One of the trips we had been told we had to do without fail was to visit the Marble Cathedrals. To do so, we had to get to Puerto Río Tranquilo, where all the boats would leave from in order to see them close up. After having driven more than 110 km from Cochrane to there, we arrived in the evening after some inconveniences, so we had to postpone the excursion for the next day. But this ended up benefiting us, because it was an amazing day to be on the lake ❤️.
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We had started our day by leaving the campsite early in the morning, with the aim of driving 200 km to Puerto Rio Tranquilo. In between, we made a technical stop in Cochrane to buy some supplies and continue on our way without so much delay, but it was then that we realised that a part of the car's wheel had been stolen. We tried to get it from the local mechanics but nobody had the part, and between calls and waiting in vain we ended up wasting the whole day there. By the time we accepted that we were not going to get it and continued on our way, we were already late at night in Puerto, too late to do anything.
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But this turned out to be an advantage, as the next day we were able to take the first excursion of the morning to visit the Cathedrals. The wheel part was not that urgent, so we continued on our way and luckily the car did not fall apart. We had done some research on this excursion, and there were two places to go. Leaving from the centre of Puerto Rio Tranquilo, the motor boat ride cost $25, while moving 6 km to another place called Bahia Mansa, the same ride cost $18. There was also the option of kayaking, but I was afraid I wouldn't have the arms to paddle that far.
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Of course we took the cheapest option and even this turned out to be an advantage, as most people were leaving from the city centre. We were only 8 people on the boat including the two guides so it was almost personalised. In total, the navigation lasted an hour and a half during which we travelled around the Lago General Carrera, which is shared with Argentina and on our side is called Lago Buenos Aires. Our first stop was at a cavern where we got into the boat and had a closer look at the marble.
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The second stop was at another of the caves, but in the largest of the site, which according to the guidebook is 45 metres long. She says that in the summer, when the lake level rises, you can sail to the bottom of it. Although the water was a bit low, we were still able to go in quite deep. We also saw the marble walls, with incredible designs.
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As we continued our navigation, we could see curious marble structures in the water and on the shore as well. According to the explanations, many of these formations were detached over the years until they were left in their current locations. If we had gone by kayak, we would only have reached this area, as the caves were further back.
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Being in a place with natural formations like these also allows you to play a lot with your imagination. Throughout the tour we were able to see various formations, such as the cup, the monge, the turtle and the most amusing one, the dog's head. The effect of the stones was very curious as they appeared to be melted. Millions of years did their work eroding this place to make it look as incredible as it does.
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Another curiosity we learned about was the colour of the water in this lake. I had never seen a lake as turquoise and beautiful as this one, it really had a very particular colour. According to the guide, this water contains an element called Iridium, which absorbs sunlight and reflects that beautiful bluish colour. On our day, the sun was rising and setting all the time, so the lake looked different shades all the time. He also said that this mineral is not common on Planet Earth, but is present in meteorites, so the origin of this colour is extraterrestrial. Even more magical.
---
Another of our other interesting stops was at a cavern where you could enter from one side and exit from the other. This sort of tunnel was beautiful and although it looked small, our boat was able to enter and exit without any problems. There was also a very cool echo effect which they made us try, but I was a bit scared with this as I'm not a big fan of going into caves, but the others tried it and had fun while I suffered.
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Nearing the end of the walk, our stop was at the Marble Cathedral itself. It is a giant rock supported by what appear to be columns. We approached it and from there we could see all its beautiful details and colours. The marble design was really beautiful on it. Unfortunately, we also saw some scratches on the stone, made by people, so nowadays it is no longer allowed to go down and walk in the cathedral as it used to be. This stop was one of my favourites on the Carretera Austral because this place was completely different from anything I had seen before. Another curiosity is that there are people who celebrated their wedding here, with guests in boats all around. er Just imagine someone loving you enough to do that and having an epic wedding, very romantic indeed.
