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GENERAL CARRERA LAKE AND BAKER RIVER

On Patagonia is located the second largest lake on South America, the named 'Chelenko' by the Tehuelches, native inhabitants from this zone, which is known as General Carrera Lake. Through its 978,12 square kilometers of surface extends a special landscape like paradise, where besides the predominance of color green on its waters and vegetation, is possible to appreciate the summits of San Valentín Mount and San Lorenzo Mount, both covered by glaciers.

It 's the biggest lake of Chile, with 200 kilometers length, a depth of 590 meters and is located at 350 meters of altitude.

In relation with the flore the 'lenga' (Nothofagus pumilio) forests and 'coihue' (Nothofagus dombeyii) cover the rugged sides of the north and west bank. At the opposite edge a special drier climate has allowed the development of a low vegetation.

The lake's magnitude has originated a microclimate with a lot of sun, nice temperatures and a rainfall level lower from the rest of the region.

General Carrera Lake empties at the Bertrand Lake, where borns Baker River, the most plentiful of Chile which flows by 200 kilometers towards south-west to finally get out to the sea. On its delta is the village of Tortel.

This river also offers different rapids appropriate for raft descents and it's navigable for little boats at some kilometers before the river's mouth at Caleta Tortel. Bertrand Lake and Baker River are actually considered a National Tourist Interest Zone (ZOIT in spanish).

But General Carrera Lake doesn't offers only these kind of tourist attractive, here you can also find on it's surrounding area, at the east of the southern Andes, demonstrations of cave painting. They form the named 'Patagonian Art Style', the most ancient of South America. Its most famous representations are hands, guanaco's scenes and borders. Though they are badly conserved they reach up to some eaves of the pampas region which is at the north of the Magallanes Strait. Because of the isolation of Patagonia respect another cultural currents the basic characteristics of the style stayed inalterable during thousands of years.

All these set of things transform General Carrea Lake and Baker River on one of the favourite places for tourists when they visit Patagonia.