National Parks of Chile - Ecology

Pan de Azucar National Park

Located 30 kilometers to the Northwest of Chañaral.
This park characterizes for its scarcely developed plain, and a coastal wide treeless plain with a maximum altitude of 800 meters above sea level going through many ravines this out jutting rock allows to appreciate sites of great scenic beauty.

This park gathers representative samples of maritime continental arid in fauna ecosystems. This park has a camping area, a minimarket, a restaurant, restrooms and two loading cabins.

Llanos del Challe National Park

Located 40 kilometers northwest of Huayco.
It was created as a zone of scientific interest for mining purposes. It has an area of 45.708 hectares, in an ecological zone of the coastal desert.

Its flora corresponds to that of a desert, having been registered 278 species up to now.

Snow-capped Three Crosses National Park

Located in the Copiapo pre-range.
This park with its 59.087 hectares presents attractions like the mountain range lagoons summits, and a great variety of fauna with nearly 47 species of birds from the plateau. The flora corresponds to the vegetation of that of the fertile low lands and swampy terrains typical of places of altitude.

Sanctuary of Orbicular Granite Nature

Located at 11 kilometers away from Caldera.
Geological outcropping of orbicular granite with round and square sinters in rockeries are seen. It is a unique variety in South America. The Orbicular Granite located north of Rodillo beach, declared Sanctuary of the nature in 1891 corresponds to geological outcropping formed up by Orbicular Granite rocks with sphere-litho structures, unique in South America.

Parque Nacional Fray Jorge

Se ubica a 45 Km. al oeste de Ovalle.
En 1.941 fue declarado Parque Nacional y en 1.977 Reserva Mundial de la Biosfera. Área silvestre protegida que cuenta con una extensión de 9.959 hectáreas gracias a una alta pluviometría por consideración se conserva un bosque hidrófilo, que hoy solo se encuentra en la zona sur de Chile.

La Campana National Park

It is located 32 kilometers southeast of Quillota.
This National park was declared National Reserve of the Biosphere, a qualification awarded by UNESCO because it constitutes a scientific patrimony of the Earth.

Juan Fernandez Archipielago National Park

It is located 674 kilometers away from the continent; it is in the Pacific Ocean.
The archipelago has been declared a National Park by the Chilean Government and the world Reserve of the Biosphere as a legacy for the Human Kind (UNESCO 1.977), because in it there are the most number of endemic flora and fauna species of the world.

Rapa Hui (Easter Island) National Park

It is located 3.700 kilometers away from the continent.
It is in the Pacific Ocean. It can be reached only by air. Its capital is Hanga Roa. Famous are the petrogliphics and the huge maoist, figures that were sculpted in volcanic stone, of over 10 meters of altitude and a weight of 50.000 kilos. The island is ridden by motorcycle, on horseback or on foot.

Cipreses River National Reserve

This national reserve represents the typical andean mountain range ecosystem of the mesomorphic zone, having aborigines species of wild flora and fauna.

Torca Lagoon National Reserve

Located 108 kilometers west of Curico.
It has an area of 604 hectares and altitude of 150 to 269 meters above sea level. The flora is formed by diverse species, according to the different sectors that make it up. In the fauna, the birds make up the most visible group, counting in over 90 species.

Radal and Tazas, National Reserve

Located in the Andean Pre-Mountain range at an altitude between 600 to 2.156 meters above sea level and 60 kilometers southwest of Molina. The sector outstands of its natural beauty, both for its exuberant native vegetation and for the known waterfalls formed by the water of Charo river.

Altos del Lircay Protection Area

Located 44 kilometers west of Saint Clement.
The protection area covers a surperphase of 16.884 hectares and it has an average altitude of 1.200 meters above sea level. It is characterized by the presence of rivers, streams varied scenic beauties, and exhuberant vegetation and natural lagoons.

Federico Albert National Park

Located half kilometer away from Chanco. This wild patrimony of Chile has an area of 145 hectares of woods. The reserve is of great scientific interest, since it is the result of the plantations done at the end of the last century by the German doctor Federico Albert, to stop the advance of the dunes that were covering extensive agricultural terrains and threatened to dump the town.