Uno de los paseos que nos habían dicho que teníamos que hacer sin falta era visitar las Catedrales de Mármol. Para eso, teníamos que llegar hasta Puerto Río Tranquilo, desde donde saldrían todas las navegaciones para poder verlas de cerca. Después de haber manejado más de 110 km desde Cochrane hasta ahí, llegamos por la noche después de algunos inconvenientes, por lo que tuvimos que postergar la excursión para el día siguiente. Pero esto terminó beneficiándonos, porque nos tocó un día increíble para estar en el lago ❤️.---
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We had started our day by leaving the campsite early in the morning, with the aim of driving 200 km to Puerto Rio Tranquilo. In between, we made a technical stop in Cochrane to buy some supplies and continue on our way without so much delay, but it was then that we realised that a part of the car's wheel had been stolen. We tried to get it from the local mechanics but nobody had the part, and between calls and waiting in vain we ended up wasting the whole day there. By the time we accepted that we were not going to get it and continued on our way, we were already late at night in Puerto, too late to do anything.
Habíamos empezado nuestro día saliendo desde el camping temprano en la mañana, con el objetivo de manejar 200 km hasta Puerto Río Tranquilo. En el medio, hicimos una parada técnica en Cochrane para comprar algunas provisiones y continuar el camino sin tanta demora, pero fue ahí cuando nos dimos cuenta de que nos habían robado una parte de la rueda del auto. Tratamos de conseguirla en los mecánicos locales pero nadie tenía la pieza, y entre llamadas y esperas en vano terminamos perdiendo todo el día ahí. Para cuando aceptamos que no la conseguiríamos y continuamos nuestro camino, ya llegamos de noche a Puerto, muy tarde como para hacer lo que sea.---
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But this turned out to be an advantage, as the next day we were able to take the first excursion of the morning to visit the Cathedrals. The wheel part was not that urgent, so we continued on our way and luckily the car did not fall apart. We had done some research on this excursion, and there were two places to go. Leaving from the centre of Puerto Rio Tranquilo, the motor boat ride cost $25, while moving 6 km to another place called Bahia Mansa, the same ride cost $18. There was also the option of kayaking, but I was afraid I wouldn't have the arms to paddle that far.
Pero esto terminó siendo una ventaja, ya que al día siguiente pudimos tomar la primera excursión de la mañana para ir a visitar las Catedrales. La pieza de la rueda no era tan urgente, así que continuamos el camino así y por suerte no se nos desarmó el auto. Habíamos investigado sobre esta excursión, y habían dos puntos para embarcarse. Saliendo desde el centro de Puerto Río Tranquilo, el paseo en lancha con motor costaba $25, mientras que moviéndose 6 km hasta otro lugar llamado Bahía Mansa, el mismo paseo costaba $18. También estaba la opción de hacerlo en kayak, pero yo tenía miedo de que no me dieran los brazos para remar tanto.---
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Of course we took the cheapest option and even this turned out to be an advantage, as most people were leaving from the city centre. We were only 8 people on the boat including the two guides so it was almost personalised. In total, the navigation lasted an hour and a half during which we travelled around the Lago General Carrera, which is shared with Argentina and on our side is called Lago Buenos Aires. Our first stop was at a cavern where we got into the boat and had a closer look at the marble.
Por supuesto tomamos la opción más económica y hasta esto terminó siendo una ventaja, ya que la mayoría de la gente salía del centro de la ciudad. Éramos solo 8 personas en el bote contando a los dos guías así que fue casi personalizada. En total, la navegación duró una hora y media en el que recorrimos el Lago General Carrera, que se comparte con Argentina y de nuestro lado se llama Lago Buenos Aires. Nuestra primera parada fue en una caverna en donde nos metimos con la lancha y pudimos ver el mármol más de cerca.---
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The second stop was at another of the caves, but in the largest of the site, which according to the guidebook is 45 metres long. She says that in the summer, when the lake level rises, you can sail to the bottom of it. Although the water was a bit low, we were still able to go in quite deep. We also saw the marble walls, with incredible designs.
La segunda parada fue en otra de las cavernas, pero en la más grande del lugar, que según la guía tiene 45 metros de largo. Dice que en el verano, cuando sube el nivel del lago, se puede navegar hasta el fondo de ella. A pesar de que el agua estaba un poco baja, igual pudimos entrar bastante. También vimos las paredes de mármol, con unos diseños increíbles.---
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As we continued our navigation, we could see curious marble structures in the water and on the shore as well. According to the explanations, many of these formations were detached over the years until they were left in their current locations. If we had gone by kayak, we would only have reached this area, as the caves were further back.
