Bosque Fray Jorge National Park is a world biosphere reserve by having a Valdivian forest in a coastal desert area. A natural phenomenon that you won't find anywhere else in the Atacama desert.
This park, declared by UNESCO a World Biosphere Reserve, features an extraordinary natural phenomenon: it is a typical Valdivian forest situated in a coastal desert area. As the annual rainfall never exceeds 113mm (4.4 in), the existence of this forest depends entirely on the condensation of the coastal fog called camanchaca. In an area of approximately 400 hectares (880 acres) cinnamon trees, terabinth shrubs, tepa trees and a wide variety of ferns flourish, at 1,250 km (781 mi) away from where they normally grow.
Created in 1941, Fray Jorge Forest is a true natural relic, an hydrophile forest from the quaternary period. That is to say, this is a sample of what Atacama Desert was during the last glaciation, around 30.000 years ago, when the humid forest reached very low latitudes.
Bosques de Fray Jorge National Park Basic Information
Location: Región de Coquimbo, 150 kms (94 mi) south of La Serena. Fray Jorge forest is located 30º30'S; 71º35'W in an area of the Cordillera de la Costa called Altos de Talinay. It reaches the Pacific Ocean to the east and Limarí river to the south. Its highest peaks are the hills Mozambique (560 m), Centinela (556 m) and Punta del Viento (667 m).
When to go: Year round, but it is open to public only in weekends and holidays.
Climate: Average annual rainfall is 113mm (4.4 in). Average relative humidity is 85%. The maximum temperature is 23°C (73°F) in January, and the minimum 7°C (44°F) in July. In the interior areas of the forest, rainfall fluctuates between 800 and 1000 mm (31 and 39 in.) every year.
Services outside the area:
Gasoline: there is a gas station on kilometer 370 of Route 5 (North), 40km (25 mi) from the park.
Telephones: available in Seca Gorge, 55km (34 mi) north of the National Park
Medical care: Posta Cerrillos de Tamaya, which is 50 km (31 mi) from the park, or the Ovalle Hospital, which is 75 km (47 mi) from the park.
Food shops: Cerrillos Pobres: 22km (14 mi) from the park.
Attractions in Bosques de Fray Jorge National Park
What to see:
Environmental Information Center
Interpretive trail in the water-loving forest
Mouth of Limarí river
Coastal Area
Administration house (over 100 years old) What to do
Trails:
Interpretive trail of the Water-loving Forest It is located 10 km (6 mi) from the Environmental Information Center. You can tour the Hydrophilic forest and observe the factors which work together to preserve it in a semi-desert environment. This route takes about 40 minutes.
Natural Heritage in Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park
The park is located in the region of Coquimbo, in the Andean-coastal area called Altos de Talinay. The highest peaks above sea level are the hills Mozambique (1,836 ft.), Centinela, (1,853 ft.) and El Viento (2,187 ft.).
The only natural water resource the park holds is the Limarí river, which can be found 10km (6 mi) from the administrative area.
Flora: The existence of the Valdivian humid forest at this latitude is determined by the permanent coastal fog, an extraordinary phenomenon that creates a suitable microclimate in which terebinth shrubs, cinnamon trees, myrtle, ferns and creepers can grow. These species are visible in the higher areas of the reserve. The flora of the park includes species of flowers such as- varilla brava, guayacan, caper, cactus and uvillos: they are visible along the side of the road from the entrance gate until the foot of the hill. Matins, rosemary and huiganes, can be found in Las Vacas Gorge.
Closer to the administration, by Las Lechuzas stream, on the bank of the Limari river and on the coast of the park there are papaya trees. During spring, depending on the rainfall, one may see añañucas, azulillos, lily of the valley and chives throughout the park and on both sides of the road leading to the forest.
Fauna: Birds are the main wildlife attraction of the park. In the lower areas, namely Aguadas, Las Vacas Gorge, Agua Las Cabras and the Administration sectors, one may see Chilean tinamous, quails, long-tailed meadowlark, austral blackbirds, common diuca finches, hummingbirds and Chilean mocking-birds. Eagles, are visible from the entrance of the Casa El Mineral sector, as are great horned owls all around the Administration house, picnic areas, the mineral sector and the Guanaca sector. In these last two sectors it is also possible to see barn owls. In the Limarí river, both in its shores in mouth, you can see wild ducks. Foxes are found in all sectors of the park and the chungungos in the coastal sections.
Gastronomy
The cuisine in the North of Chile is characterized by a variety of legumes and cereals, due to the arid climate. Within the most common ingredients are quinoa, a staple in the Inca culture, also is the potato, carrot and various tropical fruits like mango, passion fruit and guava.
Among typical dishes are roast alpaca cooked on firewood, chuño which is a soup-based Popes alpaca, onion, wheat and other vegetables. Also you can find al types of seafood and fishes to make differents dishes.
Further to the North, a typical sweet is the chumbeque this fact of flour, lard and layers of Orange, mango, passion fruit jams. There are also the pululos, which are a kind of very common puffed rice in the north end.
The climate oscillates between desertic and Mediterranean. The annual temperature is 13 ° C.
Stores in rural areas are open all day, but they close between 13.00 and 15.00. We advise you to carry local currency (Chilean pesos), since it isn’t possible to pay with debit or credit cards in kiosks and rural stores.
Do not throw garbage on the beaches, parks or streets. To take care of our environment is everyone's responsibility. Avoid fines by following the rules.
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