Geosites
We invite you to discover the most important geosites in the province of General Carrera.
Castle Hill (Cerro Castillo)
Located just northwest of the town of Villa Cerro Castillo, this site stands out for its variety of glacial landforms and rock types. At its summit, fossils such as ammonites have been found, revealing that millions of years ago, the entire area was submerged beneath the sea.
Phoenix Boulder (Bloque Fénix)
What is an erratic boulder? Who placed this massive rock here, and where did it come from?
Phoenix Boulder is located about 17 kilometers south of the city of Chile Chico. As you approach this unusual rock, you will…
Apidame Hill (Cerro Apidame)
Apidame Hill, also known as Colorado Hill (Cerro Colorado), is located approximately 11 kilometers southwest of the city of Chile Chico. It is the remnant of an ancient volcano featuring striking column-shaped rock formations…
Bayo Hill (Cerro Bayo)
The Bayo Hill Dome (Domo Cerro Bayo) is located approximately 10 kilometers west of the city of Chile Chico. It is the most representative feature of the mining district that shares its name, which has been exploited from the 1980s to the present…
Pencil Hill (Cerro Lápiz)
Pencil Hill is one of the best-kept secrets of Chile Chico. It is located approximately 10 kilometers southwest of the municipal capital. Its geological significance lies in the fact that some of its rocks are over 1 billion years old…
Moñe Hill (Cerro Moñe)
A must-see panoramic viewpoint of the local landscape, Moñe Hill (Cerro Moñe) is one of the geosites in the commune of Río Ibáñez. Located approximately 5 kilometers southeast of Villa Cerro Castillo, it is the example…
Painted Hill (Cerro Pintado)
Did you know that other marble formations can be found in the province of General Carrera? Some of them are located at Painted Hill (Cerro Pintado), a geosite east of Puerto Eulogio Sánchez, in the Müller River (Río Müller) area, approximately 1 kilometer above General Carrera Lake (Lago General Carrera)…
Chilesaurus diegosuarezi
In 2004, in the heart of the province of General Carrera, a set of fossilized dinosaur remains was discovered in the hills southeast of Mallín Grande. After years of research, the uniqueness of these bones places them as a new missing link in the evolution…
Red Peak Hill (Cerro Pico Rojo)
This geosite is located 2 kilometers east of Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez, at approximately 1,500 meters above sea level. The hill is the only geological unit in the region that contains abundant obsidian rocks, which also have the rare characteristic of being red…
Diatreme (Diatrema)
This diatreme is located approximately 9 kilometers southwest of the city of Chile Chico, in the Los Burgos Stream (Estero Los Burgos). It is the only diatreme-type structure in the General Carrera (Provincia General Carrera) province. Diatremes are funnel-shaped volcanic structures, elliptical beneath the surface…
Pampa Guadal Fossils
(Fósiles Pampa Guadal)
Did you know that marine fossils can be found in the hills of Puerto Guadal? In the area known as the “Pearl of the Lake” (Perla del lago), fossils can be found to the southeast. Researchers have identified over 80 species originating from the Atlantic Ocean evidence that has made it possible…
Explorers Glacier
(Glaciar Exploradores)
Glacier Explorers (Glaciar Exploradores) is located west of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Norte). It consists of three tributary tongues and covers an area of approximately 68 km².
Through research, the study of its moraines has made it possible to understand how the climate has changed in…
The Candonga
The Candonga is a scenic geological site located along the road between Bahía Murta and Puerto Eulogio Sánchez. It is known for its steep and narrow terrain, where striking pink rocks can be observed. These rocks have been classified by geologists as syenogranites…
Lions Glacier Moraine (Morrena Glaciar Leones)
The frontal moraine of the Lions Glacier (Glaciar Leones) is one of the most representative and likely most studied features in the General Carrera territory. Moraines are arc-shaped landforms that reflect a stable and cold stage of the geological past. Specifically, this moraine shows that…
The Mapuche GLOF
(GLOF El Mapuche)
The traces of the El Mapuche GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) are found in the middle section of the Leones Glacier and Valley (Glaciar y Valle Leones). This geosite consists of the El Mapuche Glacier, its valley, and the lobate debris, all remnants of a GLOF process.