A medida que íbamos continuando la navegación, podíamos ver curiosas estructuras de mármol en el agua y en la costa también. Según las explicaciones, muchas de estas formaciones se fueron desprendiendo con los años hasta quedar en sus ubicaciones actuales. Si hubiésemos ido en kayak, solo hubiésemos llegado hasta esa zona, ya que las cavernas estaban bastante más atrás.---
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Being in a place with natural formations like these also allows you to play a lot with your imagination. Throughout the tour we were able to see various formations, such as the cup, the monge, the turtle and the most amusing one, the dog's head. The effect of the stones was very curious as they appeared to be melted. Millions of years did their work eroding this place to make it look as incredible as it does.
Estar en un lugar con formaciones naturales como estas también permite jugar mucho con la imaginación. A lo largo de todo el recorrido pudimos ver varias formaciones, como la copa, el monje, la tortuga y la más divertida, la cabeza del perro. El efecto de las piedras era muy curioso ya que aparentaban estar derretidas. Millones de años hicieron su trabajo erosionando este lugar para que quedara tan increíble como se ve.---
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Another curiosity we learned about was the colour of the water in this lake. I had never seen a lake as turquoise and beautiful as this one, it really had a very particular colour. According to the guide, this water contains an element called Iridium, which absorbs sunlight and reflects that beautiful bluish colour. On our day, the sun was rising and setting all the time, so the lake looked different shades all the time. He also said that this mineral is not common on Planet Earth, but is present in meteorites, so the origin of this colour is extraterrestrial. Even more magical.
Otra curiosidad que aprendimos fue sobre el color del agua de este lago. Yo nunca había visto un lago tan turquesa y hermoso como este, realmente tenía un color muy particular. Según el guía, esta agua contiene un elemento llamado Iridio, que absorbe la luz solar y refleja ese color azulado precioso. En el día que nos tocó, el sol salía y se ocultaba a cada rato, por lo que el lago se veía con tonalidades diferentes todo el tiempo. También dijo que este mineral no es común del Planeta Tierra, sino que está presente en los meteoritos, por lo que el origen de este color es extraterrestre. Aún más mágico.---
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Another of our other interesting stops was at a cavern where you could enter from one side and exit from the other. This sort of tunnel was beautiful and although it looked small, our boat was able to enter and exit without any problems. There was also a very cool echo effect which they made us try, but I was a bit scared with this as I'm not a big fan of going into caves, but the others tried it and had fun while I suffered.
Otra de nuestras paradas interesantes fue en una caverna en la que se podía entrar por un lado y salir por el otro. Esta especie de túnel era hermoso y aunque parecía pequeño, nuestro bote pudo entrar y salir sin problemas. También había un efecto de eco muy bueno que nos hicieron probar, pero yo tuve un poco de miedo con esto ya que no soy muy fan de meterme a cuevas, pero los demás lo intentaron y se divirtieron mientras yo sufría.---
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Nearing the end of the walk, our stop was at the Marble Cathedral itself. It is a giant rock supported by what appear to be columns. We approached it and from there we could see all its beautiful details and colours. The marble design was really beautiful on it. Unfortunately, we also saw some scratches on the stone, made by people, so nowadays it is no longer allowed to go down and walk in the cathedral as it used to be. This stop was one of my favourites on the Carretera Austral because this place was completely different from anything I had seen before. Another curiosity is that there are people who celebrated their wedding here, with guests in boats all around. er Just imagine someone loving you enough to do that and having an epic wedding, very romantic indeed.
Casi llegando al final del paseo, nuestra parada fue en la propiamente dicha Catedral del Mármol. Se trata de una roca gigante sostenida en lo que parecen ser columnas. Nos acercamos a ella y desde ahí pudimos ver todos sus detalles y colores hermosos. El diseño del mármol era realmente hermoso en ella. Lamentablemente, también vimos algunas ralladuras en la piedra, hechas por personas, por lo cuál actualmente ya no está permitido descender y caminar en la catedral como se hacía tiempo atrás. Esta parada fue una de mis preferidas dentro de la Carretera Austral porque este lugar era completamente diferente a cualquier cosa que yo hubiese visto antes. Otra curiosidad es que hay gente que celebró su casamiento en este lugar, con invitados en botes alrededor. Solo imagínense que alguien te ame tanto como para hacer eso y tener una boda épica, muy romántico en verdad.---