Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve, Protected biological reserve in Panguipulli, Chile

Huilo-Huilo Biological Reserve is a private protected area of temperate rainforest in the Andes of the Los Ríos Region, northeast of the Mocho-Choshuenco volcano and beside the community of Neltume. Its Fuy River forms the Huilo-Huilo Falls, a stretch of waterfalls and rapids where the water drops in a white column between dark, moss-covered rock walls and, further down, spreads over broad rocky ledges into churning pools. The forest holds Nothofagus trees such as raulí, mañío, lenga, ñirre and coigüe, some centuries old and up to 40 m tall.

A private investor founded the reserve in the late 1990s to protect the forest area after decades of logging activity. The official foundation started in the early 2000s to support conservation and research.

Local guides speak about the connection between the forests and the Mapuche communities who have lived in this region for centuries. Visitors see today how indigenous plant names and traditional paths through the reserve remain part of the landscape.

Several walking paths lead through different parts of the protected area, with some routes easily accessible and others requiring several hours. Warm, waterproof clothing is advisable since rain is common in this area throughout the year.

The reserve protects the world's smallest deer, the pudu, which weighs only 10 kg and stands 40 cm tall, as well as the güiña, one of the smallest wild cats, and the monito del monte, the smallest marsupial. Its isolation has produced species found nowhere else on the planet.