Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, National park in Aysén and Magallanes regions, Chile.

Bernardo O'Higgins National Park covers 3,525,901 hectares in the Aysén and Magallanes regions, making it Chile's largest protected area. It takes in much of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, where outlet glaciers such as Pío XI, O'Higgins and Jorge Montt descend between snow-covered peaks. Narrow fjords cut deep into the mountains and drain the ice-capped slopes.

European explorers first arrived in 1830 and mapped the fjords, establishing the earliest written records of this region. The park's creation in the 20th century formally protected the area and prevented development across the vast landscape.

The earliest known occupants were the Alacaluf, the hunter-gatherer people also called Kawésqar. Puerto Edén, the park's only settlement, remains a Kawésqar community and the main place to encounter this heritage. The park is named after General Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile's first head of state.

You can only reach the park by boat since no roads connect to it, with travel typically departing from Puerto Natales. Weather conditions change rapidly in this remote location, so bring layers and be prepared for wind and rain at any time of day.

Pío XI Glacier covers 1,265 km² and has advanced more than 10 km in 50 years, one of its tongues measuring about 6 km. Its ice face rises roughly 75 m, and collapsing blocks raise waves over 10 m that can rock larger vessels. In 2014 it was designated a natural site within the park.