We visited Chilean Patagonia in November-December of 2023.
Torres del Paine Natonal Park
The towers of Torres del Paine are granite needles rising above the Patagonian steppe. Elevations range from 50 meters above sea level to 3050 meters above sea level at Paine Grande, the central massif''s tallest peak. These are some of the Andes' youngest mountain peaks.
Cuernos (Horns) del Paine, immediately south of the Torres massif, highlight the interface between the grey igneous granite rock below and the the dark, softer metamorphic rock above.
waterfalls:
Torres del Paine is famous for its strong winds, especially from November to January.
Monumento Nacional Cueva del Milodon is northwest of Puerto Natales on the shore of Fiordo Eberhard.
Fossilized remains of the extinct giant sloth, or mylodon, discovered there in 1895 by German pioneer Hermann Eberhard included even the fur. Swedish scientist Erlana Nordenskjold was the first to study the mylodon, Mylodon darwinii. Yes, the representative statue in the cave is a little kitschy to my tastes.
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Last modified 31 December 2023