Are these Patagonia Legends True or False?

No one can resist hearing a good local legend before bed. So here are some local legends about Patagonia that you can share with friends of family during your trek along Chile’s epic “W” Trail or your stay at Reserva Las Torres Lodge.

Prepare your flashlights and blankets and get ready for a good bedtime story.

The Calafate Maiden

This Patagonian version of Romeo & Juliet is about Calafate, daughter of an Aonikenk chief. The trouble began when Calafate fell in love with a young man from another people, the Selk’nam. When her father found out asked the group’s shaman to separate them. But the shaman confessed that he could not use his magic to destroy love. What happened to the young star-crossed lovers?

The Mysterious Gualicho

The Tehuelche people of Patagonia tell the story of a supernatural force that would possess them and bring misfortune and betrayal. If you felt your life was burdened by such difficulties, the Tehuelche would say that you’d been cursed by the Gualicho. How did people free themselves of the Gualicho’s curse?

The Magnificent Patagonia

Another well-known character of Patagonian mythology is the Patagona, a giant woman who wandered these lands in solitude. Some people say that her power can affect the weather and nature of Patagonia. Is it possible that explorer Ferdinand Magellan came across Patagona during his 1520 visit to the region?

Find out more about these myths — and the answers to those three questions — by visiting the legends page on the Las Torres Patagonia website: https://blog.lastorres.com/patagonia-myths-and-legends-between-fiction-and-reality