Getting out of the city and enjoying the scenery around Ecela Santiago is muy fácil! The nearby Andes mountains hold many aventuras and finding such adventure can be as simple as taking one of the many hikes.
Here we have highlighted four favorites, each with a unique glimpse into the life found en las Montanas de los Andes.
P.S. Mendoza, Argentina as well as Cusco and Lima, Peru also are great locations from which to access the Andes Mountains. Some avid hiker-students have visited multiple cities to better know the vastness of the mountain range!
These rare Chilean Wine Palms are known to live over 400 years.
La Campana National Park
This national park covers over 30 square miles and hosts one of the last forests of Chilean Wine Palm trees. The park has been designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, which means the area is used for testing ways in which the relationship between people and caring for their environment can be improved.
La Campana’s Top Hikes:
- La Cascada Waterfall: A 4.4-mile round trip hike through the wilderness to a nearly 100-foot tall waterfall)
- Cerro La Campana: A 5.6-mile trail trekked by Charles Darwin in 1834 to reach the summit of Cerro La Campana
Along the hike to this breath-taking view of the San Francisco glacier, you can stop to sample the iron-rich spring water at Aguas Panimávida.
El Morado Glacier Hike
This hike in El Morado National Park leads to a stunning viewpoint of the San Francisco glacier. Along the 9-mile trek there are natural springs, the colorful Lagunas Morales (Morales Lake), and much flora and fauna to be experienced before reaching the viewpoint and El Morado Lagoon.
Do mountain hikes incite tus nervios? ¡No te preocupes! This hike has no strenuous parts and - aside from some loose gravel - you'll feel safe to scan the area for the wildlife there.
The tallest Andean peaks surrounding the sanctuary are Los Piches and El Altar.
Yerba Loca Sanctuary Hike
During an easy 4-mile hike, enjoy the sights of La Paloma Glacier in this protected Chilean reserve. The path leads hikers through flowering meadows and into the pleasant aromas of pine, cypress, and eucalyptus trees.
Lucky visitors may catch a glimpse of un zorro (fox), una aguila (eagle), or un cóndor chileno (Chilean condor).
With 20,000 foot ice peaks and 9,000 foot high rock walls, the Juncal Glacier is a sight to behold!
Juncal Glacier Andean Park Hike
The hike to and from the Juncal Glacier takes about 7 hours - 4 hours to the glacier and 3 hours to descend. The glacier feeds the wetlands below, which are protected by the Ramsar Convention. Ramsar also protects the fauna - which boasts the endogenous Chilean palm - and the wildlife that lives in the park.
Algo interesante . . . glaciers are not quiet masses of ice! Glaciers make many noises as the ice expands and changes shape. Ice calving (also known as glacier calving or iceberg calving) is signified with many low pops and booms as an iceberg is formed - or calved - from the glacier.
Which hike would you choose?