Kawésqar National Park, National park in Última Esperanza Province, Chile.
Kawésqar National Park is a protected area in southern Patagonia that encompasses rainforest, mountain ranges, fjords, and coastal waterways. The territory covers vast expanses of forest and water, featuring deep channels, steep shores, and a landscape shaped by glacial activity.
The territory gained protection status in 1969 as a reserve and became an official national park in 2019. This formal designation recognized the region's importance as one of South America's last largely untouched wilderness areas.
The park takes its name from the Kawésqar people, seafaring canoe dwellers who traveled these waterways and adapted their lives to the channels and fjords. Today, the landscape still carries traces of their presence and way of living on the water.
The park receives heavy rainfall year-round and remains cold, making waterproof gear and warm clothing essential. Access requires authorization from local authorities and careful planning due to the remote location.
The park's marine zone contains a network of waterways that serve as habitat for humpback whales, dolphins, and sea lions. These remote channels support marine species that are rarely seen elsewhere and depend on the protected waters for survival.
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