Perito Moreno Glacier
Day 12 / 2/23/2026
Perito Moreno Glacier is one of Patagonia's most famous natural attractions and features on almost every visitor's itinerary. Located within Los Glaciares National Park, it forms part of the vast Southern Patagonian Ice Field and is renowned for its spectacular ice calving events, where enormous blocks of blue ice break away from the glacier and crash into the waters of Lago Argentino.
For many years, Perito Moreno was celebrated for defying the global trend of glacier retreat and was often cited as one of the few major glaciers that remained stable. However, recent research suggests that this long period of stability has come to an end. The glacier has begun retreating rapidly and has now lost contact with the rocky promontory that historically helped anchor its ice front. Visitors today are witnessing a landscape undergoing significant change, making the opportunity to experience this remarkable glacier even more special.
Although the excursion was one of the more expensive days of our trip, we felt it offered the best opportunity to experience the glacier from close quarters. Watching the immense wall of blue ice from both the viewing platforms and the shoreline gave us a real appreciation of its scale and power. It proved to be one of the highlights of our time in Patagonia.
Visiting the Glacier
There are several ways to experience Perito Moreno Glacier, from exploring the extensive network of boardwalks within Los Glaciares National Park to taking guided boat excursions or even trekking across the glacier itself. After considering the different options, we decided that an organised excursion offered the best balance of convenience and access.
Although more expensive than travelling independently, the tour removed all of the logistical planning. Transport from El Calafate was included, together with a boat crossing to a small beach at the foot of the glacier. Entry to Los Glaciares National Park was not included, but this was covered by our three-day park pass, which also included our planned visit to El Chaltén. The boat landing gave us access to the shoreline beneath the glacier—an area that cannot be reached from the public boardwalks—and allowed us to experience the immense ice wall from an entirely different perspective.
The itinerary was well organised, with plenty of time to explore the network of viewing platforms before boarding the boat. Standing on the shoreline beneath the towering wall of blue ice gave us a real appreciation of the glacier's immense scale, while also providing excellent photographic opportunities away from the busier viewpoints. Being so close to the glacier also made the constant creaking and cracking of the moving ice far more noticeable, adding to the experience.
For us, the convenience of the organised tour, combined with the opportunity to reach the glacier's shoreline, made it well worth the additional cost. It was one of the highlights of our time in Patagonia, and we would happily recommend it to anyone wanting to experience Perito Moreno beyond the views from the boardwalks.
Photo Diary
Our day began with an early breakfast before our coach collected us from our hotel in El Calafate. The journey to Los Glaciares National Park took around ninety minutes, following the southern shores of Lago Argentino through the vast Patagonian steppe. As we left the town behind, the landscape opened into an endless expanse of grassland, with distant snow-capped peaks gradually appearing on the horizon. It wasn't until we neared the park that our first glimpse of Perito Moreno Glacier came into view, hinting at the spectacular scenery that lay ahead.
El Calafate to Perito Moreno
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Storm clouds gathering over the Patagonian steppe on the drive to Perito Moreno Glacier.
Our first glimpse of Perito Moreno Glacier across Lago Argentino.
On arrival, we headed to the boardwalks overlooking Perito Moreno Glacier. While the views remain spectacular, the glacier has retreated noticeably in recent years, meaning it now sits farther from the viewpoints than it once did.
Perito Moreno Glacier viewed from the network of boardwalks in Los Glaciares National Park.
Although Perito Moreno Glacier was undoubtedly the main attraction, the surrounding woodland was full of birdlife. Small birds seemed to be everywhere, darting through the tangled shrubs and lichen-covered branches that lined the boardwalks, adding another dimension to our visit.
A Rufous-collared Sparrow amongst the shrubs beside the Perito Moreno boardwalks.
Wildlife infoRufous-collared SparrowZonotrichia capensisLeast Concern
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Passerellidae
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
The Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) is one of South America's most widespread and familiar songbirds. Recognisable by its grey head, black-and-white striped throat, and distinctive chestnut collar, it inhabits a wide variety of environments from gardens and farmland to mountain slopes and Patagonian scrub. It feeds mainly on seeds and insects and is often seen foraging on the ground or singing from low shrubs and fences.
Read more on WikipediaPerito Moreno Glacier is one of more than forty major glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the world's third-largest freshwater ice reserve after Antarctica and Greenland. Snow accumulating high in the Andes is gradually compressed into dense glacial ice, which slowly flows downhill under its own immense weight before eventually reaching Lago Argentino. Although the glacier is constantly moving, advancing at around two metres per day in places, the ice lost through melting and calving now exceeds the ice being replenished.
The Southern Patagonian Ice Field feeding Perito Moreno Glacier.
