Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve ( ,
Pronounced: ) is a private
for profit
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit."
Having a business name does not separat ...
natural reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
and
ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...
area in southern
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
. It is by the community of
Neltume
Neltume is a Chilean town in Panguipulli commune, of Los Ríos Region. It lies along the 203-CH route to Huahum Pass into Argentina. The town's main economic activities are forestry and, more recently, tourism since the Huilo-Huilo Biological ...
along the international road to
Hua Hum Pass
Hua Hum Pass ( es, Paso Hua Hum ) is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass takes its name from the Hua Hum River that flows from Argentina into Chile at the site of the border crossing. Even though the p ...
near the border to
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. The reserve has unique hotels, including Montana Mágica, the Nothofagus hotel, cabins, and a lodge for backpackers. The grounds also include a brewery, various animal habitats, a
funicular
A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite e ...
, and many miles of trails. The reserve includes many waterfalls and the eastern slopes of
Mocho-Choshuenco
Mocho-Choshuenco (Pronounced: ) is a glacier covered compound stratovolcano in the Andes of Los Ríos Region, Chile. It is made of the twin volcanoes Choshuenco in the northwest and the Mocho in the southeast. The highest parts of the volcan ...
, a glacial compound
stratovolcano.
History
In the 1960 and 1970s, prior to the creation of the reserve, the area had a strong
lumberjack-
campesino labour movement
The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other.
* The trade union movement ...
.
[ It was for this reason that Revolutionary Left Movement chose it to create a focus of resistance inspired by the Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement in the ]Sierra Maestra
The Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. The range falls mainly within the Santiago de Cuba and in Granma Provinces. Some view it a ...
in order to combat Pinochet's dictatorship.[Los que retornaron para luchar]
/ref> The Chilean army
The Chilean Army ( es, Ejército de Chile) is the land arm of the Military of Chile. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, a special operations brigade and an air brigade.
In recent years, and ...
succeeded in isolating the group by August 1981 and in October of the same year its last members were captured.
The reserve was created in 1999 and includes of native forest in Chile dedicated to wildlife conservation and tourism. The reserve is owned by the businessman Víctor Petermann
Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve ( , Pronounced: ) is a private for profit natural reserve and ecotourism area in southern Chile. It is by the community of Neltume along the international road to Hua Hum Pass near the border to Argentina. The res ...
who bought it in the 1990s during land sale program of the late Pinochet dictatorship
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (, , , ; 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean general who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, first as the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981, being declared President of ...
. It had been part of the state-owned forestry operations of ''Complejo Forestal y Maderero Panguipulli
Complejo Forestal y Maderero Panguipulli was a Chilean state-owned company that managed forested lands as well as sawmills in the Los Ríos Region#Andes, Valdivian Cordillera from 1971 to 1988. CFMP managed more than in the zones of Panguipulli, ...
''.
Location
The reserve is in an area of temperate rainforest[ northeast of the ]Mocho-Choshuenco
Mocho-Choshuenco (Pronounced: ) is a glacier covered compound stratovolcano in the Andes of Los Ríos Region, Chile. It is made of the twin volcanoes Choshuenco in the northwest and the Mocho in the southeast. The highest parts of the volcan ...
volcano in Los Ríos Region
The Los Ríos Region (Spanish: ''Región de Los Ríos'', , ''Region of the Rivers'') is one of Chile's 16 regions, the country's first-order administrative divisions. Its capital is Valdivia. It began to operate as a region on October 2, 2007 ...
. The main entrance is on the international gravel road that connects Panguipulli
Panguipulli ( ; Mapudungun for "hill of the puma") is a city and commune in Valdivia Province, southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Panguipulli. It is located on the western edge of Panguipulli Lake, and is on a moraine in the Ch ...
with San Martín de los Andes
San Martín de los Andes is a city in the south-west of the , serving as the administration centre of the Lácar Department. Lying at the foot of the Andes, on the Lácar lake, it is considered one of the main tourism destinations in the province. ...
, Argentina.
In order to reach San Martín de los Andes from the west, one must travel through the Hua Hum Pass
Hua Hum Pass ( es, Paso Hua Hum ) is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass takes its name from the Hua Hum River that flows from Argentina into Chile at the site of the border crossing. Even though the p ...
