Bosque Fray Jorge National Park, National park and biosphere reserve in Limarí Province, Chile
Bosque Fray Jorge is a national park in Limarí Province with a dense forest covering about 100 square kilometers. The trees and plants grow here despite the dry surroundings near Ovalle because coastal fog provides essential moisture.
The location was first discovered in 1627 by a Franciscan priest searching for timber to use in construction. The area became an officially protected national park in 1941.
The park's name honours Fray Jorge, the Franciscan friar who found the timber here in 1627; wood from these trees went into the bell tower of La Serena's Church of San Francisco. UNESCO made it a biosphere reserve in 1977, and its dark skies are certified starlight sites, the only one in South America.
The park has multiple hiking trails with varying difficulty levels for visitors to explore. The administration office provides maps and guidance to help you navigate and observe the natural surroundings.
The forest contains plant species normally found hundreds of kilometers to the south, surviving here through the camanchaca coastal fog. This moist fog is what allows this woodland to exist in an otherwise dry region.
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