El Yeso
A turquoise lake.
Pablo Acevedo pabloacevedo — CC0 · Diode — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Alonso Inostrosa Psijas from Santiago, Chile — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Matías Guerrero Gatica matiasgueg — CC0
A deep mountain valley carved by the Maipo River into the Andes south-east of Santiago, ringed by towering peaks snow-capped most of the year, and the capital's nearest natural escape, with small villages, campsites and fast rivers. Its best-known stop is the El Yeso reservoir at about 2,500 metres, a turquoise lake among red and grey rock mountains and white summits, reached by a winding dirt road at the top of the valley. The view is stunning in summer and autumn, and the road becomes hard or closed by snow in winter. The valley also has natural hot springs, hiking in the El Morado natural monument to a small lake beneath a hanging glacier, and activities such as river rafting and horse riding. The town of San José de Maipo has restaurants and shops for local food. The upper road is unpaved dirt, so an organised tour or a high-clearance car is best. Bring warm clothes, water and sunscreen, as the sun is strong and the air cold.
A turquoise lake.
A hanging glacier.
Rafting and camps.
South-east of Santiago via San José de Maipo, about two and a half hours to El Yeso
The upper road can become hard or closed by snow between June and September; summer and autumn are easier, so check road conditions.