Los Glaciares is a national park in the southern Andes in Argentina. As the name suggests there are plenty of glaciers to see and explore, the most famous one being Perito Moreno.

The park is split into two parts: North and South. Our map doesn't quite convey this. The southern part is where you find the Perito Moreno glacier. It is serviced by the town of El Calafate that lies 1h drive outside of the park. The northern part holds the Fitzroy Mountain range and spots several great hiking opportunities. This part is serviced by El Chalten and both parts are a 3h drive on a nowadays good paved road apart.

I agree with Solivigant that El Chalten and the northern part are more interesting. It’s not so much that the city is nicer per se; construction has picked up and I guess in a few years it will be equally touristy as El Calafate. But you are on the edge of the park and less dependent on a tour operator or bus. As such, I would do a one day visit from El Calafate to see Perito Moreno and then head to El Chalten the very evening or the next day.

To me the park is one of the great national parks of the world, truly deserving of its inscription and worth travelling this far.

Getting There

El Calafate has an airport with connections to Buenos Aires, Bariloche and Ushuaia. Busses from both El Calafate and El Chalten north run along the Andes (the famous Ruta 40) or the coast via Rio Gallegos. From El Calafate you can also connect to Torres del Paine in Chile. There are daily shuttles between El Chalten, El Calafate and the airport.

Be aware that distances in Patagonia are huge, especially taking the average speed into account, and that there are very few sites and cities in between. If you look at the map and don’t see any town for 100km, then there isn’t any. And even the “towns” you find may be tiny. Finally, gravel is still widely used for the roads, even on Ruta 40, so the ride can be bumpy. Damaged wind shields are the norm.

Most of the infrastructure (busses, flights) is there primarily to service tourists. There isn’t enough population density to support normal infrastructure. Connections are pricey and limited, even more so out of season. Along Ruta 40 the busses may run only every 2nd day and primarily during the night. If you are like me and dislike travelling during the night and for longer than 4h, bad luck. In any case, plan thoroughly.

The next logical stops are:

• Perito Moreno (town) or Los Antiguos in the North (9h night bus) for Cueva de los Manos
• Puerto Natales in the South (5h) for Torres del Paine (TWHS)

Alternatively, you can fly out of El Calafate. If it hadn't been for Cueva de los Manos I would have preferred flying to Bariloche.

Getting In

Interestingly, only the southern part of the park charges entry. The common way to view the southern part is to do a tour (can be bought at the bus terminal). They will take you to a very elaborate view point of Perito Moreno where you can watch and hear the glacier moving from many different angles and heights. In addition, you can do a boat tour to see the glacier from up close which I skipped.

Apart from viewing the glacier there aren’t many options, e.g. further trails. The action happens on the other side of the lake and this requires a boat ride and a guided tour. Be advised that things like hiking on the glacier are fairly expensive.

The northern part is accessible by foot from El Chalten and free of charge. Most trails start on the edge of town. I have found that the proposed time and difficulty assigned matched more or less what I experienced. If you are in doubt, know this: If you make the initial climb and get out of the valley that the town lies in, you should be fine.

You will not be able to buy provisions in the park, so pack accordingly. And finally, the northern part offers many very basic, but scenic and free camp sites. Equipment can be rented in town. I would at least plan two full days to do the main hikes.

Notes

Perito Moreno is the name of three locations in Patagonia:

• the iconic glacier in Los Glaciares
• more or less the first town north of El Calafate on Ruta 40 that allows access to Cueva de los Manos
• a national park Perito Moreno

Perito Moreno is a hero of Argentine. By rerouting a river from flowing to the Pacific to the Atlantic he moved the land border to Chile in Argentine’s favour.