San Rafael Lagoon National Park
The Aysen region is a remote tourist destination at the tip of Southern Chile. It is one of the least populated regions in Chile and is difficult to travel to as there are no direct roads from Central Chile. The San Rafael Lagoon National Park is situated in the Aysen region of Chile. From ice floes to tall peaks, the Park has a diverse terrain that makes it a favorite Chile tourist destination.
Located 600 kms. south of Puerto Montt, in the southern part of the Moraleda Channel, San Rafael Lagoon National Park is the largest in Aysen and includes the Northern Ice Fields from which many rivers and lakes originate. A Biosphere Reserve, the park also has many water and land birds including the black-browed albatross, huala duck, black necked swan and cormorants. Also, there are chungungos, dolphins, elephant seals, fur seals, sea elephants, sea dog and tuna fish. It is a popular destination for remote fishing trips and walking holidays. Mount San Valentin, the highest peak in the Southern Andes, is situated in the Park. The San Rafael Glacier is one of the major outlet glaciers of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field in southern Chile. It calves into the Laguna San Rafael and is part of the San Rafael Lagoon National Park.
Los Glaciares National Park
Los Glaciares National Park is located in the Austral Andes in Argentina, in the south west of Santa Cruz on the border with Chile. It was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1987. It extends along the Chilean frontier covering 759,000 hectares. 40% of the park is covered by giant ice fields, with 47 glaciers which flow into the park to feed two big lakes, Lake Viedma in the north and Lago Argentino in the south.
There are two parts to the park. The northern part attracts climbers and hikers to explore the panoramas of Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre.
The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz Province in Argentina and is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia.
The Upsala Glacier is a large valley glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. It flows out from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field which also feeds the nearby Perito Moreno Glacier and ends at Lake Argentino.
Lake Argentino lies within the Los Glaciares National Park surrounded by numerous glaciers and is fed by the glacial meltwater of several rivers. It is the biggest lake in Argentina, with a surface area of 1,466 km� The glaciers and the lake itself are important tourist destinations.
Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park is a Chilean National Park which comprises mountains, glaciers, lakes and rivers Between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes, the park is located 312 km north of Punta Arenas west. Los Glaciares National Park is located to the north in Argentine territory.
The Cordiellera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. A small but spectacular mountain group it is located 400 km north of Punta Arenas and about 2,500 km south of the Chilean capital Santiago. It belongs to the Commune of Torres del Paine in the Ultima Esperanza Province of Magallanes y Antartica Chilena Region.
The Paine massif, an eastern spur of the Andes located on the east side of the Grey Glacier, rises dramatically above the Patagonian Steppe. Small valleys separate the granite spires and mountains of the massif.
The Southern Patagonian Ice Field covers a large portion of the park. Glaciers include the Dickson, the Grey and the Tyndall.
The main river flowing through the park is Paine River. Most of the rivers and lakes of the park drain into Ultima Esperanza Sound via the Serrano River. Within the borders of the park are Dickson Lake, Nordenskjold Lake, Pehoe Lake, Grey Lake and Sarmiento Lake.
Alberto de Agostini National Park
Alberto de Agostini National Park is located in the Chilean part of Tierra del Fuego. An area of 14,600 km� it includes the Cordiellera Darwin. The park is named after Alberto Maria de Agostini, an Italian missionary and explorer. Several tidewater glaciers and fjords form part of this park. The park also comprises Gordon Island, Londonderry and port of Hoste Island.
Mantled by an ice field, Cordillera Darwin mountain range is located in the southwestern portion of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, entirely within the Chilean territory. It is part of the Andes range and includes the highest mountains in Tierra del Fuego. The Darwin Range extends in a west-east direction from the Monte Sarmiento to the Yendegaia Valley. The range is named after Charles Darwin and is the most important feature of the Alberto de Agostini National Park. The largest glacier is the Marinelli Glacier.
