The Marble Caves

The Marble Caves are one of the most beautiful natural wonders in Chile, a series of shimmering caverns, tunnels and pillars sculpted from solid marble by the waves over thousands of years, on the shore of the vast, remote General Carrera Lake in Patagonia. Reached by small boat, their swirling grey-and-white marble walls glow with reflected blue and turquoise light from the lake's astonishingly coloured glacial waters, a mesmerising interplay of stone, water and light.

What you actually see

• The marble caverns - the swirling sculpted marble walls and pillars.
• The turquoise water - the vivid glacial lake reflecting into the caves.
• The boat trip - the small-boat tour into the caverns.
• The Patagonian setting - the remote lake and mountain scenery.

When to go

December to March, the southern summer, for the calmest lake conditions and the most vivid turquoise water, which is at its most intense as the glacial melt colours the lake; the caves' colours are brightest on a sunny day. Boat access depends on calm weather.

Honest expectations

It is very remote, deep in Patagonia along the rough Carretera Austral, so reaching it is an adventure in itself. Boat trips into the caves depend entirely on calm weather and can be cancelled by wind and waves. The famous vivid colours are best on a sunny day with the water at its most turquoise, so a little luck is involved.

Nearby

The Carretera Austral, the Northern Patagonian Ice Field and remote Aysen surround it.