El Calafate
declared national capital of the glaciers, is the starting point to visit this region. Settled on the southern shore of Lago Argentino, Santa Cruz. El Calafate is today a tourist villa of almost 7000 inhabitants, the closest to the great Perito Moreno glacier, in Los Glaciares National Park. Since it was founded, December, 7th 1927, this town has grown to become a main tourist destination. It's typical roofs and gardens, the variety of flowers and trees, make a warm and delicate environment that combines perfectly leisure and adventure. Source: www.losglaciares.com
declared national capital of the glaciers, is the starting point to visit this region. Settled on the southern shore of Lago Argentino, Santa Cruz. El Calafate is today a tourist villa of almost 7000 inhabitants, the closest to the great Perito Moreno glacier, in Los Glaciares National Park. Since it was founded, December, 7th 1927, this town has grown to become a main tourist destination. It's typical roofs and gardens, the variety of flowers and trees, make a warm and delicate environment that combines perfectly leisure and adventure. Source: www.losglaciares.com
Los Glaciares National Park
Unesco World Heritage
located in the area known as Austral Andes in Argentina, in the south west of Santa Cruz on the border with Chile. This park shows a scenario of mountains, lakes and woods, including a large portion of the Andes practically under ice and snow to the west, and the arid Patagonian steppe to the east. Its name refer to the glaciers that are born on the Ice Caps - the largest continental ice extension after Anctartica- which occupies almost half its area. Also known as Patagonic Continental Ice, creates 47 big glaciers, 13 of which flow to the Atlantic. All over the world glaciers are over 2500 mts over sea level, but here, in Santa Cruz, they are originated on the Ice Caps, at 1500 mts over sea level, and flow down to 200 mts, having the possibility of an unique approach and view. As a result of the enormous pressure of the antique ice and the subsequent thaw, three big lakes, two of them inside the NP appeared: Lago Argentino and Lago Viedma, the waters of which flow as Rio Santa Cruz to the Atlantic Ocean crossing the province.
Glaciar Perito Moreno
It is very famous because of its dynamic changes, which produces a cyclic phemomenon of forward and backward movement, with spectacular ice falls from its front walls. About every four or five years the glacier advances enough to reach the shore of Argentino Lake, damming the southern portion arm of the lake, as known as ‘Brazo Rico’, against the huge wall of ice. The water level on the ‘Brazo Rico’ side can rise as much as 60 meters (almost 200 feet) above the surface of Argentino Lake. The tremendous pressure created by the dammed water eventually breaks the wall of ice, causing a massive rupture and sending huge shards of glacier into the lake. Glacier Perito Moreno is one of only three glaciers in the world that grows rather than retreat. For reasons yet to be fully understood by glaciologists, the glacier not only grows at an average rate of two meters (almost 7 feet) per day, but also loses a proportional amount of mass each day, ensuring that the equilibrium of the glacier’s mass and size remains consistent year round. At over 3 miles (5 km) in width, the glacier boasts not only an impressive height of 240 feet (about 74 meters) above the surface of Lago Argentino, but also reaches a total depth of 170 meters (558 feet) below the water’s surface. The glacier covers an area of 97 square miles (250 sq. km). Source: www.losglaciares.com - http://jetsettimes.com
Unesco World Heritage
located in the area known as Austral Andes in Argentina, in the south west of Santa Cruz on the border with Chile. This park shows a scenario of mountains, lakes and woods, including a large portion of the Andes practically under ice and snow to the west, and the arid Patagonian steppe to the east. Its name refer to the glaciers that are born on the Ice Caps - the largest continental ice extension after Anctartica- which occupies almost half its area. Also known as Patagonic Continental Ice, creates 47 big glaciers, 13 of which flow to the Atlantic. All over the world glaciers are over 2500 mts over sea level, but here, in Santa Cruz, they are originated on the Ice Caps, at 1500 mts over sea level, and flow down to 200 mts, having the possibility of an unique approach and view. As a result of the enormous pressure of the antique ice and the subsequent thaw, three big lakes, two of them inside the NP appeared: Lago Argentino and Lago Viedma, the waters of which flow as Rio Santa Cruz to the Atlantic Ocean crossing the province.
Glaciar Perito Moreno
It is very famous because of its dynamic changes, which produces a cyclic phemomenon of forward and backward movement, with spectacular ice falls from its front walls. About every four or five years the glacier advances enough to reach the shore of Argentino Lake, damming the southern portion arm of the lake, as known as ‘Brazo Rico’, against the huge wall of ice. The water level on the ‘Brazo Rico’ side can rise as much as 60 meters (almost 200 feet) above the surface of Argentino Lake. The tremendous pressure created by the dammed water eventually breaks the wall of ice, causing a massive rupture and sending huge shards of glacier into the lake. Glacier Perito Moreno is one of only three glaciers in the world that grows rather than retreat. For reasons yet to be fully understood by glaciologists, the glacier not only grows at an average rate of two meters (almost 7 feet) per day, but also loses a proportional amount of mass each day, ensuring that the equilibrium of the glacier’s mass and size remains consistent year round. At over 3 miles (5 km) in width, the glacier boasts not only an impressive height of 240 feet (about 74 meters) above the surface of Lago Argentino, but also reaches a total depth of 170 meters (558 feet) below the water’s surface. The glacier covers an area of 97 square miles (250 sq. km). Source: www.losglaciares.com - http://jetsettimes.com