35 km from Santiago · straight line
Yerba Loca
A whole glacial valley an hour from the city. The gate of the Andes.
- Validating
- A day
Photograph: Pierre Bouillot pbouillot · CC0
Why it's worth the trip
Because it's the fastest way to understand what this mountain range is made of. The work of the ice is visible with the naked eye, and you walk along the floor of what used to be a glacier.
Landscape
You climb the hairpin road towards Farellones and, at one of the bends, the landscape opens up: a U-shaped valley carved by ice, with the Yerba Loca stream running along the bottom and granite walls on either side. It's the first place on the route where the scale stops being urban and becomes properly Andean.
- Mountain
- Water
What the trip could look like
A full-day outing walking the valley floor, a packed lunch beside the stream and a long unhurried stretch of time.
A possible format, not yet a trip with a date.
Who this destination is for
A good fit if
- Anyone wanting mountains without an overnight
- Landscape photography
- Groups that already know each other a little
Maybe not if
- Anyone who reacts badly to altitude
- Bad-weather days in the mountains
Worth knowing
- It is a protected nature sanctuary: access is regulated.
- Mountain weather turns fast; layered clothing is not optional.
Sources
Other destinations
Aguas de Ramón
The ravine that starts where the city ends, with a waterfall at the far end.
- Validating
- A day
- Moderate
Río Clarillo
Native forest and clear water in the foothills above Pirque.
- Validating
- A day
- Gentle
El Morado
Real high mountain in Cajón del Maipo: a glacier, a lagoon and silence.
- Idea
- A day
- Demanding