Outings and excursions · Chile Chico / Lago G. Carrera
Jeinimeni: the turquoise lake, the Moon Valley and the Cave of Hands
Photos: Mario Otárola Alfaro / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
South of Chile Chico, a sector of Patagonia National Park with steppe, rock paintings and a lake of improbable colour.
About 57 km south-east of Chile Chico, the former Lago Jeinimeni National Reserve has been part of Patagonia National Park since 2018. At its heart is Lake Jeinimeni, a milky turquoise, surrounded by hills, forest and steppe.
The Cave of Hands circuit
Near Chile Chico, a trail links Piedra Enclavada, the Cueva de las Manos (with rock paintings of hands thousands of years old) and the Valle Lunar, a landscape of eroded formations that looks like another planet.
Four ecosystems
The park contains all four Patagonian ecosystems: deciduous forest, evergreen forest, steppe and high peaks.
Tips
- The road to the lake is gravel and may include river crossings: check conditions.
- Bring water and protection from wind and sun.
- Do not touch the rock paintings.
