> South America
The Aysen region of Chile, also called Northern Patagonia, has some fascinating locations for photography. My visits have been in the late (Patagonian) fall, timed for the peak foliage for the lenga and nirre trees. Snowcapped mountains form a beautiful background to the colorful foliage. Water flowing from the ice field on the mountain tops creates fascinating, multi-layered waterfalls as the water cascades into rivers such as Rio Simpson, Rio Baker, and Rio Chacabuco. Rio Baker is known worldwide as a fishing and rafting destination. It’s also quite stunning – a gorgeous blue, almost turquoise color, that sparkles wherever light moves across it.
The Aysen region is the location of several National Parks among them Cerro Castillo National Park and the new Patagonia National Park which is well worth time to explore. Another national park, Laguna San Rafael National Park, is the largest in Chile and the site of the San Rafael Glacier with its deep blue color, a lagoon filled with floating ice, and a colony of leopard seals relaxing on the icebergs.
A true highlight is Lago General Carrera whose vivid blue color is eye catching in the right light. It is the largest lake in Chile and crosses the border into Argentina. It was formed by glaciers and is still fed by the flow from the icefield in the higher mountains. The lake is beautiful itself, and on its shores, roughly midway, are the Capillas de Marmol, the Marble Caves. These cut out caverns within the limestone and marble rocks were formed by wind and water starting more than 6,000 years ago. The caves are small, but can be explored by small boat. Inside the caves, the shapes can resemble slot canyons contrasting with the deep blue of Lago Carrera. Be sure to see the separate gallery of images from this area.
I must thank my friends Claudio Vidal and Suzanne Widmer of Far South Expeditions for their tireless help in touring the Aysen. Much of the driving is over the Carretera Austral, a relatively “new highway” carved out of the mountains to link the southern and northern regions of Patagonia. But most of it is a rough dirt track – very challenging even in a sturdy vehicle. Their endless patience and energy allowed for lots of great explorations. If you are interested in seeing this area, they would be the people to contact.
