Magallanes National Reserve

Magallanes National Reserve Basic Information

Location: Bunswick Peninsula, 5 kms west of Punta Arenas from the 53º 06’ 20” to 53º 13’ 00’’ South latitude and from 71º 01’ 50’’ West longitude to the Grande River.

How to get there: Through a gravel road which is the continuation of the Salvador Allende Avenue, heading west from Punta Arenas. When reaching Lynch estuary, the road splits in two, one going to the Andino area and the other one to Las Minas. Both roads can be used all year but in winter you must use snow chains. During winter, the road to Las Minas can only be used until the ranger station. There is no public transportation, so the only way to get there is in a private or rental vehicle.

When to go: January-April. September-December

Activities: There are over 60 kms of trails, such as the stretch of the Chilean Path known as the Bocatoma Límite Sur. There is also a trail for people with reduced mobility and a flora trail.

Climate: There are three different types of climate defined for the amount of precipitation and their temperatures.

• The North and northeast areas have a precipitation index ranging from 400 and 600 mms per year, without a dry season, with rains concentrated in autumn and a thermal amplitude of 10°C.
• The South west area has an annual precipitation index of 600 mms, distributed evenly during the year and with a thermal amplitude of 5°C.
• The higher area has an even greater precipitation index ranging between 650 and 2000 mms distributed evenly during the year and a thermal amplitude of -2°C and 15°C.
• The lower area has an average temperature of 11,7°C in summer, with peaks of 22°C.

Services: There are camping and picknickin sites with sheds, toilets and showers. There are no accommodation services, though you can stay in Punta Arenas, which is only 8 kms away from the entrance.

Infrastructure and Services in Magallanes National Reserve

Administration office: It is located in Las Minas sector, on the entrance to the reserve. The reserve is managed by Ricardo Cid Paredes (ricardo.cid@conaf.cl), who works with a team of five park permanent rangers and two seasonals from November to March.

For administrative purposes, the reserve is divided in five areas: Las Minas, Bocatoma, Andino, Río Grande and Leñadura.

Opening hours:

• High Season (November to March): 8:30 to 20:00
• Low Season: 8:30 to 16:00.

For more information please contact the Corporación Nacional Forestal (Punta Arenas: Av. Bulnes 0309. Phone number (56-61) 23 85 81).

Attractions in Magallanes National Reserve

What to do:

There are over 60 kms of trails, such as the stretch of the Chilean Path known as the Bocatoma Límite Sur. There is also a trail for people with reduced mobility and a flora trail.

There are camping and picknickin sites with sheds, toilets and showers. There are no accommodation services, though you can stay in Punta Arenas, which is only 8 kms away from the entrance.

Recommendations

• Help us protect the reserve's natural resources and make your trip more pleasant following these recommendations:
• Some areas are located at a high altitude. Bring warm clothes.
• Sola radiation is high, so do not forget to wear sunscreen lotion and drink lots of water.
• Respect the flora and fauna. Do not take any specimens with you.
• Respect the signs and the rules given when entering the reserve.

Magallanes National Reserve Natural Heritage

In 1843, the German naturalist Bernardo Phillippi discovered the existence of coal in the west coast of the Magellan strait, in a place called sandy point (Punta Arenas). This finding, plus the abundant forest and other natural resources made the local authorities transport the colonial settlement established in Punta Santa Ana to Punta Arenosa in 1845, where the city of Punta Arenas was later founded.

Flora: The microclimates present in the reserve have created vegetal formations that are grouped in the following way:

• Deciduous Magellanic forest: made up by the Nothofagus family, its main representations being the Lenga (Nothofagus pumilio), the Magellan's Beech (Nothofagus betuloides), and the ñirre (Nothofagus antárctica).
• Mixed Magellanic forest: made up by the association of Lenga and Magellan's beech.
• Turba: it is a type of moss with species like Sphagnum that covers the soil in the shape of vegetal cushions. The most common types are the Sphognum magellanicum and tetracium magellanicum.

Fauna: En los ambientes de bosque y matorral existe presencia de mamíferos como roedores, Zorro culpeo, Zorro chilla y ocasionalmente Puma en los sectores altos.
Además es posible observar una rica avifauna en las formaciones de bosques, en la que destacan Tordos, Fío fío, Rayaditos, Chercán, Tiuque, Búho y Lechuza blanca. En tanto, en la zona de turba es factible observar especies como Caiquén, Canquén, Pato jergón chico y Pato juarjual.

Recommendations

We recommend that you Schedule your flight to arrive in Punta Arenas in the morning, so you are able to participate in the scheduled activities without affecting the itinerary.

The climate is temperate, cold, and humid. The average annual temperature is 9° C maximum, and the minimum is 3° C. In autumn and winter, rainfall increases considerably.

For those who visit national park or national reserves, DO NOT litter the trails. Taking care of our parks and environment is everyone's responsibility. Avoid fines by following the rules.

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.