Patagonia National Parks
In total, there are no less than 20 national parks in Patagonia, stretching from Chile to Argentina. Obviously, they are all located in the south of the planet and stand out for their great biodiversity.
Reserved areas protect the natural heritage of a region. Furthermore, they allow us to learn a lot about flora and fauna, as well as history and culture.
In this article, we’ll talk about some of the many national parks in Patagonia, south of South America.
How many national parks in Patagonia are there?
Today, there are nearly 20 national parks in Patagonia, stretching across Argentina and Chile. Among them, we can highlight:
1. Los Glaciares National Park
It is located in the province of Santa Cruz and is one of the largest parks in Patagonia, covering more than 7,000 km². It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1981, although it was created in 1937.
Furthermore, it is divided into four zones. The best known is the one that houses the Perito Moreno glacier.
In Los Glaciares National Park (picture that opens this article) we can find many birds, such as the condor, the Darwin nandu, the duck, the black-necked swan and the diver.
In the forest area, live the huemul and the jaguar. On the other hand, in the prairie, live the Cimarrona cow and the guanaco.
2. Los Alerces National Park
This large UNESCO heritage area is located in the province of Chubut and includes nine lakes and several rivers. It was created in 1945, has an extension of 260 thousand hectares.
It was created to protect larch forests, one of the oldest trees in the world.
In Los Alerces National Park, whose ecosystem is the Andean-Patagonian forest, we can find a wide variety of birds.
Among them: condor, black woodpecker, austral parakeet, snapper, thrush, dove of araucaria and hawk. As for fish, the best known are trout and salmon.
The mammals that inhabit the area are the puma, huemul, pudu and the otter. In addition, there are also introduced species such as deer, wild boar and the hare.
3. Tierra del Fuego National Park
Of the national parks in Patagonia, this is the southernmost one, exactly 12 kilometers from the city of Ushuaia, known as the southernmost city in the world.
Only 2000 hectares are open to the public. The rest of the territory (more than 65 thousand hectares) is classified as a restricted area.
The fauna of Tierra del Fuego National Park comprises the Andean condor, the guanaco, the woodpecker, the red fox, the southern parakeet, cormorants and kingfisher.
In addition, the muskrat and the American beaver were introduced to the park and are now considered an invasive species.
4. Los Arrayanes National Park
Located on the north bank of the famous Nahuel Huapi Lake, which has a similar legend to that of Loch Ness and its monster.
Thus, with almost 1.8 thousand hectares, this park was created in 1922, the first in Latin America.
The forest ecosystem includes trees such as arrayán (hence the name of the reserve), cypress, ñire and coihue. In addition, the animals that we can see here are the woodpecker, the cormorant, the mountain monkey, the pudu, the red fox and the huiña cat.
5. Torres del Paine National Park
In this list of national parks in Patagonia, we could not miss one of the most famous in Chile. With more than 240 thousand hectares and located in the Magalhães region, it is home to mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and glaciers.
The biodiversity and beauty of the landscapes have made it one of the most visited places in the country.
As a result, it was selected as the eighth wonder of the world in 2013. However, due to recurrent forest fires caused by tourist neglect, many of the most visited areas have deteriorated considerably in recent years.
