Queulat Glaciers, Glacier formation in Aysén Region, Chile

Queulat Glaciers are a massive ice formation in the Aysén Region with towering blue walls that descend from steep mountain faces into the Tempanos Lagoon below. Multiple connected ice masses create a dramatic wall of frozen water surrounded by dense temperate rainforest.

The glaciers were documented by Captain Enrique Simpson in 1875 when they extended much closer to sea level. Over time, the ice has retreated significantly inland, reshaping the landscape and creating new water features.

The name Queulat derives from the Chonos word for the sound of falling water, heard throughout the area. The Ventisquero Colgante, the hanging glacier, is the best known of the ice masses and hangs above a lagoon fed by its meltwater. The surrounding evergreen forest is part of the Queulat National Park, created in 1983.

The glaciers can be viewed from designated viewpoints along the Carretera Austral highway, or you can hike closer trails for more direct views. Access is best during clear weather, and the site is reachable year-round though conditions vary by season.

The Ventisquero Colgante hangs on a near-vertical rock wall above a lagoon, so its meltwater pours off in falls rather than calving into the water like a valley glacier. Visitors on the trail below see blue ice fractured into blocks against black rock.