San Rafael Glacier, Tidewater glacier in Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Chile
San Rafael Glacier is a tidewater glacier in the Northern Patagonian Ice Field that flows into a saltwater lake dotted with floating icebergs. It descends gradually over roughly 20 kilometers, creating a massive ice formation that dominates the landscape.
Scientists have documented this glacier since the 1800s, recognizing it as the northernmost tidewater glacier in the Southern Hemisphere. Its extent and appearance have undergone substantial changes over the past two centuries.
The glacier forms part of the Laguna San Rafael National Park, where local guides share their expertise about ice formations and regional ecology.
The site is best reached by boat tours departing from Puerto Chacabuco or Puerto Rio Tranquilo, with travel times between 4 and 8 hours. The best visiting season runs from October through April, when water and weather conditions are more stable.
Throughout the day, enormous ice blocks break off from the glacier face and crash into the lake, generating waves that spread several meters from the calving point. This dynamic process is a defining feature and can be observed most clearly in calm conditions.
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