GRADUAL REOPENING OF PROTECTED AREAS |
|
Stay informed about the latest reopening dates for national parks and their sanitary protocols for visiting via the official Conaf website |
GRADUAL REOPENING OF PROTECTED AREAS |
|
Stay informed about the latest reopening dates for national parks and their sanitary protocols for visiting via the official Conaf website |
Queulat means «Sound of Waterfalls» in the Chono people’s language. This park was first seen in the eighteenth century by Jesuits searching for the mythical City of the Caesars. Today, Queulat National Park, near Puyuhuapi, is admired by thousands of visitors each year, who are attracted by its beautiful evergreen and Andean Patagonian forests, its waterfalls, fjords, jagged rock walls, abundant rivers, and famous hanging glacier or «Ventisquero Colgante,» which can be spotted from the Carretera Austral.
The park is refuge to hundreds of evergreen and Patagonian Andean species, including Coigüe de Magallanes, Ciprés de las Guaitecas (Pilgerodendron), Radal, Mañío hembra, Ulmo, Tepa, Ciruelilo, Canelo, Tepu, Lenga, and Ñirre. It’s also possible to find enormous Nalcas (Chilean Rhubarb), Chaura, Chilco (Hardy Fuchsia), Michay Blanco, and dozens of different species of ferns.
Birds such as the Chucao, the Black Woodpecker, the Hued Hued, the Picaflor Chico (Green-Backed Firecrown), and the Cachaña (Austral Parakeet) live in the forest, which is also inhabited by species such as the Piche (Dwarf Armadillo), the Quirquincho (Andean Hairy Armadillo), the Cuy Chico (Southern Mountain Cavy), the Vizcacha del Sur (Southern Viscacha), and the Huemul (South Andean Deer).
The parklands are ancestral territory of the Chono people, a nomadic people that navigated the islands and channels in their canoes, moving between the south of Chiloé and the Taitao Peninsula. They hunted sea lions, fished, and gathered shellfish and seaweed along the coast.
The park has three sectors. The first is Angostura, located 7.5 miles to the north of Puyuhuapi, where there’s a park ranger’s house and access to the Laguna Los Pumas Trail. The second, and most-visited, is the Ventisquero Sector, located 12 miles south of Puyuhuapi, past the Ventisquero Bridge. The third is the Portezuelo Sector, 32 miles south of Puyuhuapi, past the curves that wind up to the pass.
From Chaitén, head south on the Carretera Austral toward La Junta (93 miles approximately). Around 19 miles south of La Junta, you’ll reach the first sector of Queulat Park.
If you’re coming from Coyhaique, head north on the Carretera Austral (Route 7) for around 104 miles until you arrive at the southern edge of the park.
From Chaitén, take a bus toward Coyhaique (www.busesbecker.com), and get off at Puyuhuapi. If you’re coming from the south, the same company offers routes from Coyhaique to Puyuhuapi. You can find out more about schedules and frequency at the Coyhaique bus terminal (Lautaro 109, at the corner with Magallanes. Phone numbers: +56 (67) 232 067 y +56 (67) 223 7355).
Naviera Austral offers trips from Puerto Montt to Chaitén. From Chaitén, you can continue on to Puyuhuapi in bus or car.
Another option is to take one of the ferries from Quellón to Chaitén, Raúl Marín Balmaceda, Puerto Cisnes, or Puerto Chacabuco.
There are daily flights connecting Santiago and Puerto Montt with Balmaceda Airport. From Balmaceda, continue north on the Carretera Austral for approximately 104 miles to reach Queulat Park.
Companies such as Pewén and Aerocord also offer daily flights from Puerto Montt to Chaitén. From Chaitén, you’ll need to take a bus to Puyuhuapi (there is no car rental service).
Difficulty
Medium
Duration
6 hours (out and back)
Distance
6.5 miles total
Open
The trail starts 0.3 miles from a campsite at the shore of Lake Risopatrón and ascends steeply through the forest for 1.5 miles before arriving at Los Pumas Lagoon.
Starting point: Angostura Sector (7.5 miles north of Puyuhuapi)
Difficulty
Medium
Duration
2 hours (out and back)
Distance
2.1 miles total
Open
One of the best-known trails in the park, which ascends the glacier’s moraine, offering views of the lagoon from above.
Starting point: Ventisquero Sector parking lot (12.5 miles south of Puyuhuapi)
Difficulty
Low / Medium
Duration
30 min (out and back)
Distance
0.7 miles (out and back)
Open
The trail begins by crossing the foot bridge over the Ventisquero River and reaches the lagoon beneath the «Ventisquero Colgante» (hanging glacier). In summertime, boat trips on the lagoon are available.
Starting point: Ventisquero Sector parking lot (12.5 miles south of Puyuhuapi)
Difficulty
Low
Duration
20 min (out and back)
Distance
0.25 miles total
Open
A short trail to a lookout point, with views of the «Ventisquero Colgante» (hanging glacier) and the confluence of the Ventisquero and Desagüe Rivers.
Starting point: Ventisquero Sector parking lot (12.5 miles south of Puyuhuapi)
Difficulty
Low
Duration
30 min (out and back)
Distance
0.7 miles total
Open
A walk through the evergreen woods. Ideal for birdwatching.
Starting point: Ventisquero Sector parking lot (12 miles south of Puyuhuapi)
Difficulty
Low
Duration
25 min. total
Distance
0.2 miles (out and back)
Open
A short walk that descends around 500 feet to a 100-foot-tall waterfall.
Starting point: Portezuelo Sector.
Entrance fees to Queulat Park
Chileans
18 to 59 years old $ 4000
12 to 17 years old $ 2000
Older 59 years old exempt
Children under 12 years old exempt
Different capacities
Under 17 and older 59 years old exempt
18 to 59 years old $ 2000
Foreign
> 18 years old $ 8000
12 to 17 years old $ 4000
Flat rate for different capacities
6,000 / person / night, max 8 people per site + Entrance Fee
More information at http://experienciaustral.com/product/camping-parque-queulat/ / contacto@experienciaaustral.com
6,000 / 6px / night + Entrance Fee
Laguna Témpanos Ventisquero Sector (Concession):
Adult: 6,000 Children: 4,000 (Minimum 4 pax, 45min duration) + park admission fee.
More information at http://experienciaustral.com/product/paseo-en-bote-queulat/
Embark from Puerto Montt or Quellón to Chaitén via ferry to observe Corcovado National Park (*), explore in depth the forests of Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park and continue south along the Carretera Austral, visiting Queulat National Park.
Navigate the channels of northern Patagonia to view Corcovado National Park and Melimoyu. At Puerto Cisnes you can cross the Puyuhuapi channel to explore Magdalena Island National Park and Queulat National Park.
(*)Corcovado, Melimoyu, and Isla Magdalena National Parks do not currently have public access infrastructure.
This town is located at the junction of the Palena and Rosselot Rivers, 167 miles north of Coyhaique. It’s the access point for the villages of Lago Verde and Raúl Marín Balmaceda.
Founded in 1935 by German settlers, Puyuhuapi's central attraction is its inviting hot springs. This small town is located at the northern end of Puyuhuapi fjord.
Located on the small bay of the Puyuhuapi Channel, next to the mouth of the Cisnes River, 20 miles from Route 7.
With around 200 inhabitants, this village is located 42 miles east of Puerto Cisnes, in Lago Verde.
Historically the home of the Tehuelche people and located very close to Argentina, this area is known for its beautiful lake, ideal for recreational fishing.
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