With 1.742.000 hectares (3,832,400 acres), this park is the largest in Aysén and it includes the entire Northern Patagonian Ice Fields (Campos de Hielo Norte), where countless rivers and lakes are born. The tallest peak in the Southern Andes, Mount San Valentín (4,058 m or 13,310 ft), is located in the park.
The ice field extends over this mountain and the surrounding hills, giving birth to 19 glaciers. San Rafael Glacier is one of the most impressive, hence why it gives its name to the park. One of the most spectacular sights is the blocks of ice breaking off the glaciers and falling into the lake with a thunderous roar.
Although the glaciers and the lake are the park's major attractions, it also shelters a rich variety of both water and land birds. Some notable species include the black-browed albatross, huala duck, black-necked swan, and the cormorant, among many others. You can also observe dolphins, fur seals, chungungos, and elephant seals.
Laguna San Rafael National Park Basic Information
Location : Region of Aysén. Coyhaique is 82 km (51 mi) south of Puerto Chacabuco. The lagoon is 120 miles southeast of Puerto Chacabuco.
How to get there : Santiago-Puerto Montt: by airplane, by private or public land transportation. Puerto Montt-Laguna San Rafael: by sea.
When to go : Year round.
Climate : Humid with lots of rain on the coastal areas, with an annual rain index of 3.500 mm (137 in). In the high-altitude areas, rain and snow reach 5,000 mm (197 in) annually. The average annual temperature is 5°C (41°F).
Services : Park ranger.
Infrastructure and services in Laguna San Rafael National Park
Administration office : The park administration office is in the west shore of San Rafael Lagoon, in the Río Saltón area.
Office and station : In Caiquenes Lagoon (San Rafael Lagoon).
Camping and Picnic areas : The camping area is located in Caiquenes lagoon. It has five rustic areas with picnic tables, benches, garbage bins and bathrooms. No bonfires are allowed. Accommodation fees (site per day): CLP 3.500
Recommendations
Consider these recommendations during your stay in the park:
Protect the vegetaton.
Protect the fauna, its nesting areas, and the natural refuges.
Camp and picnic only in authorised areas.
If you have doubts, contact a park ranger or the area administrator.
You will need a gas or coal stove for camping.
Attractions in Laguna San Rafael National Park
What to See : San Rafael Lagoon : The lagoon is located on the south side of Moraleda Channel, on the feet of Northern Patagonian Ice Fields, with San Rafael Glacierflowing into it. With over 3.000 years, this is the park's main tourist attraction. The lake features enormous floating icebergs, San Valentín glacier, and the usual detachment of ice blocks, which can be seen from the different ships sailing the lagoon. They stay in the surroundings for around 6 hours and use boats to cover the area. There are several ways to get to San Rafael Lagoon, with different costs and durations. Some crafts do the tour in one day and others take up to a week.
What to do :
Sailing
Fishing
Trekking
Wildlife observation
Photography
Mountaineering
Trails : The trail going from the pier in Puntilla del Cisne to San Rafael Glacier connects all the facilities in the park. There are two areas with hygienic services: one in the access road, in Puntilla del Cisne, and the other one in Caiquenes Lagoon. This trail gets to the glacier, crosses the evergreen forest and allows you to observe the differences in the vegetation due to the recession of ice.
Pier - Puntilla de Cisne control post (300m)
Pier - Airstrip (800m)
Airstrip - Salóm River station (1.400m)
Salóm River station - Foot of the glacier (1.500)
Salóm River station - Caiquenes lagoon station (1.800)
Road to the glacier - first viewpoint (2.300)
First viewpoint - Second viewpoint (500)
Natural Heritage in Laguna San Rafael National Park
The typical dish of the region is the Lamb, which should pass through with a sword and bake the embers in a way inverted for a little more than two hours and a half. This is a long and familiar process served with potatoes, rice or various salads and inevitable pebre.
Fish are also an essential part of the gastronomy of the Aysén Region, as in many regions of the country there is a great variety of fish and shellfish that are a contribution to the typical dishes of the area. Within the most consumed fish is salmon, eel and hake, which are combined with different seafood such as shrimp and King crab.
In terms of beverages, in this area there is a tradition to drink wine in a leather boot, as tradition Spanish and also taken calafate sour, an alcoholic beverage prepared with lemon, pineapple juice, pisco and calafate, which is a result of the branch of the berries. It is also used for the preparation of cakes, kitchen.
How to go
Plane: From Santiago to Puerto Montt.
Tour: From Puerto Montt to the National Park Laguna San Rafael.
Recommendations
The weather in this place is both rainy maritime (in the coastal zone and fiords) and cold near the mountains). It rains all year round, even in summer. The average annual temperature is 8°C.
It is advisable to wear clothes that are suitable for rain.
Make sure you buy everything you need in the big cities. The rest of the towns have limited stock of things, and the prices are higher than in the city.
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 litter on parks or streets. Taking care of our environment is everyone's responsibility. Avoid fines by following the rules.
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