Bernardo O´Higgins National Park

Localization

South Patagonia, just on Argetinian border - approximately between 48° and 51° 38' South Latitude - 31 miles north of Puerto Natales

Access

Difficult - accessible by boat or helicopter only.

Characteristic

35 259 km² - the largest of the protected areas in Chile. Mountainous volcanic region with the highest summit of 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. A lot 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

Mammals:

Carnivores - Mustelidae: Humboldt´s Hog-nosed Skunk; Marine Otter

- Dogs (Canidae): Argentine Grey Fox

Seals, Sea-Lions and Walruses - Eared Seals (Otariidae): South American Sea Lion

Even-toed ungulates - Camels and Lamas (Camelidae): Guanaco

- Deers (Cervidae): Huemal

Birds:

Tubenoses - Fulmars, Prions, Shearwaters and Gadfly Petrels (Procellariidae): Southern Fulmar

Pelecaniformes - Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoarcidae): Rock Shag

Ciconiiformes - Ibises and Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae): Black-faced Ibis

Anseriformes - Gees, Swans and Ducks (Anatidae): Andean Duck; Spectacled Duck; Torrent Duck; Ashy-headed Goose; Upland Goose; Flighless Steamerduck

Birds of Prey - American Vultures (Cathartidae): Andean Condor

- Hawks, Eagles, Buzzards, Kites and Old World Vultures (Accipitridae): Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle; Rufous-tailed Hawk

- Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae): Chimango Caracara; Crested Caracara; White-throated Caracara; Aplomado Falcon; Peregrine Falcon

Gruiformes - Rails, Crakes, Coots and Gallinules (Rallidae): Austral Rail

Charadriiformes - Wading Birds (Scolopacidae): White-rumped Sandpiper

- Seedsnipes (Thinocoridae): Least Seedsnipe

- Skuas and Jaegers (Stercorariidae):  Chilean Skua

- Gulls (Laridae): Brown-hooded Gull; Dolphin Gull; Kelp Gull

Columbiformes - Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae): Eared Dove

Psittaciformes - Parrots (Psittacidae): Austral Parakeet

Strigiformes - Owls (Strigidae): Magellanic Horned Owl; Short-eared Owl

Perching Birds - Ovenbirds or Horneros (Furnariidae): Thorn-tailed Rayadito

- Tyrants (Tyrannidae): Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrant; Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant; Salvin´s Negrito

- Plantcutters (Phytotomidae):  Rufous-tailed Plantcutter

- Trushes and Chats (Turdidae): Austral Thrush

- Mockingbirds, Catbirds and Thrashers (Mimidae):  Patagonian Mockingbird

- Wrens (Troglodytidae):  Sedge Wren

- Buntings, American Sparrows, Juncos, etc. (Emberizidae): Yellow-bridled Finch; Grey-hooded Sierra-Finch; Mourning Sierra-Finch; Greater Yellow-Finch

Plants:

Dicotyledons:

Canellales - Winteraceae: Winter´s Bark (Drimys winteri) - dominant tree

Fagales - Nothofagaceae: Southern Beeches (Nothofagus antarctica, N. betuloides and N. pumilio)- dominant tree species

Possible activities

Wildlife watching

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

Picture - source wikipedia