Parque Nacional Cerro Castillo, Patagonia, Chile
Introduction
Access: Villa Cerro Castillo
Cerro Castillo means “castle summit” and it is easy to see why this park is named so. The jagged and spiked peaks look, from a distance, to form a castle-like silhouette. The highest Cerro Castillo peak lies 7,605 feet above Coyhaique and Río Ibáñez, and in the area surrounding it, you’ll find a trekking circuit that has been named one of the most beautiful in all Chile.
The Lenga and Ñirre forests are home to Huemules (South Andean Deer) and it’s not uncommon to spot one near the Ibáñez park entrance, just next to the Carretera Austral.
The hanging glaciers form lagoons with bright turquoise waters, giving even more colour and life to a unique landscape that already captivates visitors from around the world.
Brief details
- Open: From October to April
- Area: 354,601 acres
- Climate: Cold steppe and trans-Andean continental climate
- Rainfall: 36.5 inches annually
- Ecosystem: Deciduous Forest, Evergreen Mountain and Steppe
- Founded: June 19, 1970
Suggested Places of Interest and / or Activities
- See the impressive Cerro Castillo massif, which can be photographed from one of the lookout points along the Carretera Austral.
- Do the trekking circuit that starts in Las Horquetas and travels around the massif to Laguna Cerro Castillo, finally ending at the Neozelandés campsite.
- Visit Laguna Cerro Castillo and take in its intense turquoise color.
- Look for Huemules (South Andean Deer), which can be spotted from the Carretera Austral.
- Take photos of Laguna Chiguay in fall, when the Lenga forests surrounding it turn red.
Note: The information above is supplied by the Tomkins Foundation.
