It is characterized by great diversity of species and the notorious endemism of their wildlife, as the Toad's bar. One of its most important attractions is the Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, which gives the place a unique landscape.
Created in 1939, this park is situated in the pre-Andean plain of Nahuelbuta, west of Angol, in the Región de la Araucanía. The mountains create the ideal conditions for the araucaria to grow. This tree, which is tipically found in the pre-Andean and Andean mountain chain, can also be found here, near the coast, with some specimens being around 2 thousand years old.
In the park, which name means "big tiger" in Mapudungun, there are coigües, robles, lengas and insectivore plant. Foxes, black woodpeckers, chucaos, and churrines are only some of the species you might find here. The hills here do not exceed the 1,600 mts (5,248 ft), the highest being Piedra El Águila, from which you can see the sea, the central valley, and the Andean volcanoes.
The park has camping and picnic areas as well as marked trails for exploration.
Location: Región de la Araucanía, 35 km northwest of Angol. Temuco is 132 km southeast.
When to go: Year round.
Business hours: Monday to Sunday from 8:30 to 18:00 hrs.
Climate: Warm, template, with six rainy months and an annual precipitation index of 1.000 - 1.500 mm. Summers are dry and hot. The year average temperature is 13ºC. It snows from June to September.
Trails:
El Aguilucho: 1.8 Km, 2hrs round trip.
Piedra del aguila: 4.5 Kms, 4 hrs round trip.
Casa de Piedra: 1.5 Kms, 2 hrs round trp.
Cerro Anay: 0.8 kms, 1 hr. round trip.
Estero Los Gringos: 5 Kms, 5 hrs round trip.
Camino del arbol: 0.2 km, 0.6 hrs round trip.
Natural Heritage in Nahuebluta National Park
Flora: According to the classification proposed by Gajardo (1996), Nahuelbuta National Park is located in the Andean-Patagonian forests, in the sub region of 'Cordillera de la Araucanía'. Some areas of the park also have deciduous forests. The vegetation in the first sub region belongs to the category of Formación Vegetal Bosques Alto Montano de Nahuelbuta. The second area features Formación Vegetal Bosque Caducifolio de Concepción. There is also an important number of Araucarias (Araucaria araucana), a species of remarkable botanic importance.
Fauna: The park is well known for the diversity of its fauna and its notorious endemism. Some of its species can only be found in the park, such as the Mud Frog (Alsodes barrioi). This aspect has been acknowledged by several experts in the field of Protected Wild Areas.
Hidrography: In general terms, the basins in the area are exorheic, with a lotic ecosystem. The lotic basins belong to Picoiquén river, which water is born in the park, supplying the cities of Angol and Purén. In turn, Picoiquén is a tributary of Purén river, which supplies the village of Purén and is a tributary of Imperial river.
Gastronomy
This area has a gastronomic identity marked mainly by Mapuche cuisine and the complement of Spanish cuisine. This land is characterized as a place of cultivation, where there are different outbreaks of fruits, legumes, vegetables and spices that are fundamental in the condiment of the food as the Merquén.
Meat and fish are also important food, which are usually seasoned with the spices of Mapuche cuisine. Within the typical dishes are the Charquicán, empanadas with pebre, roast lamb, tortillas embers among others. You cannot visit this area without eating chestnuts or pine nuts.
A traditional drink of the area is apple chicha or wine. Desserts usually have blueberries or raspberries or nuts and chestnuts as well.
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.