Yesterday, the Chile unveiled a new long-distance hiking trail through Patagonia. Called the Route of Parks, the trail covers 2,800km (1,740 miles) of wilderness from the city of Puerto Montt down to Cape Horn.
The Route of Parks or the Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia passes through 17 national parks and more than 60 surrounding communities on its route from Puerto Mott to Cape Horn. The long distance trail ties together the Carretera Austral, the Patagonia Channels, and the End of the World Route.
This new hiking trail was made possible by the recent substantial land donation from Tompkins Conservation. “We want Chile to be internationally recognized for having the most spectacular scenic route in the world, and thus become a benchmark for economic development based on conservation,” said Carolina Morgado, executive director at Tompkins.
To promote the new trail, Tompkins Conservation together with Imagen de Chile launched a website where you can find further information on the route as well as the terrain and communities it passes through. The site includes transportation and accommodation tips, with more than 50 trails already traced by GPS.
And while you may not have time to hike all 2800 kilometers, the website offers up some suggested shorter itineraries such as a five to six day trek through the glaciers and lakes of Aysén or three to four days in the fjords of northern Patagonia.
Who’s up for hiking the entire trail with me?
Me! I helped build a tiny tiny stretch of the trail somewhere south of Coyhaique back in 2003, and I always said I’d go back when they complete the whole ‘Sendero de Chile’. It would be an incredible thru-hike. Ahh to dream…
So cool that you helped build a section!