The Glaciers National Park
The Glaciers National Park, created in 1937, is the kingdom of continental ices and the Glaciers. It comprises 600,000 hectares in the southwestern part of Santa Cruz Province.
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Its
spectacular beauty, the scientific interest it provokes and the
endangered species still living in this area made UNESCO declare
this Park a World Heritage Site in 1981.
Ice dominates the Park: 2,600 square kilometers of ice fields
from where 47 major glaciers descend. The absolute "star"
of all them is the Perito
Moreno Glacier, over the south branch of Lake Argentino. It
has an imposing front wall of 5 km. and it is 60 meters tall. But
there is an even bigger one: the Upsala
Glacier , 10 km. wide and 50 m. tall.
At the north of the Park, another gem: Mount Fitz
Roy, a true challenge for mountain climbers with its 3,375 meters.
Flora is the typical to be expected in a sub-Antarctic forest,
with lengas, guindas and many shrubs like notro and calafate, the
latter a symbol of the area.
As for fauna, it is worth mentioning the huemul and the dwarf ñandú,
that runs in big groups at the tableland area.
How to get here?
El Calafate has
got its own airport, recently opened, that connects with the rest
of the country. Another access is from the north, through Río
Gallegos. From this city (airport also) you depart towards El
Calafate (350 Km.), which is only 50 Km. from the Park. Finally,
you can also arrive here via El
Chaltén, which in fact is already within the Protected
Area. At any of these towns mentioned above there are tourist services
like lodging, gas and restaurants. Also, at Lake Viedma and Lake
Argentino there are campsites available.
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