Los Glaciares National Park

Los Glaciares National Park

The tickets purchased yesterday allow us to take a catamaran tour today and see the Spegazzini and Upsala glaciers up close.

Excursion to Los Glaciares Natural Park

Unlike the Paine, to enter the Los Glaciares National Park, you have to pay an entrance fee each time you access it. We go on a full-day excursion by boat along the Lake Argentino (located just 170 meters above sea level) amidst icebergs, glaciers and forests. We depart from Punta Bandera (50 km / approximately 45 minutes from El Calafate) by a large boat from Fernandez Campbell. The route follows along the lake, crossing the narrow strait called Puerta del Diablo, bringing us face to face with the icebergs that have broken off from Upsala glacier This glacier is the longest (60 km) in the area, having retreated by 1 km over 1000 years while currently the same distance is covered in just one year. Despite this, it still covers an area four times that of the capital city of Buenos Aires. The ice masses that break off cannot reach the lake Argentino, as they run aground against the seabed, which narrows to a depth of only 100 meters, compared to 400 meters where the glacier's front is located. This obstruction prevents navigation towards Upsala and other two adjacent glaciers, Onelli and Agassiz. In fact, only 15% of an iceberg is visible above water, while the rest is submerged. When it encounters a shallower seabed, it ends up running aground. Navigation continues towards the Spegazzini, tall 130 meters..., with a front with a particularly impressive facade. The fact that we couldn't enter the Upsala basin provides an opportunity to see the Perito Moreno from another perspective, namely from the bottom on the right side The tour concludes at 5 PM. Before returning for good, we'll go back to see the glacier from the viewpoints where we were yesterday. Today, the weather is still giving us some sunshine, but in the distance, the white clouds blend with the base of the glacier. The front side, however, is in good light and reflects all shades of blue.

Local wildlife

Back in El Calafate, there was still time for a stroll down the main street (the shopping street) and dinner, of course, at La Lechuza restaurant (pork in dark beer sauce with caramelized onions and salmon – dessert: Calafate Bavarian cream with chocolate ice cream).