{"id":100488,"date":"2026-08-14T15:46:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T19:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chile.travel\/blog\/discover-the-oldest-tree-in-the-world-trekking-in-alerce-costero-national-park\/"},"modified":"2026-08-14T16:56:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T20:56:02","slug":"discover-the-oldest-tree-in-the-world-trekking-in-alerce-costero-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chile.travel\/en\/blog\/discover-the-oldest-tree-in-the-world-trekking-in-alerce-costero-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover the oldest tree in the world: Trekking in Alerce Costero National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you know the oldest tree in the world is in Chile? It\u2019s the Great Grandfather<\/strong>, a majestic specimen found in the Alerce Costero National Park<\/strong>, located in the Los R\u00edos Region<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

Here we tell you everything you need to know if you want to see a true wonder of nature with your own eyes.<\/p>\n\n

How old is the oldest tree in the world?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Although it was estimated to be 3,500 years old, a 2022 study published in Science noted that the Great Grandfather is over 5,400 years old<\/strong>, surpassing the Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva<\/em>) in the United States.<\/p>\n\n

To give you an idea, when it germinated, the wheel hadn’t been invented yet and the Sahara Desert was just beginning to form. It\u2019s older than Stonehenge! <\/p>\n\n

The Mapuche people called it lahu\u00e1n<\/em>. It is an impressive Patagonian cypress (Fitzroya cupressoides<\/em>): it stands 60 meters tall, with a diameter of 4.2 meters and a perimeter of 11 meters<\/strong>. A slow-growing giant (less than 1 mm per year) and a protector of southern Chile. A true symbol of resilience, it is everyone’s duty to protect it, and it\u2019s important that you practice responsible tourism<\/a> during your visit. <\/p>\n\n

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Photo: @fundacionreforestemos<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

How to see the Great Grandfather?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

To see the oldest tree in the world, you must go to the Mirador sector<\/strong> of the Alerce Costero National Park<\/strong>. To get there, travel 45 km along Route T-80<\/strong> from the city of La Uni\u00f3n, in the Los R\u00edos Region\u2014a complex road that ideally requires a 4×4 vehicle. <\/p>\n\n