The Marble Caves of Puerto Rio Tranquilo: Marvel of Patagonia

There is no denying that Patagonia is filled with awe-inspiring landscapes, but some are less accessible than others and remain unknown to most of the world. This is the case for the Marble Caves located near the tiny village of Puerto Rio Tranquilo, in southern Chile. Spend time along the Carretera Austral and every lake, mountain or village will have something to make you stop in your tracks.

The Marble Caves will take your heart.

They are one of the most inspiring and beautiful places we have had the chance to see in this part of the world.

We won’t keep the secret from you. In this article, you will learn more about the incredible Marble Caves of Puerto Rio Tranquilo, and of course, how to get there and visit them. Keep reading.

Marble Caves – CARVED BY NATURE

The remarkable Marble caves, called Cuevas de Marmol in Spanish, have slowly been carved by nature for over 6,000 years. It is the famous Patagonian wind and the waves which are the maestros of this incredible carving work on the solid marble bordering the lake.

This unique geological formation cannot be directly accessed by land. It requires a short ride by speedboat or, with good weather, a half-day kayak trip.

Once on site, there are a few caves you can enter or get closer to. The local guides know exactly where to go and will give you the directive or will take the lead. The highlights are the beautiful rock formations named “the Chapel” and the “Cathedral”. These are brilliant places to take pictures and witness the gorgeous myriad of colours dropping into the General Carrera lake.

As you approach the caves, the marble shows its most vibrant colours. With the sun, the waving shapes of blue, yellow and white light, reflect into the crystal clear water below. It is an impressive canvas of colours that many people skip.

Where are the Marble Caves in Chile?

The Marble Caves are located in Chile, in region XI called Aysén. This is one of the most remote parts of Chile with only one road from North to South. This road is known as the “Carretera Austral“, a narrow road, mainly made of dirt and gravel, built under General Pinochet in order to link the isolated towns of the South to the main cities further North.

Until the completion of the road, many villages in the region were only accessible by sea or land, via Argentina, where the Gauchos ruled the transport routes. General Pinochet didn’t want to have his southern regions to be at the mercy of its neighbouring country, with which he didn’t have good relations. He, therefore, started to build the 1,200 km long road going from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins, right at the border with the Argentinian town of El Chalten.

Finished in the 2000s, the road can now be travelled through entirely, but it is still an adventure! The use of a 4WD is, in fact, necessary. With no access to such cars, many decide to hitch-hike, take the local bus that only runs during the summer months, or even cycle.

The Marble Caves in Patagonia, are situated along the Carretera Austral, 220km south of Coyhaique, the biggest city in the region. Coyhaique is already quite remote from Santiago (1,700 km), Puerto Montt (700 km) or El Chalten in Argentina (850 km), so it requires a bit of organisation and time to get to the Marble Caves.

How to get to the Marble Caves?

In Puerto Rio Tranquilo, the town by the lake, you will find a dozen shacks with travel agencies. Go around and talk with the local guides to learn about their tours. Do not hesitate to negotiate the price if you are a group of people, you should be able to drop the price a little.

• Price for a boat tour: 10,000 CLP – 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Price to rent a kayak: 30,000 CLP – 3 hours (weather depending)

Be ready for Patagonian wind

Bring a rain jacket and a bag to protect your camera. Depending on the wind, the lake isn’t as calm as you would imagine, and riding the waves isn’t scary for the boat drivers. They don’t hesitate to go fast, so hold tight and cover up.

best season to visit the Marble Cave

The marble caves are stunning all year long but it is best to visit during the austral summer, from December to March. Outside of the season, the gravel road that leads to the town of Puerto Rio Tranquilo can close due to the rough weather of the Patagonian winter.

Moreover, as of the 1st of April, Patagonia shut down! Most accommodations closed and the local transportation stop running. For example, the bus from El Chalten to Bariloche is a most year out of service by the end of April, and the boat from Villa O’Higgins in the south of the Carretera austral doesn’t run past the month of March.

For these reasons, it is recommended to get to the Marble caves before April but if you find yourself in Coyhaique during the off-season, check the road conditions with the locals. You might be able to get a ride or hear about a weekly bus heading south. Be aware however that boat or kayak tours don’t run if the conditions on the lake are dangerous. The “Lago General Carrera” is so big that massive waves are common.

How to get to Rio Tranquilo?

Travelling all this way just for the Marble Caves would be a very complicated and long journey. You cannot be on a tight schedule to see the Marble Caves as it will take a lot of time just to get there. For this reason, we do not think it is really suitable for short-term (a couple of weeks) travellers who are not dedicating their time to the Carretera Austral only.

