The Concon Wetlands

		MORE OUTINGS IN Concón

Marcelo Sola

Situated at the mouth of the Aconcagua River, there lies the recently opened Urban and Ecological Park named La Isla. The Concón Wetlands, a unique ecosystem which contributes to the shelter a great biodiversity of plants and birds of educational, tourist and scientific interest are contained inside this venue.

This park was designed together with the Municipality of Concon and built by Enap Refineria Aconcagua on a piece of land of 13 hectares for families to enjoy an entertaining walk close to nature.

These wetlands hold 70 species of birds – resident and migratory –allowing visitors who approach this site to admire them. Migratory species comes mainly from the northern hemisphere, especially from the United States and Canada, and arrive in the spring.
As the sea birds living in this habitat develop their life cycle, such as nesting, feeding and migration, it is possible to watch their behavior in detail.

Tourists may visit the park on horseback (this service may be hired nearby) or else taking stealthy footsteps so as not to shoo the birds.

Beyond the benefit of its ecological value, the wetlands play a crucial role as far as the weather is concerned. They mitigate floods, regulate the water on the coastline, recharge groundwater sources and control the effects of local weather conditions, particularly rain and temperature.

Ornithologists or bird watching enthusiasts may find an important colony of these species here: Dominican seagull, pelican, Franklin seagull, Northern phalarope, band-tailed sierra-finch, Austral thrush, long-tailed meadowlark and American oystercatcher.

Amongst the most popular plants, we can find the broadleaf cattail and the white-water lily. They are hydrophytic plants and tolerate the changes from salt to fresh water and vice versa.

Strolling along these wetlands is really inspiring. The roar of the sea at a distance while walking through the bountiful nature arouses a pleasant feeling.

Visitors have the chance of running towards the seagulls frolicking, which will quickly spread out their wings and lift off from the ground in all directions. An incredible spectacle is drawn in the sky and the feeling of freedom is complete. We recommend enjoying this experience during your visit to the wetlands.