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Chile Ecotourism:
Abundant from Altiplano
to Cape Horn
Chile ecotourism offers a phenomenal and wowza range of adventures for the green in us that wants a little gusto. The Republic of Chile is the longest country in the world. It is a narrow strip of a South American country squeezed between the western slopes of the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, whose 2,880 miles of coastline bounds the western border.
To the north is the Atacama Desert with its Inca architecture and the Altiplano. The high plateau of the Altiplano, to the east of the desert, is an area rich in ancient Andean culture. It is also a prime area to observe the prolific birdlife in the lagoons above 13,000 feet.
The fertile Central Valley is relatively small but is the most populated area of the country and includes the capital city Santiago. From coast to mountain peaks, the Mediterranean climate in this portion of the country affords a variety of activities from sunbathing on the beaches to horseback riding, mountaineering, and snow skiing in the Andes.
And southern Chile is forested, with lakes, whitewater rivers, and active volcanoes. In fact, paddlers have said the rivers are to Chile what the mountains are to Nepal. With over 300 rivers, most of them having access to the Pacific, the whitewater is paradise and the scenery is stunning.
One of the most remote inhabited islands is Easter Island, or Rapa Nui to the indigenous Rapanui, way off the coast of Santiago. Famous for its large Moai statues of human figures with their backs to the sea, the island was its own distinct ecoregion with subtropical broadleaf forests and seabird and landbird colonies, but both are extinct. For the last three centuries, the island has been covered with grasslands.
Lastly, one of the most tantalizing Chilean lures for many is Patagonia/Antarctica, which occupies a chunk of the southernmost portion. Right away, the adventuring possibilities are evident from geography alone.
Trekking in Torres del Paine National Park will take your breath away with its unfettered wild beauty.
Green Chile:
New Ecotourism Project
The Sendero de Chile, or Chilean Trail, is an ecotourism project that will ultimately create one of the longest pathways in the world for hiking or bicycle tours. The 8,000 km trail will run from the northern Chilean border town of Visviri all the way to the southernmost point, Cape Horn. Slated for completion in 2010, the bicentennial of Chile's independence, the trail will offer green travelers a chance to traverse forests, meadows, scrubland, deserts, valleys of volcanic lava and the Patagonian steppes. A portion of the trail will even extend to Easter Island in the Pacific.
Chilean Patagonia:
Green Goes Wild
Patagonia is the southern chunk of South America and lies mostly in Argentina and partially in Chile. The regions of Chilean Patagonia draw those who are exhilarated by sparse human population, vast glacial expanses, incredible craggy mountains.
The Aysen Region is the least populated area in Chile, but is an unspoiled habitiat for many native species. Fairly remote, many portions, including Laguna San Rafael National Park and the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, are reachable only by boat or plane.
The Magallanes Region is the largest, second least populated, and southernmost region. Since the climate and terrain are not super friendly for human habitation, penguins and condors and other native species are happy to call it home. As are Torres del Paine, which are giant granite monoliths formed by glacial activity and one of the most spectacular trekking areas in Chile. Also, Cape Horn, which is the southernmost of the three great capes in the southern ocean. Because of the dangerous currents, strong winds, and icebergs swirling around Cape Horn, it has also earned a reputation as the sailors' graveyard. The natural passage between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Strait of Magellan, is another famous point of interest for this region.
Interested in a Chile Ecotourism expedition? For green travel and planning tips, check out Choosing Ecotours.
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