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 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. 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, and many miles of trails. The reserve includes many waterfalls and the eastern slopes of Mocho-Choshuenco, a glacial compound

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...

History

In the 1960 and 1970s, prior to the creation of the reserve, the area had a strong

lumberjack Lumberjacks are mostly North American workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to loggers in the era (before 1945 in the Unite ...

campesino ''Campesino'' means 'farmer' or 'peasant' in Spanish. Campesino may refer to: * Tenant farmer or farm worker in Latin America * Los Campesinos!, an indie pop band from Cardiff, Wales * Teatro Campesino, a theater group founded by the United Farm ...

labour movement. It was for this reason that Revolutionary Left Movement chose it to create a focus of resistance inspired by the

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

26th of July Movement The 26th of July Movement ( es, Movimiento 26 de Julio; M-26-7) was a Cuban vanguard revolutionary organization and later a political party led by Fidel Castro. The movement's name commemorates its 26 July 1953 attack on the army barracks on San ...

in the Sierra Maestra in order to combat Pinochet's dictatorship.Los que retornaron para luchar
/ref> The Chilean army succeeded in isolating the group by August 1981 and in October of the same year its last members were captured. Hotel Montaña Magica en Huilo Huilo (8168483391)

Hotel Montaña Magica en Huilo Huilo (8168483391)

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 who bought it in the 1990s during land sale program of the late Pinochet dictatorship. It had been part of the state-owned forestry operations of '' Complejo Forestal y Maderero Panguipulli''.

Location

The reserve is in an area of temperate rainforest northeast of the Mocho-Choshuenco volcano in Los Ríos Region. The main entrance is on the international gravel road that connects Panguipulli with San Martín de los Andes, Argentina. In order to reach San Martín de los Andes from the west, one must travel through the

. After leaving Chile route 203 in Puerto Fuy, one must board the Barcaza Hua Hum a ferry that crosses

Pirihueico Lake Pirihueico Lake ( es, Lago Pirihueico, ) is one of Seven Lakes in Panguipulli Commune, southern Chile. The lake is of glacial origin and it is enclosed mountains of the Andes. It is located in a geological fault that includes Panguipulli Lake a ...

in approximately 90 minutes. After crossing

, the ferry arrives at Pirihueico, the last Chilean outpost before the

and eventually Ruta 4 in Argentina The nearest town to Huilo-Huilo is Neltume, the site of a 1981 violent episode between members of MIR, 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 Guanacos have also been re-introduced. The populations of Darwin frogs (

Rhinoderma darwinii Darwin’s frog (''Rhinoderma darwinii''), also called the Southern Darwin's frog, is a species of Chilean/Argentinian frog of the family Rhinodermatidae. It was discovered by Charles Darwin during his voyage on voyage on HMS ''Beagle''. on a ...

) and

puma Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...

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(Common name copihue).

Huilo-Huilo Falls

Huilo-Huilo Falls is a stretch of waterfalls and rapids along the

Fuy River Fuy River (Spanish: ''Río Fuy'') is a river in the commune of Panguipulli, southern Chile. It drains Pirihueico Lake and flows southward along the village of Neltume where it joins the Neltume River and together they create the Panguipulli Lake ...

in the reserve. The waters of the Huilo-Huilo Falls originate in

Lácar Lake Lácar Lake ( es, Lago Lácar) is a lake of glacial origin in Neuquén Province, Argentina. It is enclosed in the Andes mountain range, at above mean sea level. The area around the lake is mostly uninhabited, except for the city of San Martín de ...

in Argentina. During the summer it frequently dries, as consequence of low precipitation and subterranean runoff. As consequence of this infiltration a large aquiferCuenca del río Valdivia
is situated under Mocho-Choshuenco volcano. Contact between the water of the aquifer and magma may have caused the explosive

phreatic eruption A phreatic eruption, also called a phreatic explosion, ultravulcanian eruption or steam-blast eruption, occurs when magma heats ground water or surface water. The extreme temperature of the magma (anywhere from ) causes near-instantaneous evapo ...

s 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. 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 ''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 ...

, 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 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