In this part of Patagonia, most of the tourists found here are either cycling or hitch-hiking the Carretera Austral as part of a long-term trip.

To/from Coyhaique

You can take a local bus to or from Coyhaique (Cochrane route). It takes about 4.5 hours and cost 10,000 CLP (€15). There is no bus terminal in Puerto Tranquilo. The buses usually stop, on a daily basis, around 11 am, on the side of the main road,  Dagoberto Godoy.

NEXT READ: What to do along the Carretera Austral

To/from El Chalten

From El Chalten, Argentina, there are 2 ways to start the Carretera Austral: 1) a boat and a 2-day trek crossing the border to Villa O’Higgins, where you will need to make your way up from the start of the Carretera Austral (this will take a few days) or 2) a night bus to the town Los Antigos, and then cross the border to the Chilean town of Chile Chico. From there you can get a collectivo or hitchhike to Puerto Tranquilo.

Depending on the time of the year, you may be forced to take the bus as the boat stops running early April and starts again in November/December. Note that in the middle of the Austral Winter, it is not advised to try to get there because the Carretera Austral is usually closed. And even if the road is open, be aware the local transportation stops during the cold snowy months and a lot of the locals head north,  looking for sun, so there wont be much cars to hitch-hike with.

Patagonia region | Map

Here is a map of the 2 ways to get to Puerto Rio Tranquilo from El Chalten/El Calafate

Our experience to marble caves

Crossing the Los Antigos / Chile Chico border

We reached Los Antigos at sunrise and tried to reach the border which was opening at 8 am. The only way to get there is by taking a cab or walking a few kilometres from the bus station to the Argentinian border control. Like several others, we hitch-hiked and were picked up by a border control agent. It seems they are the only ones heading this route that early in the morning.

With migration formality complete, we hoped to catch another ride but there were absolutely no cars crossing to Chile. This is how we found ourselves walking 5 km to the Chilean border control. It was a great adventure that we shared with more or less the 15 other travellers who were also on our night bus from El Chalten. Many of whom we would spend the next few days with or sporadically meet along our route north through South America.

2 hours later, we were back in Chile and still had 200 km to travel before reaching the little village of Puerto Rio Tranquilo. While 2 of our friends got lucky and hitched a ride, 7 of us hopped in a paid mini-van. As we drove through the very bumpy gravel road along General Carrera Lake, we were amazed by the landscapes and the brilliant blues of the lake, the biggest and deepest in Chile (1,850 km² and as deep as 580 m).

Where to stay in Puerto Rio Tranquilo?

The town has now opened a bit to tourism, so you can find a few hostels, hospedajes and cabanas. But the small town has limited space can lead to full vacancies and the lack of internet makes reserving complicated. Here is a list of 3 places we know about through friends or we visited during our trip. We stayed at the Cabaña Silvana with 4 other travellers and really enjoyed our time there. We had wood fire stoves and a kitchen all to ourselves. For the people willing to camp, we would recommend the Camping Pudu, and for those with a higher budget, you should consider the Cabaña Valle Exploradores which is very cosy and offers more comfort.

• Camping Pudu (1 tent) – 8,000 CLP – no online booking
• Camping Rio Chirifo (1 tent) – €11
• Cabaña Silvana – Cabana for 4/6 people: 50,000 CLP (€70) or dorm 10,000 pp (€14) – no online booking
• Cabañas Don Hugo – Cabana from 2 to 5 people – from €50
• Cabaña Valle Exploradores Cabana for 4 people – 77,800 CLP (€110)

Where to go from Rio Tranquilo?

From Puerto Rio Tranquilo, you can take a couple of other day excursions to the Glacier National Park and visit the Valle Exploradores by mountain bike or on foot.

To the south, you will find Caleta Tortel, a town built on pilotis and boardwalks and also Villa O’Higgins further south where you can cross into Argentina and pursue your trip to El Chalten and El Calafate.

To the North, follow the Carretera Austral to Coyhaique and Cerro Castillo, the new Torres del Paine. You can then choose to head towards Chiloe Island or to continue the Carretera via Puyuhuapi and Queulat National Park, Futaleufu and Chaiten.

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About the Author

Jen is the Funder, Author & Photographer behind Talesfromthelens.com

Jen has lived for the past 15 years across Oceania and Ireland while also travelling in Latin America, North America, and Europe. She has visited more than 65 countries and set foot on every continent in the world! She is a coffee nerd, passionate about photography, wildlife, and outdoor activities.

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