Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares is one of the top national parks of Patagonia. It is located in the southern part of Argentinian Patagonia near the town of El Calafate. Within the parks boundaries you can find an abundance of spectacular mountains, lakes and glaciers. Glaciar Perito Moreno, the famous glaciers – visited by hordes of tourists each year, is one of its top sights and the famous peaks of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre are on the bucket list of most climbers and trekkers for good reasons.
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
Information
Parque Nacional los Glaciares is located in the southwest of the Argentinian province of Santa Cruz. It was created in 1937 to protect the vast region dominated by glaciers and the surrounding landscape of mountains, alpine lakes, native sub-Antarctic forest and arid Patagonian steppe. The name Los Glaciares derives from the presence of the numerous glaciers, most of them originating from the Southern Patagonian Icefield – the largest ice sheet in the Southern Hemisphere after Antarctica – which occupies almost half of the park. In 1981 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being a unique natural wonder of the world.
The park’s main attraction is Glaciar Perito Moreno, an immense glacier that owes its fame to its continuous movement, which produces a cyclical phenomenon of advance and retreat – sometimes creating a natural dam that leads to a rise of the water level in the southern part of Lago Argentino. Right opposite of the glacier a huge visitor’s platform welcomes thousands of tourists each day, coming to witness the spectacular calving of Glaciar Perito Moreno’s ice front.
But Parque Nacional los Glaciares offers more than just this Disneyland-style attraction. Further north in the park the little town of El Chaltén – the self-proclaimed national capital of trekking – welcomes visitors from all over the world. There, climbers and hikers attracted by Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy, two of the most iconic peaks of Patagonia, can explore Parque Nacional Los Glaciares on foot. The numerous hiking trails take them deep into the park, where rustic campsites provide shelter from the notorious winds.
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
Quick Info Panel
Here you can find all you need to know about Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. See below to learn the most important facts, check it out on a map and view an image gallery. Scroll down even further for travel advice and more photography.
Facts
- Type: National Park
- Year of Creation: 1937
- Area: 731.932ha
Location
- Country: Argentina
- Province: Provincia de Santa Cruz
- Nearest Airport: El Calafate (FTE)
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
On the Map
- GPS: 50°19'49.6776'' S / 73°14'0.9924'' W
- Lat/Long: -50.330466, -73.233609
Additional Information:
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
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