Cueva del Milodon Natural Monument

The Cave of the Milodon, an impressive 30m (98 ft) high structure, situated on the edge of the Benítez hill, shelters a figure of the mythical animal encased in fiberglass . The first indications of the milodon go back to 1896, when Hermann Eberhard found excellently preserved bits of skin and excrement of such an animal, which suggested that it could have existed. This specimen of animal is calculated to have been two times the size of a man, was a mammal, and a herbivore. Inside this area there are also remains of human settlements. They are thought to have used the caves as refuges more than 12 thousand years ago.

Location

Magellan and the Chilean Arctic Region, 254 Km (159 mi) north-east of Punta Arenas. 24 Km (15 mi) to the south-east is Puerto Natales. Location

How to get there

Santiago-Punta Arenas: by air. Punta Arenas-Puerto Natales: by land. Approximately 8 kilometers (5 mi) after leaving Puerto Natales, take the left turn towards Puerto Prat. Leaving from this village, take the road to the right at the first crossroads, 4km (2.5 mi) more to the north you will come to another crossroads, this time take the road to the left and travel two kilometers more and you will arrive at the Conaf office.

When to go

Year round.

Other nearby attractions

Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine National Park

Activities

Walking, photography. Activities Section

Climate

The area is typically cold and wet without a dry season. However, just like the rest of the region, the climate varies and has the unstable characteristics of a micro-climate. The average annual temperature is 8°C (46°F), reaching between 10° and 18°C (50° and 64°F) in the summer months. The average annual rainfall is 450 mm (17.7 in).

Admission Fee

October-April:

Adult: Chileans $1,000 Chilean Pesos (Convert to US Dollars), foreigners $2,000 Chilean Pesos (Convert to US Dollars).

Children: Chileans $200 Chilean Pesos (Convert to US Dollars), foreigners $1,000 Chilean Pesos(Convert to US Dollars).

May-September:

Adults: Chileans $500 Chilean Pesos(Convert to US Dollars), foreigners $1,000 Chilean Pesos(Convert to US Dollars).

Children: Chileans $100 Chilean Pesos (Convert to US Dollars), foreigners $1,000 Chilean Pesos (Convert to US Dollars).