Four Itchy Feet

January 27, 2025. Cavernas del Viejo Volcan. Dina Huapi, Argentina.

Today, we visited Las Cavernas del Viejo Volcán (The Caverns of the Old Volcano). This extinct volcano existed over 150 million years ago, underwater, before the Patagonian Mountains were formed. Its underwater volcanic vent expelled magma, which was rapidly cooled by the surrounding seawater. This rapid cooling trapped large gas bubbles, which formed the caves we see today. We saw evidence of how indigenous people used the caves for shelter and how Patagonian mountain lions came to inhabit them in the hundreds. They were so abundant that the area was named Cerro Leones (Hills of Lions). This area is very close to the village of Dina Huapi. We visited three main caverns, but the most impressive was the last. To reach it, we had to crawl about 15 to 20 feet through a space barely three by four feet wide. Once inside, our guide allowed us time to explore, and at one point, we experienced total darkness and silence for thirty seconds. At the bottom of this large cavern, we walked toward a crystal-clear lake where we took pictures. The water is so perfectly still and clear that the image can be rotated 180 degrees and perceived equally well upside down. The Cavernas del Viejo Volcán were a tremendous surprise; we thoroughly enjoyed them, and no visit to Bariloche would be complete without a visit here.