Travel to Chile

Day 21 Puerto Natales - Perito Moreno - Puerto Natales (824 Km.)

(in 412 Km.) Perito Moreno: We leave Puerto Natales in an organized tour that takes us to see the Perito Moreno Glacier, crossing the border into Argentina and passing through the town of El Calafate (362 Km. from Puerto Natales and about 50 km from Los Glaciares National Park).

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the most important natural attractions of Argentina. Has a length of 30 kilometers and an area of 257 km2. The impressive magnitude of this mass of ice, which means that "floats" on Lake Argentino, which reaches 70 meters above the water surface, leaves you breathless when you're facing him. The lake is very cold, between 4 and 6 degrees, and maintains a special color for the mineral particles from the shock of the glacier to the bedrock. The route up the glacier can be walking through walkways and viewpoints. Although long ago there were no ruptures, there are minor ruptures continuously.

The rupture of the Perito Moreno glacier represents one of the most amazing natural phenomena, because it is very difficult to be close to natural with no damage, as in the case of these ruptures. Why have the ruptures? The glacier advances over the Lago Argentino (Argentine lake) forming a natural dam which separates the two halves of the lake when it reaches the opposite shore. With no escape route, the water-level on the Brazo Rico side of the lake can rise by up to 30 meters above the level of the main lake. The enormous pressure produced by this mass of waters finally breaks the ice barrier holding it back, in a spectacular rupture event.

The glacier first ruptured in 1917, attracting since then the attention of geologists and tourists. Similar phenomena occurred in 1942, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1988, 2004, 2006 and the last rupture occurred in July 2008. It ruptures, on average, about every four to five years.

(in 412 Km.) Puerto Natales: We returned to the family home "Bernardita" in which we hosted these days. Emphasize that the treatment received by this family has been very welcoming and allowed us to know many things of everyday life in this southern region.