Stretching for around five kilometres across Lago Argentino, the towering ice front of Perito Moreno Glacier rises to almost 70 metres above the water, with a further 100 metres hidden below the surface. The glacier is renowned for its spectacular calving events, when enormous blocks of ice suddenly break away and crash into the lake, creating one of Patagonia's most unforgettable natural spectacles.
The immense ice front of Perito Moreno Glacier stretching across Lago Argentino.
One of the highlights of visiting Perito Moreno Glacier is witnessing a calving event, when immense blocks of ice break away from the glacier's face and crash into Lago Argentino. The process is completely unpredictable, with visitors often waiting hours in the hope of seeing a collapse. We were fortunate enough to witness two major calving events within the space of an hour, each accompanied by a thunderous roar heard 500m away on the board walks.
A calving event at Perito Moreno Glacier sends ice crashing into Lago Argentino
The deeply fractured surface of Perito Moreno Glacier reveals the immense forces shaping the flowing ice.
The vivid blue colour of freshly exposed glacial ice is caused by its exceptional density. Over centuries, the immense weight of accumulating snow compresses the ice, removing tiny air bubbles. This allows the ice to absorb much of the red end of the light spectrum while scattering blue light, creating the striking blue hues that make Perito Moreno so distinctive.
The intense blue colour of a drifting iceberg, carved from centuries-old glacial ice.
After a brief stop for lunch, we boarded the coach for the short journey to the lakeshore. A small boat then carried us across Lago Argentino to a secluded beach beneath Perito Moreno Glacier, giving us the opportunity to experience the glacier from a completely different perspective than the boardwalks alone could offer.
The boat that carried us across Lago Argentino to the shores of Perito Moreno Glacier.
Perito Moreno Glacier viewed from Lago Argentino during our boat crossing.
Landing on the beach at the foot of Perito Moreno Glacier offered a completely different perspective to that from the boardwalks. Although the glacier has retreated noticeably in recent years, leaving a much broader shoreline than existed only a short time ago, standing this close to the immense ice face remains an unforgettable experience.
Our boat moored on the beach beneath Perito Moreno Glacier.
From the landing beach, we followed the shoreline towards Perito Moreno Glacier, stopping frequently to admire the glacier and photograph the ever-changing ice formations. The return route led through the surrounding forest, where the shelter of the trees provided a striking contrast to the exposed lakeshore and revealed an abundance of birdlife.
A Dark-faced Ground Tyrant beside Perito Moreno Glacier.
Wildlife infoDark-faced Ground TyrantMuscisaxicola maclovianusLeast Concern
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
A small, ground-dwelling flycatcher found throughout southern Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. Recognisable by its dark face, pale grey underparts and upright stance, it is remarkably tame and often approaches hikers while searching for insects disturbed by their footsteps. Frequently seen on open grassland, rocky shores and mountain valleys, it is one of Patagonia's most familiar and photogenic birds.
Read more on WikipediaThe Argentine flag overlooking Perito Moreno Glacier and Lago Argentino.
While the spectacular calving events attract most of the attention, smaller ice collapses occur almost continuously along the glacier's face. As the glacier slowly advances, fractures develop within the ice before pieces break away and tumble into the lake, constantly reshaping its ever-changing edge.
Towering pinnacles of ice rising above the shoreline at Perito Moreno Glacier.
The sculpted pinnacles of Perito Moreno Glacier reveal the immense forces within the flowing ice.
One of the popular activities at Perito Moreno is a guided trek across the glacier itself. Equipped with crampons, visitors follow experienced guides over the ice, exploring deep crevasses, brilliant blue meltwater pools and towering ice formations while learning about the glacier's history and movement. Unfortunately, the excursion has a maximum age limit of 65, so it was not an option for us. Nevertheless, being able to walk to the glacier's edge and experience its immense scale from close quarters proved to be an unforgettable alternative.
A guided trekking group dwarfed by the towering ice formations of Perito Moreno Glacier.
Intricate textures sculpted into the ice of Perito Moreno Glacier.
After exploring the glacier, we returned through the peaceful beech forest to the landing beach. Boarding our boat once more, we enjoyed a scenic journey back across Lago Argentino, weaving between drifting icebergs while taking in our final views of the magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier.
Perito Moreno Glacier stretches across Lago Argentino beneath dramatic Patagonian skies.
Freshly calved icebergs frame the distant expanse of Perito Moreno Glacier.
Freshly calved icebergs drift slowly away from the glacier into Lago Argentino.
Perito Moreno Glacier backed by the rugged peaks of the Andes.
Towering walls of glacial ice rise above floating icebergs on Lago Argentino.
Once back at the landing beach, we boarded the coach for the return journey to El Calafate. It had been a truly memorable day, combining breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife and the rare opportunity to experience Perito Moreno Glacier from both the boardwalks and its remote shoreline. Without doubt, it was one of the highlights of our time in Patagonia.