The Beauty Of General Carrera Lake In Patagonia

It can be called General Carrera lake if we are in its part belonging to Chile. But if we are in its Argentine section, we should call it Lake Buenos Aires. In one way or another, it is a natural wonder of Patagonia, although it is true that its great tourist attraction of the Marble Chapels is in Chile.

General Carrera Lake: the third largest in South America

With its surface of 1850 km², General Carrera Lake is the third largest in the entire subcontinent of South America. They are only surpassed in size by Mar Chiquita, a gigantic saltwater lagoon located in the north of Argentina, and, of course, Lake Titicaca, the largest of all on horseback in the Andean territories of Peru and Bolivia.

A lake of glacial origin

Any tour through the immense and wild region of Patagonia runs in the shadow of the impressive Andes mountain range. They are mountains where the effects of glaciers are still evident. In this line, surely the most famous are the ice of the nearby Perito Moreno. But there is more, for example, General Carrera Lake, which has a glacial origin.

In fact, the lake once had two rivers to drain and carry its waters to the Pacific Ocean: the Baker River and the Fénix Chico. But the latter is intermittent today due to lower melt flow rates since the moraines transport more stones than ice and sometimes obstruct its course. So, like so many places, Lake General Carrera also suffers the consequences of climate change.

Get to General Carrera lake

Traditionally, it has been easier to reach the Argentine shores of Lake Buenos Aires, since since the 30s of the last century there is a national route there. And long before there was already a track used by indigenous populations.

In contrast, the shores of Lake General Carrera were much more isolated. Although, at present it can be reached thanks to the Austral Highway, which leads to the main entrance to the lake, the town of Puerto Ibáñez, located on the north shore. Meanwhile, on the southern shore is the town of Chile Chico.

Attractions of Lake General Carrera

Contemplating Lake General Carrera on a sunny day without too much wind is a wonderful experience. These are especially for photography enthusiasts, as they will be able to take wonderful snapshots in which the surface of the water turns into a gigantic mirror that reflects the surrounding mountains and sky.

However, in addition to that, its waters, whose deepest point exceeds 800 meters, can also be a good place to practice certain water sports such as canoeing and kayaking. It is also very common to see other boats practicing fishing and catching local trout.

These are all the attractions of Lake General Carrera, but we have not yet talked about its true jewel: the Marble Chapels.

The Marble Chapels

One of the greatest treasures in all of Chilean Patagonia is hidden in a small islet in the lake. These are peculiar caves sculpted in a natural way by the erosion of the waters, the ice and the usual winds of the area.

The beauty of these spaces has something enigmatic, without a doubt, and of course they have a captivating photogenicity. For this reason, tourism in the General Carrera lake has been growing a lot, at the same time that the accesses have been improved.

It is not surprising that there are more and more companies dedicated to offering hiking routes in the area or that there are more accommodations. Of course, it is also easy to find restaurants where you can savor the peculiar gastronomy of this area of ​​Chile.