Chile: A Botanical Adventure

After breakfast this morning we check out of the hotel and depart for a full day excursion to La Campana National Park in the Ocoa sector, to the north west of Santiago in the coastal ‘cordillera’ mountain range of Quillota province. The park is dominated by the mountains of La Campana (Bell Mountain) and El Roble, both over 2000m above sea level. The National Park, which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve was created in 1967 to help preserve a unique assemblage of Mediterranean type vegetation which has survived the habitat loss of this important agricultural region.  This area of the park is dominated by the endemic Chilean Wine Palm, Jubaea chilensis which only survives in a few locations of central Chile, due to fire and the collecting of its sap which requires cutting down the trees. La Campana was also made famous by Charles Darwin who visited the mountain on several occasions and was particularly taken with the views from the summit - on clear days it is possible to see the whole width of Chile from the coast to the high Andes around Aconcagua. We will walk to the cascades which will take us through some magnificent forest and will give us spectacular views of the surrounding area.

From here we continue west to the coast and our hotel at Zapallar. Surrounded by steep hills covered with abundant native vegetation, Zapallar enjoys a pleasant microclimate and is locally known for its white sandy beach.

Following breakfast this morning we depart for a full day excursion to Reserva Ecológica El Puquén, Los Molles. Chile’s first bio-park not only covers one of the five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world but also promotes the care of its endemic fauna and flora and awareness of these unique coastal landscapes. This is one of the best-preserved areas of coastal vegetation and contains an extraordinary assemblage of very colourful low shrubs, herbs and bulbous plants.

In the afternoon we return to our hotel in Zapallar.

After breakfast this morning we check out of the hotel and depart for an excursion to Quebrada del Tigre, a beautiful walk through the last remaining coastal forests which once clothed the coastal hills in this part of Chile. The height of the hills and the proximity to the sea allow the forests to trap the fog produced from the cold Humboldt Current; the survival of these forests depends on the fog and the moisture it carries. It is hoped that we will meet a representative from Corporación Bosques de Zapallar, an NGO working to try to conserve this fragile fragment of forest.

We then continue to our hotel in the mountain ski resort of Portillo.

After breakfast this morning we depart for an excursion (using minibuses) to Parque Andino Juncal, which is a project in ecological conservation and sustainable tourism. This Private Protected Area has belonged to the Kenrick family since 1911 and covers 13,796 hectares. It was established as an important international Ramsar site (which promotes the conservation and wise use of wetland areas) in 2010 and encompasses five mountains and scores of glaciers, the largest being the Juncal Glacier at 6,000 metres altitude. The stunning scenery is equaled by the exquisite early spring flowering alpine plants, many of which are endemic to Chile.  During our walk from 2,500 to 3,200 metres (depending on the amount of winter snow) we may be lucky enough to see condors flying overhead and the camelid Guanaco grazing the alpine meadows.

In the afternoon we return to our hotel.

Following breakfast we transfer to Santiago Airport for our flight to Temuco. On arrival we depart for the Malalcahuello-Nalcas Natural Reserve at 150 km (94 miles) from Temuco. On the way there is an opportunity to view the Llaima and Lonquimay Volcanoes and the Princesa, India and Malleco Waterfalls. The reserve has a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. Most notable in terms of the vegetation are the ancient Araucaria trees, the cypress Austrocedrus and four species of southern beech trees. Several species of animals can be found such as Pumas, Foxes, Quique (badger) and Güina (small wild cat), along with birds such as Condors, Traros, Eagles and Torcazas.

Our accommodation for the next two nights is in Curacáutin.

This morning following breakfast we depart for a full day to Conguillío National Park. The park covers about 608 square kilometres surrounding the Llaima Volcano and is part of the area declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Its name derives from the Mapuche word for water with Araucaria seeds and is one of the most famous places to see the Monkey Puzzle tree. It is also known as Los Paraguas (The Umbrellas), due to the shape of the iconic Monkey Puzzle trees, the national tree of Chile.  We will take one of the most beautiful walks in Chile through a forest of enormous evergreen Nothofagus trees up to Sierra Nevada. At higher altitudes this relatively gentle route will open out onto volcanic slopes where the melting snows will reveal the first of the years’ flowering alpines. 

