Cajon del Maipo
The Andean Valley Of The Maipo River South East Of Santiago, With The Turquoise El Yeso Reservoir, The El Morado Glacier, Hot Springs And River Rafting · San Jose de Maipo, Santiago Metropolitan
The Cajon del Maipo is the deep Andean valley of the Maipo river, beginning barely an hour from central Santiago and climbing east towards the Argentine border, and it is the city's great mountain playground. The lower valley has the small town of San Jose de Maipo, riverside cafes, wineries, cabins and the rafting runs on the Maipo's rapids. Higher up, a gravel road climbs to the El Yeso reservoir, a sheet of startling turquoise water among bare, snow-streaked peaks, a classic place for a picnic. Near the village of Banos Morales, the El Morado natural monument protects a valley with a walking trail of a few hours up to a glacier lagoon beneath the hanging ice of Cerro El Morado. Further up still are the natural hot pools of Banos Colina and the snow of the high Andes. It is busy with Santiago day-trippers on weekends and holidays, when the narrow road jams, but on weekdays it is quiet and huge. Weather changes quickly, the upper roads are rough, and landslides after storms close the valley road from time to time.
Camino al Volcan, San Jose de Maipo, Santiago, San Jose de Maipo, Santiago Metropolitan, Chile
The valley road is open all year, but the upper roads to El Yeso and Banos Morales are gravel and may close or need chains in winter snow. The El Morado natural monument opens in daylight in the warmer months, with last entry in the early afternoon; confirm times. Police checkpoints control access at busy times.