Los Alerces National Park

In the province of Chubut, on the border with western Chile, is Los Alerces National Park. A protected area that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017 and which comprises 2,596 square kilometers full of natural wonders. 

This Patagonian forest in Argentina is home to the Futalaufquen, Verde, Rugar, Rivadavia, Menéndez and Amutui Quimeiand lakes. As if that were not enough, it is home to the Arrayanes river sector, the largest Valdivian jungle in the country, hand in hand with the southernmost species of cane coligüe, arrayán, coihue and larch.

The exotic Patagonian fauna does not wait. In this National Park you will be able to delight your sight with majestic vertebrate animals among which mammal species stand out: the torrent duck and the Araucanian pigeon for birds; the larch frog for amphibians (the only one from an island in Lake Menéndez); the huiña cat and the pudu representing the Huemul population.

In case you have not heard or read about the Pudú, we tell you that it is one of the smallest deer in the world with 42 cm in height. Its habitat, in general, is the deepest part of the forest; since it looks for the most dense and isolated. Meanwhile, its food is found among the bushes, through its leaves and tender shoots. It also eats specific grasses and fruits.

Without a doubt, Los Alerces National Park is a place of exotic beauty that you cannot miss if you travel to Esquel. But where does its name come from? It turns out that in the North Arm of Lake Menéndez there is a forest packed with this species. To give you a more precise reference, the larch is a conifer that only grows in the humid and temperate forests of Argentina and Chile. Its growth is super slow and translates into a rate of one or two millimeters in diameter per year.  

In this National Park we have the “grandfather larch” with almost 60 meters high, little more than 2 meters in diameter and 2,600 years old. It is the longest and strongest in the place. Would you dare to see it live and direct? 

 LOS ALERCES NATIONAL PARK EXCURSION

To have a great experience in Los Alerces National Park there are several excursion alternatives:

• Two covers: low difficulty and 8 hours long.
• PN Los Alerces to Puerto Limonao: low difficulty and 4 hours long
• PN Los Alerces land to Lago Verde: full day of 8 hours and low difficulty.

This last option is the most requested by tourists. Find out why in our article on the best excursions to do in Esquel. There we give you precise details of the experience and many other ideal activities to combine and put together the best travel itineraries to the province of Chubut.

For this, we make ouravailable travel specialists. Send us a WhatsApp and we will give you all the advice you need to fully experience Los Alerces National Park. You will visit places of interest such as: Villa Intendencia, Cave Paintings and Irigoyen Waterfall, as well as the beach in Punta Matos. In addition, there is a walk to Puerto Chucao passing through the Arrayanes and Rivadavia, Verde and Menendez Lakes, including the viewpoint of the Torrecillas Glacier.