The Perito Moreno Glacier (Spanish: Glaciar Perito Moreno) is a glacier located in Los Glaciares National Park in southwest Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Perito Moreno is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This ice field is the world’s third-largest reserve of fresh water.

Perito Moreno is the “liveliest” glacier in Patagonia: it’s constantly moving on Argentino Lake at a rate of around two meters, or 6’7″ a day.

It is one of the most important tourist attractions in Argentine Patagonia. Perito Moreno is beaming blinding white and exuding cold blue hues. Unlike most of the earth’s other glaciers, Perito Moreno is still growing. With a blue that is both transparent and deep, the névé expels air from the glacier, under the pressure of accumulated snowfalls. Veritable columns of ice rise up on the glacier like sculpted walls, and you can regularly hear sections of ice coming away: a completely unforgettable sensory journey. One of those moments is when you can only bow before the beauty of the elements.

There are viewing platforms a safe distance from the glacier, overlooking Lake Argentino, the glacier’s terminus. You can get pretty close—to the point that you can basically feel the glacier breathing cold air on your face.

If you wait for a while, you’ll likely witness huge chunks of the ice mass fracture off and crash into the water, creating a massive, reverberating roar. There are walking paths that allow you to check out the glacier from a few different vantage points, as well as a boat that takes you on a 45-minute trip around the base. Whether you discover it on foot or by small boat, the spectacle remains truly unique as Perito Moreno’s appearance changes a little each day.

There are also trekking tours that take you out to walk on parts of the glacier itself, surrounded by the beautiful Patagonian scenery of forests and mountains.

According to the Internet