Milodon Cave

In 1895 Hermann Eberhard found a piece of thick hide with embedded bony nodules in a large cave north of Puerto Natales, and it turned out to belong to Mylodon darwinii, a ground sloth up to three metres tall that went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene. The skin was so well preserved by the cold dry conditions that some in Europe took it as evidence the animal might still be alive in Patagonia, and expeditions went looking - none found anything, and dating has since put the remains at over ten thousand years. Human occupation of the cave from around the same period has also been established. A full-size model stands inside.

What to look for

• A cave 200 metres deep - cut by an old lake into conglomerate.
• Where the sloth skin was found - in 1895, remarkably preserved.
• A search for a living animal - expeditions that found nothing.
• Evidence of early human use - occupation from over ten thousand years ago.

When to go

October to April for the easiest weather; the site is open year round. Half a day.

Good to know

The original remains are in museums in Europe and Santiago, not here; the cave holds a model. Wind at the site is severe. It is a short visit, usually combined with the drive to Torres del Paine.

Nearby

Puerto Natales is south; Torres del Paine is north.