Valle Encantado
Patagonian Enchanted Valley
Patagonian Enchanted Valley - place where a palette of ochre colors blends with greenery of plants generously fed by blue waters of the Limay River. At the backdrop – hills dotted with strange lava formations.
Valle Encantado
Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see the gallery of pictures.
At about 58 km from Bariloche along the road 237 (part of the famous “Trans-American” RN40 ) there is a place called Confluencia where two rivers El Limay and El Traful are joining together.
Not far from there the Limay River cuts through lowlands surrounded by mysterious geological formation of hills called Valle Encantado (Enchanted Valley).
The name expresses the striking beauty of the old lava formations shaped in strange forms inspiring human’s imagination.
Yet, in the same time it reveals the limits of our vocabulary because the name Enchanted Valley is used quite often to mark many “Gems of Nature” around the world. So for clarity let’s call this one Enchanted Valley of Confluencia.
The valley is located in the transitional zone, at the edge of the Patagonian steppe and the Nahuel Huapi Lake District – at the foothills of Cordilleras. In the very remote geological past this was a sea of volcanic fire spewing rivers of lava.
Then gigantic tectonic forces moved the terrain up during formation of Andes. That was the source marking the “beginning of time” for Valle Encantado.
Then probably not much happened during zillion of years till recently (in geological time) when some ten thousand years ago massive glaciers took the charge.
Rock of dwellings
They carved the valleys, re-shaped hills, made room for rivers and lakes and then, after “finishing the job” graciously retreated to the high Andes offering the sun, rain and wind to do the last act of creation.
Then “life” came on the wings of wind covering the valleys with green carpet of vegetation. And finally was time for us humans to stop when passing-by and try to apprehend the “fascinating accomplishment” by the Mother’s Nature.
Today it is the place where a palette of ochre colors blends with greenery of plants generously fed by blue, crystal-clean waters of Limay River. And as this is not enough - in the background of this already picturesque landscape there are hills dotted with old rock formations….
Certainly such spectrum of colors and shapes can easily open the door to the “land of imagination”.
Well, forces of nature did a wonderful job here helped by large variations of rock durability. Tilted and warped pinnacles and rocks resemble castles, Gothic cathedrals, animals and some more “abstractive” forms.
Palette of ochre, green and blue colors....
Many of them were “baptized” and these days are unanimously recognized as El Dedo de Dios” (God’s Finger), “El Centinella del Valle” (Sentry of the Valley), El Tren Expreso - (“Express Train”), “Lions in love” (Leones Enamorados” – to name only few and still leave room for your imagination…..
You may spot here Andean condors finding in this Enchanted Valley favorable conditions for nesting and soaring the sky as well as easy food from dead steppe animals.
Valle Encantado - Gallery of Photos.
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Left - God's Finger(El Dedo de Dios); Center - Siyam Sisters
Right Photos - Jurassic Park with sleeping dinosaurs.
Pilgrims
Right photo: Leones Enamorados
Enchanted Valley, enchanted river.....what a beauty .... If you want to learn more about the Bariloche Lake District, find information about activities, trails, see maps and of course pictures... please click:
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