Diego Agustín Cabanas, born in Comodoro Rivadavia and residing in Rada Tilly, describes himself as a Patagonian and a nature photographer for almost twenty years. After combining photography with private sector jobs for a long time, he decided to fully dedicate himself to audiovisual production related to nature and conservation.
His career includes documenting the increasing presence of the sei whale in the Golfo San Jorge, a project that led to his participation in a documentary by Jumara Films in collaboration with National Geographic. On this occasion, however, his journey took him inland to Parque Patagonia.
The Steppe as a Safari
During this visit, Diego sought to capture the steppe from a creative perspective: “Orange sunsets like those of a savanna, large animals moving freely, scenes that force you to change your pace”, he recounted.
The experience allowed him to view the region as a Patagonian safari, with guanacos moving at sunset, intense colors, and a silence broken only by the wind. The journey included iconic sites like the Cueva de las Manos, where a hard-to-see cave painting seemed like a welcome greeting. From nearby viewpoints, he also observed Andean condors soaring over the canyon.
Conservation and Unique Encounters
Beyond the images, the trip was marked by contact with nature and conservation projects. Diego participated in wildlife monitoring activities, toured reed beds where work is being done on the reintroduction of the coypu, and had his first encounter with the orange chinchillón, a highly sought-after endemic species by nature photographers.
One of the most intense moments was the sighting of pumas. Mirta, a female monitored by the Parque Patagonia Conservation team, appeared near the accommodation. Later, in the Cañadón del Río Pinturas, an adult male watched the group from a rocky formation. “It was the best encounter of the trip”, he recalled.
The experience was completed with quieter scenes: choiques feeding at sunset, the vastness of the canyon, and light plays conceived from an artistic rather than documentary perspective.
Importance of Parque Patagonia
The Parque Nacional Patagonia is crucial for biodiversity and nature conservation:
- Conservation and biodiversity: ecosystem restoration projects, reintroduction of native species, and removal of invasive ones.
- Fauna: home to guanacos, pumas, rheas, and the emblematic hooded grebe.
- Landscapes: plateaus, lakes, rivers, mountains, and steppes with colorful geological formations and valuable wetlands.
- Paleontology: fossil wealth that provides information on the evolution of life on Earth.
- Sustainable tourism: promotes respectful tourism, connecting people with nature in a remote setting.
How to Get There
The park has several access points in Chile:
- From Coyhaique (Carretera Austral): take the route south, turn off towards the Baker entrance, and continue to Valle Chacabuco.
- From Cochrane: for the Tamango sector, travel 4.3 km northwest from the main square.
- From Chile Chico: take route X-753 towards Lago Jeinimeni (65 km) to access the Jeinimeni sector.
Considerations
- It is a remote area, so it is recommended to plan the trip in advance.
- The best time to visit is from October/November to April, with longer days and warmer weather.
A Unique Experience
Diego returned with photos, videos, and a reinforced certainty: “All this wealth is within the country. Fauna, flora, landscape, and history, all in one place. Knowing it is also a way of taking care of it”.
Parque Patagonia is established as a unique space where photography, conservation, and the safari experience come together in the heart of the Patagonian steppe.
