Pumalín Park is the most famous and iconic national park in Northern Patagonia. It sits between Futaleufú and the Pacific Ocean and was designated as an official Nature Sanctuary by the Chilean government in 2005. The park is the creation of Chilean conservationist Douglas Tompkins and The Conservation Land Trust. Tompkins first began acquiring land in the early 1990s and has continued to grow the park in size over the years, mostly from purchases of land from absentee landowners.
Pumalin Park protects over 289,350 hectares (715,000 acres) of old growth Valdivian temperate rainforest. Within the park there are rich and diverse populations of indigenous flora and fauna, including some of the earth’s last stands of thousand year-old, endangered Alerce trees . In addition to the interior rainforest, Pumalin Park also protects a wide swath of coastline making it one of the few parks on earth that protects these two types of contiguous ecosystems. Above the rain forests of Pumalin Park stands the snow-covered dormant Michimahuida Volcano and the numerous other high peaks of the Southern Andes Mountain range, creating one of the most spectacular coastlines on the planet—an isolated landscape of extraordinary grandeur and wildness.
The easiest way to access Pumalin Park from Futaleufú is through El Amarillo or Chaiten.
Visit the official Pumalin Park website for more information: Parque Pumalin
Chile Vacation Rental: Luxury Vacation Rental in Chilean Patagonia at Fundo Encantado, located just outside the picturesque village of Futaleufú. For families or groups desiring a more private and exclusive experience than the typical hotel or Futaleufu lodge can offer. © Fundo Encantado 2018.