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Bajo de las Sombras · South face

Safari Náutico, the hour in front of the south face

Hielo y Aventura’s short boat from its own pier on route 11, sailing all year.

This trip
Safari Náutico, one hour in front of the south face
Hielo y Aventura Safari Náutico, one hour in front of the south face
  • About 1 hour on the boat
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
★ 4.6 (13) from $67
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On the Safari Náutico, Hielo y Aventura takes its boat from the pier at Bajo de las Sombras across the Brazo Rico and holds it in front of the south face for about an hour. It is the trip to choose when the walkways are the main part of your day and you want the ice wall from below as well. The boat sails all year, also in the southern winter, when most of the longer trips pause.

Book the Safari Náutico

Each card lists port, ice face, age limit, season and what the listing says about the park fee. Open it for the full details.

Safari Náutico, one hour in front of the south face
Hielo y Aventura

Safari Náutico, one hour in front of the south face

The classic short boat trip, run by the operator that also runs the ice treks.

  • Duration: About 1 hour on the boat
  • Port: Puerto Bajo de las Sombras
  • Ice face or route: South face of the Perito Moreno
  • Season: Year-round
  • Hotel pickup: Not clear: a transfer to the park is listed, hotel pickup is not
  • Age limit: Not stated
  • Park fee: Not included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from $67 ★ 4.6 (13 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full trip details

About this trip

Hielo y Aventura sails from its own pier at Bajo de las Sombras on route 11, about 7 km before the glacier, across the Brazo Rico to the south face of the Perito Moreno. The boat spends about an hour in front of the ice.

The listing names a transfer to the national park but no hotel pickup, so check how you reach the pier. Reviewers mention other passengers blocking the best photo spots on deck.

Know before you go

  • Departures listed by the local tourism portal include 10:00, 11:30, 13:00 and 14:30
  • The park entrance is not included; buy the pass online or pay at the gate on the way to the pier

Facts from the product page on the booking platform and the operators’ own information, checked in October 2026.

Longer trips from the same pier

Hielo y Aventura uses Bajo de las Sombras for everything it runs on the lake. If an hour feels short, these leave from the same jetty and add the shore path or the ice.

Blue Safari, boat and shore path to the south face
Hielo y Aventura

Blue Safari, boat and shore path to the south face

Close enough to touch the ice, without crampons and without walking on the glacier.

  • Duration: 3 to 9 hours, depending on the option
  • Port: Puerto Bajo de las Sombras
  • Ice face or route: South face, reached on a 1.5 km shore path
  • Hotel pickup: Hotel pickup in El Calafate
  • Age limit: 6 to 70
  • Park fee: Not included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from $117 ★ 4.9 (120 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full trip details

About this trip

The boat crosses the Brazo Rico, then a path of about 1.5 km along the shore leads to the south face, close enough to put a hand on the ice. This is not an ice trek: you stay beside the glacier, not on it.

The day also plans about two hours on the walkways. The operator does not take guests under 6 or over 70.

Facts from the product page on the booking platform and the operators’ own information, checked in October 2026.

Minitrekking on the Perito Moreno with crampons
Hielo y Aventura

Minitrekking on the Perito Moreno with crampons

Sold by Hielo y Aventura, the company that runs the Minitrekking.

  • Duration: 4.5 to 10 hours, depending on the option
  • Port: Puerto Bajo de las Sombras
  • Ice face or route: Guided ice walk on the glacier, with crampons
  • Season: Sources differ; main season October to April
  • Hotel pickup: Hotel pickup in El Calafate
  • Age limit: 8 to 65, no exceptions
  • Park fee: Not included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from $330 ★ 4.8 (33 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full trip details

About this trip

Hielo y Aventura runs the Minitrekking: a boat from Bajo de las Sombras across the Brazo Rico, then a guided walk on the glacier with crampons.

The age window of 8 to 65 is applied without exceptions. Guests aged 8 to 17 need written permission from their parents, and every guest fills in a medical form.

Know before you go

  • Medical form required for every participant
  • Ages 8 to 17 only with written parental permission

Facts from the product page on the booking platform and the operators’ own information, checked in October 2026.

Big Ice, the long trek into the heart of the Perito Moreno
Hielo y Aventura

Big Ice, the long trek into the heart of the Perito Moreno

About three hours and 12 km on the ice, for fit adults up to 50.

