Los Glacaries
When picturing Argentina, the majority of us think of beautiful beaches, passionate tango dancers and all night parties. You may also think of mighty Andes Mountains or Iguassu waterfall. But very few of us will picture ice, which in fact, covers a large part of the land. The best example of the Ice- Argentina is Los Glacaries national Park. Formed as a resort in 1937, it became a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage spot in 1981.
Los Glacaries is real ice wonderland where one is allowed to enjoy giant glaciers, crystal clear turquoise lakes, ever green beech forests and an impressive animal world. Los Glacaries in Italian means “Glacier’ Park”. And it was named for a definite reason; the park hosts a second largest glacier sheet after Antarctic. It consists of 47 glaciers with a total square of 450 000 ha.
The most famous Glaciers are called Perito Moreno and Upsala (30 000 years old), the gage of which is more than 60 meters and the width is about 6 km. The beauty of the place is truly breathtaking, as giant glaciers melt- they form a rather difficult lake system, which is presented in more than 100 lakes. These ices formed the largest on the territory- Lago Argentino. It is this lake that has two owners: Argentina and Chile. The lake is also known as the deepest lake in South America which hides a fantasy place of Marble Caves on the Chilean side.
The second largest and most beautiful lake on the territory is Viedma Lake. The lake is often called a brilliant birthplace as it shines with countless lights and colors. It is filled with iceberg that fall from the giant ice mountains from time to time. If you are lucky, you might catch something like a waterfall. This happens only once in 4 years and lasts for only a couple of hours. When enormous pieces of ice fall to the lake, the whole park is creased with a wallop sound.
The fauna of the park is also interesting. One may come across a guanaco, Argentinean fox, a huemul and even a Brazilian fox. In addition there are more than 100 of birds. The best way to explore the park is to take a boat tour. The tour is not only about sightseeing; it is about spirit of the nature and a human. You will get to feel how small the human is and how generous and mighty is our nature.
For extreme lovers Los Glacariers has ice climbing and helicopter tours, and of course a simple hike is on the menu. This park is one of the grandest Argentinean attractions. With breathtaking views and unbelievable excursions that will stay in your memory for a very long time, it will remind you about fantastic South Argentina.