Upsala Glacier a Trip to Remember – Calafate - Argentina

Argentina Trips

Upsala Glacier with 902 sq km is the greatest glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. But also it is one of the most affected by the climate change in Patagonia. The glacier has retreated more than 40 sq km in the last 50 years, creating in its withdrawal a new group of islands in Lago Argentino (Islas de la Americas) and the Laguna Guillermo. The sailing excursion to this white giant of the Andes is one of the most rewarding trips to do in Calafate.

Puerto Bandera 50km northwest of Calafate is the starting point of the tour. From here departs the catamaran that sails for about 70km into the icy waters of the northern branch of Lago Argentino. During the navigation the traveler can see several huge icebergs scattered all over the lake. Then, it follows a sightseeing of the terminus of the Upsala glacier, to finally land in Bahia Onelli, where the Catamaran stops for 3 hours. After a walk of 800m through a lenga forest the tourist arrives to Lago Onelli. The glaciers Onelli, Bolados, Agassiz, and Heim could be seen from the lake, making up an impressive sight. The return trip enters to the Glaciar Spegazzini canal to finally end at Punta Bandera.

This trip, also known as Todo Glaciares, is as well as the Minitrekking and the Perito Moreno walkways a classic of Calafate. A must see attraction that have to be included in every travel to Patagonia in Argentina. Trips to this spectacular place are best done in summer season: from late October to early April. A final word of caution, this itinerary could be change because of the conditions of the lake to a one a lot less appealing, so check before to book.
Cost: around US$ 80
Tour Operator: Fernandez Campbell
Time: full day
Photo courtesy of féemaisq

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Punta Walichu -Calafate- Trip to Prehistoric Rock Art

Argentina: Trips

Punta Walichu lies in the coast of Lago Argentino, at only 7km north of the city of Calafate in southern Patagonia. This marvelous spot with prehistoric rock art is a commendable trip to include in every visit to Calafate.

Where the typical Patagonian landscape meets the windy shores of Lago Argentino lies Estancia 25 de Mayo, an extensive sheep farm in where stand the Cuevas del Walichu: a series of caves with prehistoric paintings made by the pre-tehuelches inhabitants of Patagonia. Once there, you can wait the next guided tour to the caves in a restaurant at the beginning of the trip. The place has ample windows in front of the coast from which the view is simply amazing. After a little while starts the trip. The first caves in the interpretative path are reproductions from other paintings in the zone that have difficult access or lie in private fields. After them, starts the Archeological sector. The paintings here were researched by the Museo de Ciencias Naturales de la Plata and dated back to 4000 years. The seven caves in this area are almost at ground level. There are depictions of human beings, hands in negative (stencilled) and geometric shapes in red, black, white and yellow. The guided trip last for about an hour.

For anyone interested in prehistoric rock art, visiting Punta Walichu, at only 7km from Calafate, could be a satisfying memory of his travel to Argentina. Trips can be done from early October to late April with the cost of only a couple of bucks.

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Trip Cueva de las Manos - Santa Cruz - Argentina

Argentina Trips

Cueva de las Manos Reserve (Cave of the Hands):

From the town of Perito Moreno in northern Santa Cruz there are 185km by road to the Upper Rio Pinturas canyon. This impressive 150m high gorge, which would be worth a trip all by itself, is one more of the natural attractions which Patagonia is justly famous for; however, the main reason for which someone would trip to this distant and isolated spot is not Nature, but a cultural one: a series of caves with paintings of prehistoric rock art.

The caves are below some massive overhang rocks, in the ravine of the Pinturas River. The principal one, the Cueva de las Manos, takes its name of the hundreds of human hands printed over its walls; however, there are representations of animals, like guanacos and pumas, hunting scenes, and geometric figures too. In addition to the Cave of the Hands, there are several more caves scattered along the canyon with smaller number of figures in them, although their paintings follow similar forms.

The paintings are from different periods. The oldest, dated back to 7000 years BC, were awkward animals in yellow, black, red and brick colors, very primitive figures. But with time they got more sophisticated and more colors were added. The modern ones incorporated geometric shapes, pregnant guanacos, men with fingers and other details. The hands are the most numerous and the most recent, perhaps between 2500 and 2200 years ago.

The more intriguing paintings are the pregnant guanacos. Some scientists suppose that thousands of years ago there was a period of some natural adversity in Patagonia. Perhaps a long dry season, but whatever the calamity were, it reduced the numbers of guanacos in the region. And, as a result, the primitive indigenous inhabitants attempted to increase their numbers again by a ceremony that included painting pregnant guanacos.

The Cave of the Hands reserve was declared UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1999. And it is one of the most important cultural testimonies of prehistoric art in Argentina. Trips can be done from the town of the Perito Moreno or from the town of Los Antiguos. Best time to go: from mid November to early April.

Argentina trip: Cave of the Hands.
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