Wilderness Landscape & Natural Heritage
Alerce Costero National Park is located in southern Chile’s Los Ríos Region, encompassing a portion of the Coastal Range near the Pacific Ocean. This park is renowned for its dense stands of ancient Fitzroya cupressoides, commonly known as Alerce, a long-living conifer related to redwoods. These monumental trees, some thousands of years old, create a towering, prehistoric forest unlike most others on the planet. The park’s terrain is steep, covered with moss and ferns beneath a canopy shaped by frequent rainfall and mild temperatures typical of the valdivian temperate rainforest biome. Diverse plant life including orchids, bamboo understory, and rich bird populations thrive alongside mammals such as pudú deer and elusive pumas. Established in 1987, the park covers an area that protects this fragile ecosystem from logging and development. Visitors to Alerce Costero enjoy numerous trails that range from short nature walks to multi-day treks into remote wilderness. Popular hikes include routes to the spectacular ancient Alerce groves and viewpoints overlooking Pacific coastal valleys. Alerce Costero is also prized for its relatively low visitor numbers, offering peaceful immersion in wild nature. Ranger stations provide interpretive information and guided tours, enhancing visitor appreciation of the park’s natural and cultural heritage. Overall, the park is a testament to the importance of conserving Chile’s native forests and offers exemplary opportunities for hiking, wildlife observation, and nature photography.
