Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina (with Map & Photos)

Los Glaciares National Park Argentina

What can you imagine when you hear about such a concept as a National Park? There are many beautiful and unknown animals and plants, a large area where you can walk for hours, etc. But it is difficult to imagine that the Los Glaciares National Park, which is located in Argentina, is one continuous glaciers covering an area of ​​several thousand kilometers that amaze the imagination.

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Los Glaciares National Park Argentina

Location

In the southwestern part there is a province like Santa Cruz, Argentina, which is on the border with Chile. It is here that the Los Glaciares National Park is located, which means "glaciers". It consists of two parts: a park to the west and a nature reserve. The latter takes up most of it. The reserve consists of three parts, each of which has its own name: Viedma, Roca and Vostok.

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Los Glaciares National Park Argentina

History

In 1937, Los Glaciares National Park was founded under the parks program. Today it is the largest nature reserve in Argentina. Archaeologists once found here the bones of dinosaurs and the remains of ancient people. But what time they lived has not yet been established. In 1981, this place was included in the UNESCO heritage list. Although until that time the territory was changing. Its area became smaller and smaller, because part of the territory was given for economic needs.

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Los Glaciares National Park Argentina

The main and first goal of the creation of the Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina was to protect the mountainous landscapes in the south of the country, the Andes ecosystem. The mountain ranges reached a height of over 3 km. Additional tasks that were set before the creators of the park are the protection of the Magellanic and southern beech forests.

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Los Glaciares National Park Argentina

Los Glaciares National Park - This was also needed by living things that were under the threat of extinction (South Andeer deer, duck, rhea (large bird), armadillo, cougar and others). Their number is decreasing, including due to poaching. One of the main tasks that follows from the name, in addition to protecting animals and plants, is the preservation of continental glaciers.

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Los Glaciares National Park Argentina

What should you See in Los Glaciares National Park?

Los Glaciares National Park has been showing tourists all the beautiful corners of Argentina for 80 years. Here you can see forests, lakes, amazing animals and plants, as well as glaciers, each of which is important not only for the country, but also for the world as a reservoir of fresh water.

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Los Glaciares National Park Argentina

  • Perito Moreno. This is not the largest glacier in the Los Glaciares National Park, but the most popular among tourists, because you can come closest to it and admire this immense ice floe. It was named after the scientist, has a height of up to 60 meters, a surface area of ​​over 257 km 2 and a length of over 30 km.

Perito Moreno
Los Glaciares National Park

  • Mount Fitz Roy. The second popular attraction of the Los Glaciares National Park, it was also discovered by the scientist Francisco Moreno, after whom the glacier was named. You can climb a mountain of different heights along trails, each of which has its own difficulty. For example, the Laguna de los Tres route, where the journey can take up to 10 hours, but it's worth it. Especially if a person is prepared for hiking and can withstand such a long walk.

Mount Fitz Roy
Los Glaciares National Park

  • Argentino Lake. For the best view of this largest lake in Argentina, it is worth ordering an excursion that will start from the Uppsala glacier, then the route will pass through the Oneelli Bay, and along the path you can walk to the lake of the same name.

Argentino Lake
Los Glaciares National Park

Useful Tips

As mentioned above, Los Glaciares National Park is located in the south of the country. The nearest town from which you can get is called El Calafate. Each tourist chooses for himself what time of year to go to this place, because in summer it is beautiful here, and in winter, when you can still do winter sports. The only difficulty is the road. The park can only be reached by air, or rather, from the airport of El Calafate, take a plane that arrives from Buenos Aires, or fly from Ushuaia to Bariloche by Aerolineas Argentinas.

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Los Glaciares National Park Argentina

The distance from Buenos Aires can be covered in 3.5 hours, but it is better to buy tickets in advance. After all, prices are constantly changing and can grow two or more times. The cost of the flight can cost $ 150-200. Los Glaciares National Park: Photos and Interesting Facts You can see thousands of photos and videos, but they cannot convey the whole atmosphere. Therefore, when going to travel to Argentina, be sure to look at this extraordinary place.

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Los Glaciares National Park Argentina

Here you can not only go hiking, but also engage in winter sports, go on a boat tour, climb a mountain and a glacier. In addition to beautiful landscapes, you can also see the Glacier Museum in the city of El Calafate. Interestingly, this city appeared 10 years before the creation of the park, and it was supposed to process sheep's wool, but thanks to the Los Glaciares National Park, this city has become a popular tourist destination.

Los Glaciares National Park - Another curious fact is that the Perito Moreno Glacier was 750 meters offshore back in 1900, but in more than 20 years, when the park was opened, it almost came close to the coast. But sometimes (it happens rarely) he reaches the opposite shore and tears Argentino Lake in half.

Los Glaciares National Park Map