Laguna Torca National Reserve

The Laguna Torca National Reserve represents one of the most important humid environments of the central zone of the country.

Overview
Map

This is a little reserve, extending 604 hectares (1,328 acres), where you will find two well defined sectors. The first corresponds to the Torca Lagoon area, where you can find around 106 species of birds (black-necked swan and coscoroba, white-tufted grebe, coot, etc.) The second is the Llico forest, an area which was reforested with exotic species to prevent the dunes from advancing. The characteristic feature of this zone is the variety of fauna here. Along with the many species of birds the lagoon is populated with fish such as the liza, pejerrey chileno and argentino (types of mackerel), tench, and carp. From the animal kingdom, the most observed species are the coupu, fox, and quique.

Laguna Torca National Reserve Basic Information

Location: Región del Maule, 170 km. (107 mi) northeast of Talca. Curicó is 108 km (67 MI) to the east.

How to get there: Santiago-Curicó: by land on Ruta 5 Sur (Route 5 South). From Curicó take the road towards Hualañe, passing this town, take the right turn that goes to the reserve. From this turn to the lagoon, the road is unpaved.

When to go: Year-round.

Climate: The climate of this zone is coastal Mediterranean with an annual rainfall of 500 to 700 mm (20 to 27 in.) and average temperatures from 10° to 21.5°C (50° to 71°F).

Services: Trails, rangers, accommodations, food.

Laguna Torca National Reserve Infrastructure and Services

Administration office: The reserve is managed by the DAPMA office in Región del Maule. It is directed by one manager and two park rangers.

Facilities: Environmental Information

Picnicking and camping areas: Campsite for 6 people (per day): CLP 8.000

Attractions in Laguna Torca National Reserve

What to see:

The reserve hast a great scenic value, for it houses great amounts of flora and fauna species. There are also traditional wooden houses for the administration office built in the early XXth century. Another attraction you can't miss is the Torca Lagoon and its beautiful black necked swans.

What to do:

Wildlife observation
Environmental information: In the environmental information center.
Excursions - Trekking

Trails: There park has two interpretive trails:

“Bosques de Llico” Trail:

Length: 1 km (0,6 mi)

“El Pajonal” Trail:

Length: 300 mts

Laguna Torca National Reserve Natural Heritage

The Laguna Torca reserve is one of the most important humid environments of Chile's central area because it houses an immense variety of bird species. Some of them are engangered (white-faced Ibis, coscoroba swan), vulnerable (black-necked swan, osprey, quique) and rare (cocoi heron, grey gull).

It is also worth mentioning that the dune stabilization process has allowed for the presence of forests in the majority of the reserve.

Flora: It includes different species depending on the reserve's sector. Near the rivers you can find Scirpus californicus and Typha angustifolia, while the water species include the Potamogetum lucens, Ruppia maritima and Myriophillum.The Llico forest area is made up by a great variety of exotic species, such as the Pinus radiata, Pinus maritima, Pinus silvestris, Acacia dealbata, Acacia melanoxylon, Eucaliptus, and so forth. The herbal species present in the reserve include: Ammophila arenaria, Sanicula liberta, Lupinus arboreus, and Genista hispanica. Finally, the Isla Cerrillos area boasts a number of deciduous forest species, like the Cryptocarya alba, Lithraea caustica, Aristotelia chilensis, Luma apiculata, Quillaja saponaria,Peumus boldus, and Citronella mucronata.

Fauna: It includes fish, birds, and mammals. The loca ichthyofauna features species like Mugil cephalus, Basilichthys australis, Tenca tinca, Cyprinus carpio, and Odontesthes bonaerensis. There are more than 90 types of birds, including the Cygnus melancoryphus, Pandion haliaetus, Plegadis chihi, Coscoroba coscoroba, Podiceps major, Podiceps rolland, Phalacrocorax olivaceus, Nycticorax nycticorax, lxobrychus involucris, Anas flavirostris, Ardea cocoi, Heteronetta atricapilla, Larus modestus, Trachuris rubrigastra, Fulicula armillata, Rallus sanguinolentus, Curaeus curaeus, Sturnella loyca, Vanellus chilensis, and Zenaida auriculata. Some of the mammals you can find include the Myocastor coypus, Pseudalopex culpaeus, Galictis cuja, Lepus europaeus, and the Oritolagus cuniculus.

Soils: Depending on its usability, they are classified in levels IV,VII and VIII. They were originated in metamorphic rocks with ondulated topography and fast external draining. The erosion is strong and laminated.

Hydrography: The reserve is located in a system made up by the Torca Lagoon, Lake Vichuquén, and the Agua Dulce lagoon.

For more information about prices press the next link:http://www.conaf.cl/parques/reserva-nacional-laguna-torca/

Recommendations

The climate is Mediterranean, hot in summer and cold in winter. The average annual temperature is around 13° C. The central zone of Chile is considered the warmest of the country. In summer temperatures surpass 30 ° 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 litter on parks or streets. Taking care of our environment is everyone's responsibility. Avoid fines by following the rules.