walichu caves

I can be more honest, my tittle says it all.3/4 of what you will see are paintings done recently that had been copied there.So if you ask me if you should expend €70 and a morning to visit it with a tour.. Mu answer is not at all...

Located in a private property these paintings are far from being original. In fact, most of them are reproductions. However, they are used to teach visitors about the lifestyle of the people who lived in those caves.A Tehuelches’ “kau” (house) reproduction can also be enjoyed. Sorrounded by the plant of Clafate, which gives the name to the town.Gigantic rock formations, eroded by time and weather plus the Lago Argentino and its emerald-coloured waters add magic to the place.Happy to have been there though my expectations were higher!

We drove to the caves on a gravel dirt road and after meeting the non English speaking guide who asked for about $10 USD we left. I asked for a written English guide and she had none. She stated in Spanish that there were about 10 paintings which were mostly replicates.

The caves are not well preserved... its a private property and the guide was not good... most of the paintings are copies, and the originals are unpainted, pitty...

My gf and I decided we would rent mountain bikes and bike around town for the day. The ride to walichu caves was not too long, the worst part was riding up the hill to get out of town, the caves themselves were nothing special, neat recreations. However the sights of the mountains and the lake were some of the most picturesque you will see. This bike ride was worth it if not only for the views by the lake shore.

The sign does not say "caves" on it!! It makes no mention of the caves, and if you do not know that you are going to Walichu, you will get lost. We did. The sign says Walichu on it, so if you know to look for that, you will find the path to the caves. Not sure if the caves are legitimate or not, but it is a fun excursion from the city. Rent a bike and spend about half a day on the trip to, at, and from the caves. If you don't get lost, you will have a good time.

The view of the lake is astonishing. Paintings are not original but still allow you to mentally recreate the imagine of what they used to be.

Every local person know that this place is fake.The paintings are not from past times...the owner of the place paint the figures itself.That´s the words of the El Calafate Natives.

On the way to the airport (don't miss the sign at the entrance of a dirt road shortly after the police control station), Punta Walichu sits on the shore of the Lago Argentino. A small house contains a few pictures and artifacts and marks the entrance (50 pesos) of the site. There the ranger serves tea/coffee and snacks. Guided visits are only 4 times a day (10:30, 2pm, 4pm, 5:30pm), but if, like us, you come in between, the ranger will likely let you walk around by yourselves. The visit takes about 30 minutes and consists of a walk along large rock formations with a few natural shelters (not really caves) where hunter and gathers once took refuge and left rock paintings. The paintings in the first portion of the park are reproductions of other rock paintings in the region. The paintings in the second part are authentic. Overall not an absolute must see but a nice place to visit for the natural beauty of the surrounding.

Nuestra intención era hacer el paseo pero nos comentaron que son réplicas, eso no te lo aclaran. Las cuevas originales están al norte de la provincia

Un precioso lugar, donde vimos arte rupestre original y reproducciones de arte de otros lugares. Con unas vistas muy bonitas de los Andes y el lago. Pudimos degustar el fruto del calafate

muy lindo lugar cargado de energia ,seria ideal que volvieran a construir la confiteria a orillas del lago ,(se quemo hace unos años)

La verdad parece que uno esta en otro lado no en El Calafate, son replicas de cuevas, te transportan a otras eras, muy bueno, me gusto la excursión, la cual hice con el City Tour.

Fue parte de excursión con city tour, como fui con amigos estuvo muy divertida, pero si no les gusta lo arqueológico o la historia se aburrirían. Se camina entre rocas 40 min al aire libre viendo arte repuestre y reproducciones de imágenes

Esta excursión es interesante a la hora de ver pinturas rupestres si bien no todas originales, hay réplicas como la cueva de las manos pero también hay originales es un paso muy lindo para hacer. También cuenta con una hermosa vista al lago Argentino y una playa ideal para tomar mate disfrutando el paisaje