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Bernardo O'Higgins National Park
It's the biggest National Park in all of Chile, with 3.525.901 hectares long. Its flora, fauna and sceneries make it one of the most beautiful places in Patagonia, and the most important reserve in the Magallanes region. It was created in 1969, and it goes from Tortel in Region XI to Cape Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) in region XII, including a big part of the Patagonia Southern Ice fields, the biggest water reserve in the world.
The park is known for its big ice blocks, the main one being the Pio XI glacier, which is a 75 meters high wall of ice (like a building ten stories high), that sometimes lets blocks of ice flowing in the water, creating huge waves that have reached ten meters high, that –however- only move a little the boats near it. It's the biggest glacier in the southern hemisphere and the only one which gets bigger each year, unlike every other glacier in the world. The Pio Xi Glacier has gained over 10 kilometres in the last fifty years, reaching the 1.265 kms, meaning it has grown over 20 cms each year.
Another important place in the park is the Southern Ice Fields, the most important water reserve in the planet; Juan Bruggen Ice Field and the Patagonia Ice Field, which are all over 1.100.500 hectares.
But ice is not the only thing you can see in this place. Leaving snow behind, you can see vegetation formations like the Aysen Forest, which is home of several native species such as the Lenga, the Coigue and the Magallanes Coihue. In this area there are several species that are exclusive of Southern Chile, meaning that you cannot see them in any other part of the world.
When it comes to fauna, you can see many penguins, ducks, and Chile's typical animals: the condor and the huemul, which are part of the national emblem.
The best way to get a clear view of all the wonders that live in the park, is to get there by water. There are excursions prepared inside the park everyday, when it's visitor season, sailing by the Ultima Esperanza sine to the Balmaceda, Serrano and Pio XI glaciers. There's even the possibility of disembarking there and take a walk by the border of the huge ice wall, looking at the ice floes in the surface of the lake. The Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers both are connected to the base of Mount Balmaceda; the first one leaves its ice floes in the Ultima Esperanza sine (Last Hope sine), and the second leaves its own ice floes in the lagoon you see in front of it.
In 2004, the park was visited by over 14 thousand people, and 76% of them came from outside the country.
