Monkey-puzzle Trees with Salt

From the City of Los Ángeles, head towards the Southwest up to the neighbor city of Angol. Then take the provincial road that leads to the Nahuelbuta National Park after almost 40 kilometers of bends, slopes and extremely beautiful sceneries.

Bordering lakes, rivers and creeks, the road gets deep into the thick native forest, only interrupted by some rural spots that give life and color to the tour.

As we get along, various campsites follow one another. Some of them are El Manzano, Las Quilas and Loando, as well as the area called Vegas Blancas, one of the most popular destinations.

A few kilometers before reaching the main entrance of the park, visitors may see a set of huge rocks on the road and in the nearby fields which attract the curious visitors’ attention.

According to the Angol Tourist Office, the park features landscape, scientific and recreational attractions. The monkey-puzzle trees are protected inside a venue occupying almost 7,000 hectares of natural forest.

Created by the forces of nature millions of years ago, but officially announced by the national government in 1939, this natural wildlife reserve has ideal trails to be toured on vehicles and on foot.

In the Lands of the Great Tiger

The park, whose name means “great tiger” in the Mapuche tongue, is one of the last redoubts where the monkey-puzzle is protected. This native tree was declared national monument and has a lifespan of over 2,000 years. Therefore, along with the alerce or Patagonian cypress, it is considered one of the most long-lived species in the world.

A clear example of the age of these specimens is the presence of the famous old man’s beard on them. They hang from their branches and trunks and provide them the appearance of “grandpas” amongst the young trees which do not feature these beards and do not reach the same height and size as the most ancient.

Inside the park, there area three sites that visitors must see. Most excursions and camping tours organized during the summer season include these destinations.

Piedra del Águila (the Eagle Rock) is one of them. It is a rock standing at 1,400 meters of height from where an excellent panoramic sight of the entire region may be enjoyed, especially when the high peaks of the mountain range are snow-capped.

Another mandatory spot is Mount Anay. Excursions towards this point leave from the area known as Coimallín, lying 4 kilometers away and including a beautiful campsite to spend one day outdoors, camp or else get deep into the forest and take some photographs of the most elusive species dwelling in the reserve: foxes, cougars and hares.

The last place to highlight is Lake Lanalhue. Visitors may continue from Nahuelbuta Park up to the Community of Cañete, where a road leading to the South reaches this beautiful water body, famous for its recreational activities and its beautiful sceneries.