Basic ecotouristic information on Bernardo O´Higgins National Park (Chile) - localization, access, characteristic, fauna and flora, possible activities.
Localization
South Patagonia, just on Argetinian border - 50 km north of Puerto Natales between the Baker Channel and the northern part of the Fjord of the Mountains.
Access
Difficult - accessible by boat (4 hours) or helicopter only mostly from Puerto Natales.
Characteristic
35 259 km2 - the largest of the protected areas in Chile. Mountainous volcanic region with the highest summit of Lautaro volcano (3607 m) and subcoastal islands. The elevations are lower in the southern part of the park, but the scenery of the rugged mountains is still spectacular. The highlight of this zone is the Mount Balmaceda (2,035 m) with its two glaciers.There are no large rivers but lots of the narrow channels and fjords penetrate deeply into the park limits. The Pío XI glacier lying inside the park is the largest glacier of the South hemisphere outside of Antarctica, covering an area of 1,265 km². Typical ecosystems: Magellanic subpolar forests (southern taiga), alpine and arctic biotopes. The park is one of the last refuges for the Chilean Huemul.
Fauna + Flora
Species List - See the Attachment Below
(Species list may not be complete)
Possible activities
Wildlife watching
Sea kayak, high mountanis trekking (difficult), mountain climbing, glacier trekking.
Note
There is no touristic infrastructure developed. There is only one small fishing village within the park limits.
The park is part of the Tentative List in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List UNESCO.
Best time to visit X-III