Explore Los Glaciares National Park

Just reaching the glacier from El Calefate is part of the grand adventure. You can either go to the bus station, located in the center of town, and take a bus which is approximately 2 hours and leaves almost every hour of the day. Or you can hitchhike! It's extremely easy as there is only one road to the glacier and most people in Patagonia are willing to pick up hitchhikers. A friend and I decided to give it a go. We went to the western most point in town, across the street from a gas station and waited along the road with our thumbs out. It wasn't long before we were picked up by some other tourists who had rented a car and we were off! 

The glacier is about 48 miles from town and there isn't much else along the drive besides grazing land and a few farm houses. We made it to the glacier in about 1.5 hours and were even offered a ride back by the same people at the end of the day.

Once we arrived at the park, we paid an entrance fee of about $20 and headed towards the wooden walkway. The walkways wraps around the side of the glacier and give you different perspectives to view the enormous ice block. There are stairs that take you to different levels so you can view it from above or eye level. In all, the walk is around 1.5 miles and there are benches to stop and enjoy a snack or hot beverage. We spent about 3 hours there gawking at the beauty and taking photos that really do not do this place justice. 

Although the walk is extremely easy, it is extremely cold and windy. Do not be fooled by the warm weather while you are in town. It was sunny and warm in El Calefate that day but rainy, windy, and cold at the glacier. The weather is unpredictable so remember to dress in layers.

If you are going during the summer months (Nov-Feb) try to time your visit during the middle of the day to increase your chances of witnessing the ice calving. It's an incredible phenomenon and makes a thunderous noise that will give you goose bumps! Although this can happen during wet weather, it is more likely to occur when it is warm out and the sun melts the ice. 

Once finished with the loop, there is a visitor center with souvenirs and a small cafe. It can get really busy so don't expect to have a quite relaxing lunch there. And lastly, remember to put the camera down, take a seat and enjoy the spectacular glacier!