This guide is for you if you have a spare morning or afternoon in Puerto Natales, often the day you arrive or the day you leave. It helps you choose between the 07:00 and 13:00 starts, check the cave's hours for your month, and know what the walks involve.
Where the half day fits in your trip
Most people come to Puerto Natales for Torres del Paine, and the park days are long. This tour is the opposite: four hours, short drives and short walks, close to town.
It suits three moments in a trip.
- Arrival day. Puerto Natales has its own airport, Teniente Julio Gallardo. If you fly into Punta Arenas instead, it is about 250 kilometres and three hours by road to Puerto Natales. Either way, the 13:00 start gives you something to do once you have dropped your bags.
- A rest day between two long days in the park.
- Departure day, with the 07:00 start, if your flight or bus leaves in the afternoon.
If you only have one day in total and want the cave and the park, our Torres del Paine and Milodon Cave day does both in twelve hours.
The cave's hours, by season
CONAF, which runs the cave as a natural monument, lists two timetables:
- From 15 September to 30 April: 08:00 to 19:00, last entry 18:30.
- From 1 May to 14 September: 09:30 to 18:00, last entry 17:30.
With the 07:00 start, we do the waterfront first, so in summer you reach the cave around opening time. In the winter months the cave opens later, so the 13:00 start suits it better. CONAF says hours can change with the weather or for safety, so check its official site before you go.
Daylight is the other thing that changes. It is about 18 hours in December and barely nine in June.
The waterfront and the old pier
The first stop is along the Última Esperanza sound, with the mountains across the water. The old Braun & Blanchard pier is also called the cormorant pier, after the birds that often sit on it. It was an important part of how Patagonia was settled, and in the late nineteenth century it received many European immigrants. Today only worn, eroded pilings remain.
The cave and its trails
The Milodon Cave sits on the slopes of Cerro Benítez, about 24 kilometres north-west of town. It is the largest of several caves and rock shelters in a protected area of 189.5 hectares. The area was named a historical monument in 1968 and became a natural monument in 1993.
In 1895 the settler Hermann Eberhard found a piece of hide with thick hair in the cave. It came from the mylodon, an extinct ground sloth that CONAF describes as a toothless herbivore weighing about a tonne. Later finds in the area include fire-cracked rock, stone tools and human remains. The first people reached this area around 11,000 years ago.
CONAF lists the walks like this:
- The main cave trail: about 30 minutes. For safety, part of the inside trail has been closed since cracks were found, so you may not go as far in as the path once went.
- The Mirador trail: 650 metres and about 45 minutes, up to a viewpoint above the roof of the cave. This is the one on our tour.
- The caves and shelters trail: 4,270 metres and three to four hours, past the smaller caves known as Cueva Chica and Cueva del Medio. It starts at the Silla del Diablo, a large block of rock.
The caves and shelters trail does not fit into four hours with the waterfront.
What to wear and bring
The paths are short but uneven, and the wind on the steppe is strong. Wear shoes with a good grip and a windproof jacket. A warm layer helps inside the cave.
- The cave entrance is not included in the tour. Tickets are sold online through CONAF, so buy yours before the day.
- Food and drinks are not included. If you take the 13:00 start, eat in town first.
- Leave the drone in your room. Drones are prohibited in the monument, and so are fire and pets.
- Stay on the marked trails. Leaving them, or damaging the site, can get you sent out of the area.
Who it suits
It is a calm half day, and it works for most people: families with children, older travellers, anyone tired from travel. The Mirador trail is the only real climb, and you can skip it and stay by the cave.
Because the car is private, the order and the pace are yours. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page. Groups of more than 16 travel in two vehicles on one booking.
Questions people ask
Is the cave lit?
It is a large open cavern with daylight at the mouth. Paths lead inside, though part of the trail inside the main cave is closed for safety.
Is the mylodon at the entrance the real animal?
No. It is a life-size replica. The remains found in 1895 were skin and bones.
Can we finish in town for lunch or coffee?
Yes. Your driver can leave you at a café or restaurant in Puerto Natales.
Can we cancel?
Yes, up to 24 hours before pick-up, with a full refund. See our cancellation page.
Booking the half day
Choose the start that fits your flights or your park days, and check the cave's hours for your month. To see how this half day sits next to our longer days, read our guide to day trips from Puerto Natales. The details are on the waterfront and Milodon Cave private tour page, where you pick your start time and group size and book.
