Walk in a petrified forest

Walk through an other-worldly barren rockscape to discover the petrified La Leona forest in Argentine Patagonia. 

Millions of years ago, a forest thrived on what are now bare hills and plains fringing shores of Lake Viedma in the Argentina lake district. Over time, it became buried in sediment or volcanic ash, and the wood of the fallen trees was mineralised.  Gradually these fossilised remains were exposed, and now you can take a walk to encounter the somewhat haunting petrified logs – along with dinosaur fossils – exposed to the open air and strewn over the barren ground.  Just imagine how different the landscape was then, when a completely different climate was in charge.

To reach the start of your guided walk at la Leona you will take a scenic drive with views over the Fitz Roy massif and minty-fresh Lago Argentino, before reaching a surreal lunar rockscape of silvery boulders, natural sculptures and cliffs contorted  by the wind. The petrified logs are scattered around in a natural depression sheltered from the gales, and remind you just how much the surface of the earth has changed over the millennia.

Activity Rating: easy