Perito Moreno Glacier is forty miles long, two miles wide and moves forward an amazing six feet per day. It is located in the far south of Argentina near the border of Chile, and at the very tip of South America. So you know how they say pictures do not do it justice, this is one of those places. Its just gorgeous, immense and amazing.
You can usually see 100 foot sections of it falling off, with a thunderous crack, into the water - a process known as calving. You do not not want to be near it when that happens as many people have been killed by the mini tidal wave it creates.
We drove 12 hours to get there from Chilean Patagonia after it had been flooded out. We greatly underestimated the time to get through the Andes Mountains though. The fun part was driving through a dozen towns on the Argentina/Chile border looking for an open crossing at 3 AM. The towns were had names like November 27th...
After we eventually got through the border, our truck got stuck in many of the three foot deep "puddles" on the dirt roads crossing the Andes. When we got out to push the stuck truck though, we saw more stars than we've ever seen in the pitch black, cold, moonless night.
Note that this is area is so far south that most satellite phones do not work, as there is no line of site to the equator.
Best Time to Go: During the US winter and South American summer
How Long to Stay: 1 days but combine it with a trip to Easter Island, Chilean Patagonia and Buenos Aires
General Costs: Medium
What To Do: Explore and trek the glacier
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes - it's part of Los Glaciares National Park
Weather: Mild in South American summer and cold in winter
Language: Spanish
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