Los Bellotos del Melado National Reserve

Located at the pre-mountain range of Linares province.
Its area is 417 hectares and its altitude between 1.300 and 2.010. In the flora, it outstands the Belloto of the South, a species in danger of extinction and which is not in any other wild area protected by the State. In fauns the birds are the most important.

The Ruiles National Reserve

Located at 29 Kilometers Southwest of Cauquenes. It covers a surperphase of 45 hectares. Its altitude varies between 275 and 400 meters above sea level. Its main aim is the protection of Ruil, a kind of tree in danger of extinction that grows in the natural form only in small coastal sectors of this region of the world.

The Queules National Park

Located 71 kilometers west of Cauquenes.

The flora of the area is of great floristic diversity; all the surphase is covered by woody vegetation and huge trees. As per fauna, birds have the greatest representation.

Laguna del Laja National Park

Located 210 kilometers Southwest of Concepción. It is an extended area of 11.680 hectares with an altitude of 976 to 2.979 meters above sea level, where it is possible to find some unique species of flora and fauna in the middle of pre-mountain range scenery with water falls, volcano and rivers, lagoons, mountain ranges and natural out lookers.

Ralco Natural Reserve

Located 114 kilometers west of Santa Barbara and 71 kilometers away from Raico town. It was protected to create the araucarian pines of Ralco Reserve. It has an area of 10.000 hectares with a diversity of native vegetation and fauna.

Canguillio National Park

It is located 25 kilometers North of Melipeuco.The outstands the Llaima volcano and its ski center, together with the mountain range scenery with abundant vegetation lakes and lagoons.

Mahuelbuta National Park

It is located 35 kilometers west of Algol, seated on the top of the coastal mountain range between 950 and 1.565 meters above sea level. A park created on January 4th, 1939. The presence of araucaria outstands as a species.

Villarrica National Park

It is located 12 kilometers South of Pucon.
An important wild area protected by the State. It has 65.400 hectare of rough and irregular relief, influenced by the activity of Lanin Volcano (3.870 meters), Villarrica (2.840 meters) and Quetrupillan (2.382 meters).
It presents extensions of woods up to 1.500 meters of altitude and a rich and varied flora and fauna.

Tolhuaca National Park

It is located 45 kilometers North of Curacautin.
With a surface of 6.378 hectares, it comprises the communities of Curacautin and Collipulli. Its altitude is 700 meters above sea level on the sun-setting limit and 1.821 meters above sea level on the oriental end. It has a mild, cold and humid climate.

Huerquehue National Park

It is located 35 kilometers Northwest of Pucon.
It has an area of 12.500 hectares and its altitude is 2.000 meters above sea level. It has a mild – hot climate, with less than 4 dry months and an icy climate caused by the altitude.

Malalcahuello Natural Reserve

It is located 38 kilometers east of Caracautin. It has an area of 31.620 hectares. Lonquima volcano and its winter center constitute an important attraction.

Vicent Perez Rosales National Park

Located 56 kilometers northwest of Varas Port.
It comprises an area of 253.780 hectares with varied scenery of woods, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and snow-capped mountains. Its altitude is 50 meters above sea level on the top of Troinador Volcano. Most of its park woods belong to the evergreen type. It has a fauna with a variety of mammals and Chilean marsupials. Birds and fish of exotic species.

Puyehue National Park

It is located 80 kilometers southeast of Osorno.
It is an ecosystem constituted by lake Puyehue, Rupango and part of Llanquinchue Lake, besides the Gol-Gol River.
The hydrographic system allows the presence of all sorts of waterfalls, rivers, lagoons and streams.

Chiloe National Park

It is located 66 kilometers southwest of Castro.
It has a humid mild, an oceanic type of climate. Among its vegetation species, the evergreen is outstanding.

Alerce Andean National Park

It is located 47 kilometers southwest of Montt Port, in the mountainous region of Chapo Lake. It has a humid, mild climate. The domaineering vegetation formation is the woods. An area of 39.255 hectares.