Cueva del Milodón

In the 1890s German pioneer Hermann Eberhard discovered the partial remains of an enormous ground sloth in a cave 25km northwest of Puerto Natales. The slow-moving, herbivorous milodón, which stood nearly 4m tall, was supposedly the motivating factor behind Bruce Chatwin’s book In Patagonia. The 30m-high Cueva del Milodón pays homage to its former inhabitant with a life-size plastic replica of the animal. It’s not exactly tasteful, but still worth a stop, whether to appreciate the grand setting and ruminate over its wild past or to take an easy walk up to a lookout point. Camping (no fires) and picnicking are possible. In February the cave hosts a cinema festival.