Río Chico and El Saltillo

Sometimes, geologic formations are a tourist destination themselves and they provide the chance for visitors to find natural spaces featuring outstanding beauty. One of them is the Chico River -whose name stands for "small" in Spanish- run between two steep walls and boasts three fantastic waterfalls.

While at the City of El Bolsón, we set out towards southern Patagonia and took a detour that would lead us to our first target: El Saltillo. After traveling along picturesque roads, we reached a town known as Cushamene, where we accessed some private fields and crossed gates in order to reach the Chico River.

We went on an intense hike along its ravine and appreciated various rock formations as well as the wide range of colors featured by the minerals that make up the river walls. As we reached a fault in the ground, we could see the river below, running between walls and presenting a series of cascades that fell into huge pools surrounded by vegetation. The biggest one -which measures about 20 meters, was the famous El Saltillo.

We went about a hundred meters downhill so as to access the riverbed, whose volume changes according to the season, the rainfall and the meltdown. We had a swim and enjoyed that incredible nook whose high walls prevented us from seeing what lay beyond. This is what makes its discovery so mysterious. We walked and walked for several kilometers and were constantly impressed by the rocks around us.

Another local surprise was to go around the Chubut River and discover an enormous rock reaching about 200 meters of height, easily spotted from a distance. It is located on a vast plain on the former riverbed and expert climbers usually try to reach its top. The reference point is the town called Gualjaina, specially known by adventure travel enthusiasts due to its extraordinary circuits.

Our tour continued along National Route 40 towards the south. The image of those Patagonian spaces was forever stamped in our memories.