Hands Cave Paintings
Land - Full Day
 From
Perito Moreno, taking National Route 40 and after 118 km. towards
the south, turn left and drive for 46 km. on Prov. Route 97.
The area's natural vegetation consists of calafate, duraznillo
neneo, coirón, molle, cola de piche, among others. The fauna
is represented by the red fox, gray fox, hare, skunk, armadillo,
guanaco, puma and among the birds, ñandú, great bustard,
martineta, gallareta, duck, black neck swan.
In the middle of this marvelous natural scenery you will arrive
at the Interpretation Center where the ranger will provide information.
 The
first thing you will see is the imposing Pinturas River Canyon.
It runs at an altitude of 240 m. above sea level and the cave
is about 50 m. over the river level. The scenery is one of high
walls with ochre and green tones and a stream down below. Probably,
for this reason, the aborigines chose this site to paint their cosmovision
on the bare rock.
This art expression can be seen on ledges, caves and walls. Not
too far from these caves, similar paintings can be observed as the
Charcamata Ledge and the Grande Cave.
The Hands Cave has, as its name implies, a great number of painted
hands in negative and positive, contoured in red, ochre, yellow,
green white and black colors, many of them are overlapped. There
are also guanaco silhouettes, human figures in motion, dots and
concentric circles.
The studies show plaster and clay, with different iron content
giving different red tonalities.
Although its meaning of these paintings is unknown, they must have
played a magic-religious function with the hunters, given the concentration
and superimposition of the motives.
In 1999, this site was declared "World Heritage Site" by
Unesco.
Knowing this incredible place is like knowing the soul of Patagonia.
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