After breakfast this morning we check out of the hotel and travel to Puerto Varas, where we will stay for three nights. Puerto Varas is in one of the world’s most stunning locations – perched on the shores of Lago Llanquhue with extraordinary views across to the snow-capped Volcano Osorno.

Following breakfast we travel to Lahuen Ñadi natural monument. Located in the Lake region, the park was created on 10 January 2000 and emphasizes the protection of wildlife species such as the famous birds Chucao, Huet-Huet and species of toads. However, it is the due to the conservation of the alerce tree – Fitzroya cupressoides - that the reserve is so important. One Chilean specimen in a nearby forest was found to be 3622 years old, making it the second oldest fully verified age for any living tree species, after the bristlecone pine. This part of the Central Depression of Chile was once a cathedral of alerce trees up to 50 metres tall but during the 18^th and 19^th century they were all felled for their valuable timber. The only mature trees that remain are protected in this park.

In the afternoon we visit the German Colonial Museum in Frutillar. The museum was founded in 1981 through a joint project undertaken by the Municipality of Frutillar, the German government through its embassy and the Universidad Austral de Chile. The museum will tell the fascinating story of German immigration which started in Chile from 1846 onwards and the influence they have had in the area.  Lunch is included at a local restaurant in Frutillar today.

We then return to the hotel where the evening is at leisure.

After breakfast we depart on a full day excursion around the shores of Lake Llanquihue, calling in at the village of Puerto Klocker, part of the area settled by German families in the 1850s, featuring a restored cemetery around a German church. The tour continues to the Osorno Volcano, which we will access by minibuses, travelling as far as the small car park on the lower slopes, from where we can take a short walk (1.5km approx.). This walk will start inside the southern beech forests and will soon go above the tree-line where the volcanic slopes are covered by small trees of Embothrium and Drimys, interspersed by Desfontainia and Gaultheria, and where there is sufficient shade the tree fern Blechnum magellanicum will flourish. At the head of this walk are some stunning panoramic views of the Andes and the surrounding lakes. Lunch is included at a local restaurant today.

Following breakfast we check out of the hotel and transfer to Puerto Montt airport for our flight to Punta Arenas. We will be met on arrival and transferred to Torres del Paine National Park. As we drive though the vast Patagonian steppes we will take the opportunity to look for some of the great array of plants endemic to this dry region of Patagonia as well as surrounding regions of southern Argentina and the Falkland Islands.

After breakfast we have a full day excursion to Torres del Paine National Park, where we can expect to find a very interesting array of plant species. Our first encounter with this stunning place will lead us to find striking species such as various Lady's Slippers of the genus Calceolaria including C. biflora and the striking C. uniflora. We will visit low-growing patches of Antarctic Beech (Nothofagus antarctica) and arid sectors with the presence of the endemic shrub Paramela (Adesmia boronioides). On the wildlife side we can expect to see herds of Guanaco (a relative of the Llama), Andean Deer and Culpeo Foxes. Pumas are relatively abundant here, but we will need to be lucky if we are to spot one.

Following breakfast, we continue our exploration of the Torres del Paine National Park and aim to discover representative species of the Patagonian steppes. We will try to find, among several others, the tiny Patagonian Alstroemeria (Alstroemeria patagonica) or the conspicuous Oxalis (Oxalis enneaphylla), both of which have a very restricted range. After our lunch we will continue across vegetative formations with the highest plant diversity of the whole region of southern Chile, known as the pre-Andean Mesophytic Scrub. Extensive shrubby areas hold stunning species such as the Chilean Fire-Bush (Embothrium coccineum) or the fragrant Escallonia (Escallonia rubra). We will also look for the most beautiful orchids of the region including Chloraea magellanica, Codonorchis lessonii and Gavilea littoralis. The grandeur of the scenery should make for a truly memorable day in this magnificent Biosphere Reserve

After breakfast, we transfer to Punta Arenas airport for our flight back to Santiago. Upon arrival we transfer to our hotel for an evening at leisure. (Guests booked on the extension to the Falkland Islands would depart today from Punta Arenas to the Falklands.)

Today we transfer to Santiago airport for our return overnight flight to London.