. After leaving Chile route 203
International Route 203-CH is a branch line road going eastward from Lanco at Chile Highway 5 to Huahum Pass at the border to Argentina. Some settlements along the road includes: Lanco, Malalhue, Panguipulli and Neltume. The road is paved from ...
in Puerto Fuy, one must board the Barcaza Hua Hum a ferry that crosses Pirihueico Lake in approximately 90 minutes. After crossing Pirihueico Lake, the ferry arrives at Pirihueico, the last Chilean outpost before the Hua Hum Pass
Hua Hum Pass ( es, Paso Hua Hum ) is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass takes its name from the Hua Hum River that flows from Argentina into Chile at the site of the border crossing. Even though the p ...
and eventually Ruta 4 in Argentina
The nearest town to Huilo-Huilo is Neltume
Neltume is a Chilean town in Panguipulli commune, of Los Ríos Region. It lies along the 203-CH route to Huahum Pass into Argentina. The town's main economic activities are forestry and, more recently, tourism since the Huilo-Huilo Biological ...
, the site of a 1981 violent episode between members of MIR
''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...
, and members of the military dictatorship in Chile. Traditional celebrations are held in the reserve area and folklore is part of the local school curriculum.
Biota
Huemuls were reintroduced to the reserve in 2005 from southern Aysen and Guanaco
The guanaco (; ''Lama guanicoe'') is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids, the other being the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations.
Etymology
The guanaco ...
s have also been re-introduced. The populations of Darwin frogs ( Rhinoderma darwinii) and puma are being monitored at the reserve.[ Lizards are also present. The reserve includes a Forest of Deer park. Mushrooms grow in the reserve. Plant species include Chile's national flower, ]Lapageria
''Lapageria'' is a genus of flowering plants with only one known species, ''Lapageria rosea'', commonly known as Chilean bellflower or copihue (''copeewueh'', from Mapudungun ''kopiwe''). ''Lapageria rosea'' is the national flower of Chile. It ...
(Common name copihue).
Huilo-Huilo Falls
Huilo-Huilo Falls is a stretch of waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...
s and rapids along the Fuy River in the reserve. The waters of the Huilo-Huilo Falls originate in Lácar Lake in Argentina. During the summer it frequently dries, as consequence of low precipitation and subterranean runoff. As consequence of this infiltration a large aquifer
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials ( gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characteris ...
[Cuenca del río Valdivia](_blank)
is situated under Mocho-Choshuenco
Mocho-Choshuenco (Pronounced: ) is a glacier covered compound stratovolcano in the Andes of Los Ríos Region, Chile. It is made of the twin volcanoes Choshuenco in the northwest and the Mocho in the southeast. The highest parts of the volcan ...
volcano. Contact between the water of the aquifer and magma may have caused the explosive phreatic eruptions that created the ''Tumba del Buey'' (bull's tomb) crater on the western flank of the volcano.
Víctor Petermann
Peterman is a businessman and private forest reserve owner in Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
. In the 1970s, Petermann acquired 120,000-hectares (297,000 acres) of state owned forestry lands in the Los Rios region. He established the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve nature preserve and eco-tourism destination on the lands in the mid-1980s. The project transformed the area from a lumber-dependent economy to tourism.
Petermann's ex-wife Ivonne Reifschneider was involved in the reserve project.[
Peterman owns holding company Tehmcorp that controls various businesses including mining operations and tourism businesses.]
Gallery
File:Copihues - Huilo Huilo.JPG, Copihues, Chile's national flower, growing at the reserve
File:Salto del Huilo-huilo - 4.JPG, Waterfall
File:Animalia in Huilo-Huilo.JPG, Lizard
File:Hotel Baobab, Huilo-Huilo.JPG, Hotel Baobab
File:Hotel Baobab en Huilo Huilo (8168510554).jpg, Hotel Baobab
File:Bajada Salto Huilo Huilo - panoramio.jpg, Trail along the slope of the falls at Huilo-Huilo
File:Bosque de ciervos 10.jpg, Deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...
in the local deer farm
File:Hongos cafes.jpg, Mushrooms
File:Hotel Nothofagus.jpg, Hotel Nothofagus
References
External links
Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve
{{Authority control
Protected areas established in 1999
Protected areas of Los Ríos Region
Ski areas and resorts in Chile
1999 establishments in Chile
Valdivian temperate rainforest