Experience – Catedral de Marmól, Chile.
- Location: Catedral de Marmól, Chico, Aysén, Chile (Google Maps)
- Hours: All Day
- Recommended Time: 4 hours
- How to Arrive: By car, then boat
- Distance from Balmaceda: 198 km /123 miles
- Ideal Month(s): September – February
The Capillas de Marmol (the Marble Caves), also known as Catderal de Marmol (the Marble Cathedral), is a solid marble island located on Lake General Carrera, a remote glacial lake that spans the Chile-Argentina border. The formations correspond to a series of caves eroded by 6,000-plus years of waves washing up against calcium carbonate. The structure’s smooth, swirling blue cavern walls are a reflection of the lake’s fluorescent blue glacial waters, which change in intensity and hue, depending on water levels and time of year.
The Cathedral is a Chilean national monument, and there are two main sectors: the best known section is located on the Puntilla El Mármol, which are the main islets that give rise to the “Cathedral” and the “Chapel;” the second, meanwhile, is located on Isla Panichini, near Puerto Sánchez, and its nearby islets.
There are ferries from Chile Chico that will take you to, and through, the Marble cave and its tunnels. The caves are located on Lake General Carrera, and the only way to reach them is by ferry.
