Cruz Province, a protected landscape recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981World Heritage Site. The glacier takes its name from Francisco Moreno, a nineteenth-century Argentine explorer whose surveys helped define the border between Argentina and ChileFrancisco Moreno.
The glacier front: ice cliffs meeting the lake
The defining scene at Glaciar Perito Moreno is the meeting of solid ice and open water, where the glacier’s front reaches into the milky blue expanse of Lago Argentino. Along the lakeshore the visible ice face extends for around 5 km, with cliffs that rise in many places more than 60 m above the waterline5 km wide front. Below the surface the glacier continues into the lake, giving a total depth at the front of around 170 m from lakebed to crest170 m depth.
From the shore and walkways the ice appears as a wall with a broken, sculpted surface, where ridges and indentations catch the Patagonian light in different ways across its length. Above the lake the cliffs reach up to roughly 70 to 74 m at their highest points, while the submerged part of the front extends significantly further down into the waterheight of the ice front. The vertical face is broken by crevasses and towers, so that each section presents a different pattern of ice forms against the backdrop of the surrounding hills.
A long Patagonian glacier in Los Glaciares National Park
Behind the lake front the glacier continues inland as a broad tongue of ice that reaches back into the Andes. Measured along its flow, Glaciar Perito Moreno is about 30 km long from its high plateau source to the point where it meets Lago Argentino30 km long glacier. Across its surface it covers an area of roughly 250 km², making it one of the larger glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field250 km² area. The ice itself reaches thicknesses of several hundred metres in places, although only part of that total height is visible at the lake front.
Glaciar Perito Moreno lies within Los Glaciares National Park, which protects a wide stretch of Patagonian landscape including mountains, other outlet glaciers and sections of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. The park, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, safeguards both the glacier and the surrounding ecosystems as part of Argentina’s natural heritageLos Glaciares National Park. From viewpoints near the glacier front, visitors see not only the ice mass itself but also forested slopes, rocky outcrops and the broad surface of Lago Argentino stretching away towards the steppe.
Glaciar Perito Moreno, Francisco Moreno and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field
The glacier is named after Francisco Pascasio Moreno, an Argentine explorer and scientist active in the nineteenth century. Moreno’s work on the geography of the southern Andes and his role in defending Argentina’s position during the 1902 arbitral award over the Andean boundary helped establish the country’s claim in the region that includes what is now Los Glaciares National Parknaming of the glacier. The naming of the glacier after him links the natural landscape with this period of exploration and boundary-setting in Argentine history.
Glaciar Perito Moreno forms part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, an extensive body of ice shared between Argentina and Chile that ranks among the largest reserves of fresh water on the planetSouthern Patagonian Ice Field. This wider ice field feeds dozens of glaciers that descend towards lakes and fjords on both sides of the Andes. Within Argentina, Los Glaciares National Park contains several of these outlet glaciers, with Perito Moreno standing out for the ease with which its ice front can be observed from land and for the way its terminus meets the waters of Lago Argentino.
Visiting Glaciar Perito Moreno: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Glaciar Perito Moreno lies west of El Calafate in Santa Cruz Province, reached by road towards Los Glaciares National Park along the southern shore of Lago Argentinoroad from El Calafate. The nearest airport is El Calafate’s international airport (FTE).
- The viewpoints near the glacier front are linked by constructed walkways and paths, with sections that involve stairs and changes in level above the lake.
- Boat excursions on Lago Argentino operate in the area around the glacier front, giving a view of the ice cliffs from the water in addition to the land-based walkwaysboat excursions.
- 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.
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Frequently asked questions about Glaciar Perito Moreno
Where is Glaciar Perito Moreno located?
Glaciar Perito Moreno lies in Los Glaciares National Park in Santa Cruz Province, southern Argentina, west of the town of El Calafate and beside Lago Argentinolocation near El Calafate.
What can visitors expect when they reach the glacier?
Visitors reach a system of walkways and viewpoints that face the glacier’s ice cliffs across Lago Argentino, with clear views of the 5 km wide front and the surrounding Patagonian landscapewalkways and viewpoints.
What makes Glaciar Perito Moreno distinctive among Patagonian glaciers?
Glaciar Perito Moreno combines a 30 km length and roughly 250 km² area with a tall, accessible ice front that meets a lake shore, all within a UNESCO-listed national park in southern Patagoniaglacier dimensions.
