Autumn’s colors: National Parks that every season get renewed

Chile’s National Parks are many and very diverse. Enormous extensions of protected land, each with its own rich variety of flora and fauna, are true testaments to Chile’s natural beauty. They are worthy of being appreciated and cared for by people from all over the world.

As summer turns into autumn, our country’s landscapes transform spectacularly, and Chile Travel wants you to experience it.

Conguillio National Park

The park changing its colors in the autumn. @feliperobledo

With an area of 60,832 hectares, this huge park in the Araucanía Region has an incredible number of landscapes, flora and fauna for visitors to enjoy. At any time of the year, the postcard images that the park offers are fantastic, with the trees reflecting in the water and vegetation that completely covers the hills.

In autumn, the trees are bathed in shades of red and yellow, giving photographers a new possibility to portray them and cherish this beautiful park.

• Location: 30 km (18.6 mi) north of Melipeuco on Route 925-s

Huerquehue

Autumn spreads through the trees in the park. @huerquehueparque

Huerquehue National Park is also in the Araucanía Region in the province of Cautín, close to the towns of Cunco and Pucón. The Valdivian rainforest is home to unique species, such as the Valdivian mole mouse, the choroy, the matuasto lizard, and Darwin’s frog. In addition to the park’s protected native fauna, it has trails, lookout points, and lagoons to enjoy amazing walks.

It’s lovely to experience this place during spring and summer, but you get to appreciate an entirely different landscape in autumn.

• Location: 135 km (84 mi) from Temuco, and from Pucón on the same road going to Caburga lake, before the detour going to Paillaco.

Villarrica National Park

Autumn begins to paint the landscapes red and the winter white. @parque_nacional_villarica

Villarrica National Park is well known for its many trails; among the most popular are the Mirador Los Cráteres, the Sendero de Chile Challupen – Chinay, Los Nevados, and the Quinquilil Volcano. What they all have in common is how unforgettable they are. In this park, you can ski, go hiking, sit at the picnic areas, check out the viewpoints, camp, and ride horses.

In addition to all of this, the park acts as a sanctuary where species such as the matuasto lizard or the peregrine falcon are protected. With the arrival of autumn, trees change from the lushest of greens to tones of red and yellow that cover its forest.

• Location: 112 km (70 mi) from Temuco on the international highway 199 in direction towards Puesco.

Malalcahuello National Reserve

Autumn in the Reserve brings renewed colors to its trails. @natalia_padilla_galvez

This Nature Reserve in Curacautín is notable, especially for its protected native species, such as the Araucaria or “Monkey Puzzle tree”, some that over 1000 years old, as well as coigüe and oak trees, which shelter all its little inhabitants, pumas, foxes, and woodpeckers. The main activities available here are excursions, volcano ascents, skiing, snowboarding, mountaineering, bird watching, and photography.

This park, full of trails, native forests, mountains, the Lonquimay volcano, start changing into the colors of autumn, which is a unique opportunity for its visitors to capture in their photos. presents a unique opportunity for photographers and travelers.

• Location: On kilometer 87,5 of the international highway, Route 181.

Laguna San Rafael National Park

The park’s vegetation covers the entire landscape, a spectacle in autumn. @parqueando_

Located in the Aysén Region, the San Rafael Lagoon National Park stands out for the presence and protection of fauna such as the black-necked swans, the chucao, and the huet huet among the birds, and the huemul (Andean deer), the guiña cat, and the chungungo (sea otter) among the mammals. In the park’s 1,742,000 hectares, there are two beautiful monuments of nature, the glacier, and the San Rafael Lagoon. You will be blown away by the enormous ice blocks, especially if you are lucky to catch one break-off and fall into the lagoon. During autumn, you will enjoy the ice and the lush vegetation. It is a beautiful place to visit.

• Location: You can get to the park by air or by sea.

Queulat National Park

The trails that lead you through these wonders of nature. @emedemme

Located in the Aysén Region, south of Chaitén and north of Coyhaique, Queulat is home to animals such as the black woodpecker, the condor, the chucao, the pudu, the puma, and the four-eyed toad. Its forest is a sanctuary of Patagonian Andean trees and one of the park’s most famous attractions, a truly magical place that is remembered by all who visit it.

In these images, you can appreciate that even in this area, one of the southernmost places in the world, autumn still makes its arrival well-known and invades everything in sight with its colors.

• Location: The entrance to the park is on Route 7 of the Carretera Austral, which goes through the park.