Laguna San Rafael National Park
IUCN Category II - National Park
Glacier area Campo de Hielo Norte
The National Park Laguna San Rafael (Spanish Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael ) is located in Chile in the Región de Aysen. He is a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
Geography
The National Park is located 120 km south of Puerto Chacabuco and has an area of 17,420 km ², the highest mountain is Mount San Valentín with a height of 4,058 meters. A large part of the national park is located on the peninsula Taitao. On the Chilean mainland lie the vast glaciated areas of the Campo de Hielo Norte and Campo de Hielo del San Valentin.
The journey usually takes about Coyhaique by plane and then to Puerto Aysen. Then we go by ferry across Puerto Chacabuco to the San Rafael Glacier. The main objective of the tourists is the glacier about 50 km west of Mount San Valentín. Here ends the huge glaciers in the Laguna San Rafael. It is part of the Northern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Norte). It is the equator next glacier, which flows into a body of water. The glacier is 45 km long and 2.5 km wide. The glacier walls can be over 70 m high. By boat tourists are brought into proximity. However, it is dangerous to drive too close to the glacier as the ice blocks can cause large tidal waves. The area is very rainy with a rainfall of up to 5,000 millimeters per year, and with an average temperature of 5 ° C very cold.
Flora
Because of the climate only a few species of trees grow in the huge park. The main tree species are Magellan and coihue southern beech, Chilean Steineibe, Shiny southern beech trees of the families Winteraceae and Atherospermataceae, Chilean Incense Cedar, lenga southern beech and cypress. Occurring shrubs are Desfontainia spinosa, Shrubby barberry, scarlet fuchsia and various heather plants.
Fauna
Here mainly live birds and enormous fish stocks, larger mammals are due to the temperatures rarely encountered. Occurring birds are black-necked swans, gulls of the genus Larus, condors, cormorants, Rotkehltapaculos and Black -throated Bürzelstelzer. Among the mammals Pudus occur, they are the smallest deer in the world. In addition, Chilean Forest Cats, Notter coast, Andes Andean deer and jackals live in the national park.
History
The Laguna San Rafael National Park was established in 1959 and is under the Chilean Forest Service CONAF. UNESCO declared the park a Biosphere Reserve in 1979.