{"id":3419,"date":"2019-08-06T18:35:32","date_gmt":"2019-08-06T16:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.howlanders.com\/?p=3419"},"modified":"2021-06-15T07:11:11","modified_gmt":"2021-06-15T11:11:11","slug":"nationals-parks-south-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.howlanders.com\/en\/south-america\/nationals-parks-south-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Best National Parks in South America"},"content":{"rendered":"

Latin America is a true wonder. From jungles to glaciers to archaeological ruins and authentic exotic gastronomy<\/a>. As we know that you are also a nature lover, today we talk about the best national parks in South America<\/b>.<\/p>\n

You’ll see that by the time you finish reading, you’ll have one more destination on your checklist. Here we go!<\/p>\n

National Parks in Chile<\/h2>\n

Chile is an amazing country and, of course, home to two of the best national parks in South America.<\/p>\n

Torres del Paine National Park<\/h3>\n

Located in the southern part of Chile, Torres del Paine National Park<\/b> is one of the most beautiful in Patagonia. Became a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978<\/b>, it is visited by people looking for immersive nature hikes. It is known for its three granite mountains of the same name that gave its name to the park that dominates the landscape.<\/p>\n

\"torres<\/p>\n

It is a park of 180,000 hectares<\/b> so there are many places to see inside the park<\/a>: glaciers, icebergs, viewpoints, valleys… A wonder!<\/p>\n

There are also several tours in Torres del Paine<\/a> that you can do to explore every corner, but without a doubt, the best known are the famous 5-day W Trek<\/a> or the 8-day O Circuit<\/a><\/b>. The former has a W shape that gave its name to the trail and crosses three valleys, while the latter goes around the mountain while still including the former and, therefore, takes longer. There are quite a few differences between the W trek and the O Circuit<\/a>, it all depends on your preferences<\/b>.<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

On the other hand, you can kayak on Grey Lake<\/a> to have a better view of the Glacier that flows into the lake. As for Lake Peho\u00e9<\/b>, it is surrounded by endemic vegetation and, if you are lucky, you can observe some of the wildlife. It has crystal clear waters that can reflect the mountains beside it.<\/p>\n

To give you an idea of what it is really like to enjoy this place, we leave you our experience in the W Trek of Torres del Paine<\/a>. According to our colleague Javier, one of the best trips of his life.<\/p>\n

Rapa Nui National Park<\/h3>\n

Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island<\/b>, is famous for its human figures carved by the natives of the island between 1250 and 1500 BC, i.e. the famous moais<\/a>. Most of them are still found in the main quarry of the Rano Raraku<\/b> volcano, although some were moved to ceremonial platforms called ahu: there are more than 1000<\/b> of them all over the island \ud83d\ude31.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

It is located more than 3600 km off the coast of Chile<\/b>, making it one of the most isolated places on the planet (which helped it maintain its authenticity), a perfect blend of culture and natural adventure, so a visit to Easter Island<\/a> is sure to delight you. The World Monument fund began its work in 1968, while UNESCO recognized it as a World Heritage Site in 1995<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Another site of interest is Orongo<\/b>, which is a ceremonial village with 53 flat stone houses. It is on the cliffs of the crater of the Rano Kau volcano which gives a good view of the landscape. It is the largest volcanic crater on the island, its eruption two and a half million years ago contributed to give it life.<\/p>\n

National Parks in Peru<\/h2>\n

Peru is another of those Latin American countries that surprise every corner. From the Amazon jungle of Iquitos to Machu Picchu through its capital Lima. It has a unique nature and of course, a unique natural park.<\/p>\n

Manu National Park<\/h3>\n

Considered one of the largest national parks in South America, Manu National Park is also one of the most biodiverse areas in the world<\/b>. Located in the southwestern part of Peru, it was created in 1973 and became a World Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and then a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987<\/b>.<\/p>\n

It covers an area of just over 1.7 million hectares<\/b>. The park protects several ecological zones ranging from 300 meters to 4000 meters in altitude. It is home to a diversity of plants ranging from 2000 to 5000 and 1000 species of vertebrates.<\/p>\n

\"manu<\/p>\n

It is the only national park in Latin America that covers the full range of environments from lowland rainforest to cold grasslands. The park is divided into different zones that have their own space according to who can enter. Therefore, you can only visit Manu National Park<\/a> with a guided tour.<\/p>\n

There are different zones:<\/p>\n