Picture Perfect: The Marble Caves Of Patagonia

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Marvel at the swirls and whirls of beautiful patterns deep in the caves of Chile

Photos: Shutterstock

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Along the banks of the second-largest freshwater lake in South America lies a brilliant structure of breath-taking marble cliffs. Set in the General Carrera Lake in Patagonia, Chile, these water-filled caverns – nicknamed the Marble Cathedral – are truly nature’s masterpiece.

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With more than 6,000 years of waves washing up and eroding the calcium carbonate, the waters of the General Carrera Lake have made their mark and chiselled the Marble Cathedral that we see today.

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The entire structure is said to weigh approximately 5,000 million tonnes, and consists of 94 per cent calcium carbonate.

The Marble Caves are most easily accessed via the small town of Puerto Tranquilo. Catch a flight to Balmaceda and take Route 7 to arrive at Puerto Tranquilo, where a boat trip can be arranged from the jetty.