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The Marble Cathedral in the Carretera Austral, Patagonia

The Marble Cathedral, a highlight in the Carretera Austral (Aysen)

What is the Marble Cathedral?

The Marble Chapels (Capilla de Marmol in spanish), also known as the Marble Cathedral (or Catedral de Marmol in spanish), are one of the most important tourist attractions in Patagonia. Composed of three limestone formations, they stand out for the beauty of their columns and the intense blue of the waters that protect them.

The Cathedral, La Capilla and La Cueva, sculpted on the shores of Lake General Carrera in the Aysén region, make up one of the most beautiful landscapes in southern Chile and one of the favorite destinations for photography lovers. They are part of the Carretera Austral route and are protected by law since 1994 when they were named a Nature Sanctuary.

Sculpted over millennia by the wind and the lake, the Marble Chapels impress their visitors with the calcium carbonate formations that can be observed for an extension of 300 meters.
To see them it is necessary to take a boat that can also tour the Chapels from inside.

The Marble Cathedral: where is located?

The Marble Cathedar is locatedon the west bank of Lake General Carrera, Aysén Region, near Puerto Río Tranquilo and 223 km south of the regional capital, Coyhaique. Over the years, the waters of the lake – the second largest in South America – have eroded the coastal scarps, creating these formations that include caves and islets. Some of these formations are also known as Marble Cathedral, Marble Chapels or Marble Caverns. In recent years, they have become an important tourist attraction in the Aysén Region.

To get to the Marble Chapels from Coyhaique, take the Carretera Austral south to the small town of Puerto Río Tranquilo on the western side of Lake General Carrera. From that point the guides take people on a navigation to the Marble Chapels on a journey that lasts an hour and a half.

The closest city to the Marble Chapels is Coyhaique, capital of the Aysén region and a base point for tourism in the area. Located 240 kilometers from the Chapels, it is a city with a good gastronomic and hotel offer. Closer to the Marble Chapels still, is the small town of Puerto Río Tranquilo.

The Marble Cathedral: the origins
How the Marble Cathedral was formed?

The Marble Cathedral formations, correspond to a series of caverns eroded by Lake General Carrera on the sector where the northwestern arm meets, through which the waters of the Murta River arrive, and the southwestern arm (which flows into the Baker River) of this lake of glacial origin. There are two main sectors: the best known for tourists is located on the El Mármol lace-edge and around which are the main islets that give rise to the “Cathedral” and the “Chapel”; the second, meanwhile, is on Panichini Island, close to Puerto Sánchez and its nearby islets.

The rocks exposed to erosion correspond to marbles belonging to the metamorphic basement of the region, originating from the Upper Paleozoic (corresponding to an age of 300 million years). Part of the stone that composes it may have formed near the Equator, then beginning its journey to the place. The marbles have banded at various scales, composed of rocks of different colors that seem to be folded in a complex way. Although white is the predominant color, in some places it is possible to find blue and pink tones. It is estimated that the sector has more than 5000 million tons of marble, with a grade of 94% calcium carbonate.

The formation of the caves corresponds to a more recent karst phenomenon, which occurred 15,000 years ago, after the end of the last glacial period. The erosion of the lake’s waters dissolved the rocks and gave rise to the marble cliffs and islets that they exist today. The waters in the place have a great purity, which allows a characteristic turquoise blue color, whose hue is reflected in the white stones of the ceiling and walls.