When I first laid eyes on Perito Moreno Glacier, I felt like I’d stepped into another world—one made of ice, wind, and sheer awe. Situated in Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park, this glacier is a true gem of Patagonia and, let me tell you, it’s something that has to be seen to be believed. You hear a lot about glaciers, but nothing quite prepares you for the scale and beauty of this one.

The glacier stretches over 250 square kilometers, and at first glance, it’s hard to wrap your head around its size. Picture a massive, jagged wall of ice, some parts standing as tall as 70 meters above the water. As you get closer, you can see the deep blues and whites of the ice, carved out in mesmerizing patterns by the forces of nature over millennia. It’s a living glacier too—constantly moving and cracking. If you’re lucky (and patient), you’ll witness chunks of ice calving off and crashing into Lago Argentino below. The sound is like thunder, echoing across the water. I was so absorbed in watching it that I barely noticed the cold!

One of the best things about Perito Moreno Glacier is how accessible it is. You don’t need to be an expert hiker to get up close. There are walkways that offer different viewpoints, each one more breathtaking than the last. It’s a real bonus because you can take in the glacier from a variety of angles, from sweeping panoramas to more intimate perspectives where you can almost feel the ice. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can actually go on a guided ice trek across the glacier! Walking on the glacier itself is surreal—crunching underfoot, staring into the crevasses that look like windows into another dimension.

What really caught me off guard is that this isn’t just a pretty piece of ice. Perito Moreno is one of the few glaciers in the world that’s still advancing, not retreating. That makes it unique in a time when so many glaciers are shrinking due to climate change. It’s a living, breathing reminder of the power and mystery of nature.