  • Duration: 7.5 to 12 hours
  • Port: Puerto Bajo de las Sombras
  • Ice face or route: Long ice trek, about 3 hours and 12 km on the glacier
  • Season: September to April
  • Hotel pickup: Hotel pickup, from 6:45
  • Age limit: 18 to 50
  • Park fee: Not included

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start

from $459 ★ 4.8 (33 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full trip details

About this trip

Big Ice is the long trek: about three hours and roughly 12 km on the glacier, rated as high fitness by the operator. Pickup starts at 6:45, and the day lasts up to 12 hours.

It runs from September to April, only for ages 18 to 50, with a medical form. One reviewer had expected more time on the ice; the three hours are what the operator describes.

Know before you go

  • Medical form required
  • High fitness level required

Facts from the product page on the booking platform and the operators’ own information, checked in October 2026.

Getting to Bajo de las Sombras

The pier lies on route 11 about 7 km before the glacier, roughly an hour and a half from El Calafate, and inside Los Glaciares National Park. You pass the park gate on the way, so have your pass ready before you reach it; the park fee page explains what it costs and where to buy it. The Safari Náutico listing names a transfer to the park but no hotel pickup, which is why many visitors book it as an add-on to a bus or a guided land tour to the walkways. Those land tours are compared in the walkway tours on El Calafate Day Tours.

What the hour on the Brazo Rico looks like

The boat crosses the Brazo Rico, the southern arm of the lake, and spends its hour in front of the south face. A reviewer travelling with teenagers writes how close the boat came to the ice. Reviewers also mention that other passengers block the best photo spots on deck. If you want the opposite side of the glacier, the north face boat from Puerto Moreno runs along the north face instead.

Departure times listed for the season

The local tourism portal lists departures at 10:00, 11:30, 13:00 and 14:30. Times and frequency change with the season, and the time on your booking is the one that counts. Arrive at the pier a little early: one reviewer was asked to come 15 minutes ahead and then had to wait outside in the rain while the boat was cleaned.

Rain, cold and fogged windows

Hielo y Aventura does not cancel for rain. On a wet day the cabin windows fog up, and the view from inside can disappear; the open deck is then the only place to see the ice, and it is cold even in summer. Bring a waterproof jacket and gloves. Weather and season on the lake covers what each month brings and which trips run in winter.

What travellers say after the hour on the water

Most reviews describe a short, well-run trip close to the ice. The one-star review comes from a cold, rainy day with fogged windows, which is the weather risk of any boat at the glacier.

“Amazing, is an experience you would not want to miss out. My teens were static to see the Perito that close, to be able to touch the ice and even eat a pice of ice. Love the experience.”
Martin · United States · April 2026 Safari Náutico · Hielo y Aventura
“Wonderful activity and well organized--would definitely do this again. They were professional and communicative.”
Verified traveler · United States · December 2025 Safari Náutico · Hielo y Aventura
“Very disappointed The tour suggest we arrive 15 minutes earlier . On arrival they were cleaning the boat so we had to stay in the bridge getting wet with cold rain Once inside in the boat it was very cold … all the boat windows were very foggy so there was no view …”
Verified traveler · United States · October 2025 Safari Náutico · Hielo y Aventura

Reviews by travellers after their day on the lake, from GetYourGuide.

FAQ

How long is the Safari Náutico?

About one hour on the boat. Add the drive from El Calafate to Bajo de las Sombras, roughly an hour and a half each way, and the time you spend on the walkways if you visit them the same day.

Does the Safari Náutico include hotel pickup?

The listing names a transfer to the national park but no hotel pickup. Check the options on the booking page, or combine the boat with a bus or land tour to the walkways.

Which side of the glacier does the boat visit?

The south face. The boat crosses the Brazo Rico from Bajo de las Sombras and stays in front of the southern wall of the Perito Moreno for about an hour.

Does it sail in winter?

Yes. Safari Náutico runs all year, also from May to August, when Big Ice and Mayo Spirit do not operate.

Is the park entrance included?

No. The listing puts it under not included. Buy the pass online before the day or pay at the park gate on the way to the pier.

Related on this site

North face boat

The other one-hour boat, from Puerto Moreno below the walkways.

Blue Safari

Same pier, then a shore path to the ice without crampons.

All boat trips compared

Port, ice face and age limit for every trip on the lake.

See the hour on the water next to the longer trips

Safari Náutico, the north face boat, the cruises and the ice treks in one table.

Open the comparison