On the border between Chile and Argentina, there stands a geological oasis of marble caves that it is estimated began to form about 15 thousand years ago, after the last Ice Age. An unknown world rises elegantly before the reflection of the waters of the Tranquilo River in Chile, or Lake Buenos Aires, General Carrera or Chelenko on the Argentine side.
Where are the Marble caves?
The geological dynamic is transformed into a sculptor throughout the thousands of years of the Earth’s history, and manages to form the most extraordinary landscapes. Around the planet are hidden works of art forged by geology, such as the or the with its enormous ‘fairy chimneys’. But in the Patagonia region of southern America, we have the strange marble caves whose extraordinary colors and amorphous walls were carved by erosion over time.
They are located 223 kilometers south of the regional capital Coyhaique, in the southern region of Chile. It is not a single group of marble ‘chapels’, but rather they can be visited in two sectors. On the one hand, there is Puntilla El Mármol, which is the best-known destination and around which are the main islets that give rise to what the locals call the ‘Cathedral’ and the ‘Chapel’ of marble. While the second sector, which is called the Marble ‘Caverns’, is located on Panichini Island, very close to Puerto Sánchez.
A geological paradise
From the outside they look like a group of rocks that have no special feature, but once you enter by kayak through the naturally formed ‘gates’, you understand why they have been called a Nature Sanctuary. Its walls are full of extraordinary coloration and, furthermore, they are not smooth, but rather present swirling patterns where their colors, ranging from white, blue, pink and even yellow, are interwoven to form a visual work forged by erosion.
The waters of the rivers form an important part of the great spectacle of the marble caves, since they are completely crystalline waters that acquire a turquoise hue due to the reflection of the sun. TO
Geologists believe that marble caves began to form 15 thousand years ago due to erosion. However, the exposed rocks correspond to marbles formed in the Upper Paleozoic, more than 300 million years ago. They are formed by a complex structure of metamorphic marble from calcium carbonate limestone rocks.
It is estimated that between the two sectors of islets that make up the Cathedral, Chapel and the Caverns, there is a total of 5 billion tons of marble. Of course, the precious stone cannot be extracted, since the Chilean government has granted them the status of Nature Sanctuary, so they are protected under the law.