GLOF is the English acronym…
The Dunes River Paleodeltas (Paleodeltas del río Las Dunas)
The terraces of the The Dunes River (Río Las Dunas) are a group of seven stepped terrace levels, interpreted as deposits left by the river where it flows into General Carrera Lake (Lago General Carrera). They are located near the river’s terminal zone, approximately 12 kilometers northeast of…
Fossil Flora in the Former Ligorio Márquez Mine (Paleoflora en la ex mina Ligorio Márquez)
The old Ligorio Márquez coal mine (mina de carbón Ligorio Márquez) is a highly interesting geosite. Located 42 kilometers south of Chile Chico, it contains plant fossils that help us study the emergence and migratory history of…
The Keys Pass (Paso Las Llaves)
The keys Pass is a route that offers some of the most spectacular views of General Carrera Lake (Lago General Carrera). The narrow CH-265 road connects the towns of Chile Chico, Fachinal, Mallín Grande, and Puerto Guadal, along a route where rockfalls are common…
Blue Rock (Piedra Azul)
Blue Rock (Piedra Azul) is located just a few meters from the western exit of the city of Chile Chico. It is made up of volcanic rocks that belong to the oldest geological unit in the city. Due to its age, it has experienced every climatic and landscape change in this region…
Indian Rock (Piedra del Indio)
Standing approximately 40 meters tall, over 1 kilometer long, but only about 200 meters wide, Indian Rock (Piedra del Indio) is one of the main icons of Chile Chico.
This geosite is located immediately south of the town’s urban area. It is known for rock climbing…
Pinned Rock (Piedra Clavada)
Located about 21 kilometers south of the city of Chile Chico, Pinned Rock (Piedra Clavada) is one of the most striking geosites in the province of General Carrera.
In terms of origin, it is the most representative example in the Aysén Region of the geological process known as weathering…
Plesiosaur of Puerto Ibáñez (Plesiosaurio de Puerto Ibáñez)
Plesiosaurs were enormous marine reptiles that inhabited much of the planet 130 million years ago. They were characterized by wide bodies, flipper-like limbs, and very long necks. Some reached lengths of up to 17 meters…
Las Lajas Hill Fold (Pliegue Cerro Las Lajas)
The Alto Las Lajas Hill Fold is a geosite located approximately 46 kilometers south of the city of Chile Chico. It consists of rocks that, when subjected to stresses beyond their resistance, begin to deform, fold, flow, and/or fracture…
Pluto the Lion (Plutón El León)
Pluto the Lion (Plutón El León) geosite is located about 3 kilometers from the junction of Route 7 and the local road X-732, in the valley of the Lions Glacier and River (Glaciar y Río Leones). It is a small body of only 2 square kilometers, made up of various types of granitoids—the only Paleozoic-aged rocks in…
Ibáñez River Waterfall
(Salto del río Ibáñez)
The Ibáñez River Waterfall (Salto del Río Ibáñez) is a spectacular cascade located approximately 4 kilometers northwest of the town of Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez. Due to its scenic value and significance to the local community, it is one of the most important natural heritage sites in the General Carrera province…
Serpentinites at Traiguanca Bridge (Serpentinitas Puente Traiguanca)
Just a few kilometers from the entrance to Bahía Murta, there is a small vegetation-covered hill near Traiguanca Bridge (Puente Traiguanca). In this area, rocks classified by geologists as serpentinites can be observed.
Serpentinites are a rare and distinctive type of rock…
Marble Chapel (Capilla de Mármol)
The Marble Chapel Nature Sanctuary (Santuario de la Naturaleza Capilla de Mármol) is one of the most visited icons in the Aysén Region.
This circuit of stunning marble rock formations—with insular and continental cavities—located near the towns of Puerto Río Tranquilo and Puerto Eulogio Sánchez, attracts tourists from all over Chile and the world.
Hudson Volcano Tephra
(Tefras Volcán Hudson)
Did you know it’s possible to identify the past eruptions of Hudson Volcano (Volcán Hudson)?
The Hudson Volcano Tephra (Tefras del Volcán Hudson) geosite is located between the towns of Villa Cerro Castillo and Bahía Murta, and it allows us to learn about the last four eruptions of Hudson Volcano.
When was the most violent eruption?
Avellano Towers
(Torres del Avellano)
One of the most breathtaking geosites in the General Carrera province is the Avellano Towers (Torres del Avellano).
Located in the upper basin of the Avellano River (Río Avellano), they can be accessed from Bahía Murta or Lake Lapparent (Lago Lapparent).
Their beauty comes from a combination of impressive magmatic massifs sculpted…
Márques Stream Travertine
(Travertinos Estero Márques)
The travertine formations in the Márques Stream (Estero Márques) area are located 1.5 kilometers southwest of Chile Chico.
“Travertine” refers to sedimentary rocks of chemical origin, composed of limestones formed from inorganic springs. Specifically, the Chile Chico travertines form a surface layer or crust…
Lunar Valley (Valle Lunar)
Lunar Valley (Valle Lunar) is a geosite known for its strikingly colorful landforms. It is located approximately 20 kilometers south of the city of Chile Chico.
This valley is the remnant of a volcanic dome that was active 150 million years ago. It is characterized by the beautiful color of its rocks, resulting from…