Eighteen kilometers north of Cochrane, this reformed estancia (grazing ranch) is home to flamingo, guanaco, huemul (endangered Andean deer), puma, viscacha and fox. Conservacion Patagonica, the NGO behind the Patagonia National Park project, began this initiative in 2004. Now dubbed as the Serengeti of the Southern Cone, the 690-sq-km Valle Chacabuco features Patagonian steppe, forests, mountains, lakes and lagoons. The park stretches from the Río Baker to the Argentine border. In a private vehicle, it's possible to cross here at Paso Roballos.
It's still a national park in the making. Combining this valley with Reserva Nacional Jeinimeni to the north and Reserva Nacional Tamango to the south will eventually result in a 2400-sq-km park worthy of one day rivaling Torres del Paine.
Major rehabilitation, with the help of many volunteers, has reinstated the valley as an important wildlife corridor. Already foxes and herds of guanaco are easily spotted. Studies underway in the park look at grasslands ecology and track huemul populations. The park's roaming population consists of around 120 huemules, out of a worldwide population of 2000.
