Chacabuco Valley & Parque Patagonia

Why visit Chacabuco Valley and Parque Patagonia?

In the late 19th century the largely wild Chacabuco Valley became home to Estancia Valle Chacabuco, an immense sheep and cattle ranch, covering almost 300 square miles. The town of Cochrane grew up to support the workers and sits on the southern end of the Carretera Austral highway. Decades of agricultural grazing decimated the ecosystem, until American philanthropists bought the Estancia and began the ambitious task of restoring it to its natural state and re-establishing the wildlife population.  As of January 29 2018, merged with Jeinimeni National Reserve and Tamango National Reserve, the valley is now a  national park, with remarkably high levels of biodiversity and ongoing projects such as puma collaring and the reintroduction of Andean condors. Parque Patagonia is a fantastic spot for walking, mountain biking, birdwatching and fishing. 
The damaged landscape has returned to its natural unspoiled magnificence and there is always lots of wildlife to see, even if you're not lucky enough to spot a puma. Elegant guanacos abound – these inquisitive and charismatic camelids are a joy to see – while the rare huemel (Andean deer) graze on the banks of Lake Cochrane and Chilean flamingos line the banks of Lake Seco.  Everywhere there is a feeling of rebirth, a new beginning – and it's exciting to be privileged to be here at this time. 
Reasons to visit Chacabuco Valley and Parque Patagonia include:

• The superb scenery – with snow-capped mountains, rich grasslands, sparkling lakes and tumbling waterfalls, Andean forest and Patagonian Steppe this is a stunning place. 
• The wildlife – as well as puma, huemel and guanacos, a wonderfully diverse range of mammals and reptiles live here, including Culpeo fox, the hare-like Mountain Vizcacha, Hairy armadillo, Geoffrey's cat, Pampas cat, Patagonian four-eyed frog and the Patagonian hog-nosed skunk. 
• Birdwatching is excellent here – watch out for Magellan woodpecker, Pygmy owl, black-necked swan, caracara, black-faced ibis, black-chested buzzard eagles and, of course, the Andean condor.

When to go to Chacabuco Valley and Parque Patagonia

The warmest months are October to April, and the busiest period is late December to February. Spring (late October to December) and autumn (March to April) are particularly beautiful. Ice and mud make it difficult to get around in the winter.