In 1926, the decree establishing Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park was signed in Chile, making it the oldest national park in the country. One hundred years after this landmark achievement in conservation, the park now joins the Route of Parks of Patagonia as its 18th national park.
The collaborative agreement formalizing the park's incorporation into the Route was signed in Puerto Varas. The ceremony was attended by Acting Governor of the Los Lagos Region Carlos Recondo; Puerto Varas Mayor Tomás Gárate; CONAF Protected Wild Areas Manager Ítalo Rossi; Corfo Los Lagos Regional Director Víctor Sánchez; SBAP Los Lagos Regional Director Carola Iturriaga; Rewilding Chile’s Director of Conservation and Strategy Ingrid Espinoza; President of the Route of Parks of Patagonia Mesoregional Transforma Program Raffaele Di Biase; President of the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park Consultative Council René Yefi; President of the Puerto Varas Tourism and Culture Corporation Gerardo Niklitschek; and representatives of the Puerto Montt Municipality, Sernatur, and other institutions.
The Route of Parks of Patagonia is a territorial conservation vision for Chilean Patagonia that seeks to integrate nature protection with social well-being while promoting local economic development through conservation. The incorporation of this national park will strengthen the Route by adding one of the country’s most iconic and most visited protected areas, helping to raise its profile both nationally and internationally.
By signing this agreement, the participating organizations aim to establish long-term collaboration in support of the Route of Parks of Patagonia. Their goals include promoting responsible tourism; protecting and showcasing the region’s natural and cultural heritage; coordinating initiatives with local organizations and stakeholders; and strengthening the newly established connection between Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, the city of Puerto Varas, and the Route.
Carlos Recondo, Acting Governor of the Los Lagos Region, noted: “Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park has played a very significant role both in biodiversity conservation and as a tourism asset for the region. Incorporating it into the Route of Parks of Patagonia adds further value and complements this magnificent route, which has been developed over time and has now become a tourist destination. I believe that the value of conservation, biodiversity protection, and natural resources also opens up significant opportunities for tourism and for the development of an activity that is highly important to the economic growth of the Los Lagos Region.”
Tomás Gárate, Mayor of the Municipality of Puerto Varas, highlighted the significance of this milestone as an opportunity: “The inclusion of Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park in the Route of Parks of Patagonia, precisely as it celebrates its 100th anniversary, is a recognition of its tremendous natural value and an opportunity to secure its conservation for the future. For Puerto Varas, this means further integrating our territory into a route that connects nature, tourism, and local development, recognizing that protecting our parks can also create opportunities for communities and for those who live and work in and around them. This park is part of our identity, and we want it to remain so for generations to come.”
Ingrid Espinoza, Director of Conservation and Strategy at Rewilding Chile, stated: “We are delighted that the Route of Parks of Patagonia continues to grow and consolidate its position as a world-class nature and tourism destination. When Douglas Tompkins first presented this vision, he did so with Patagonia’s conservation in mind, recognizing the value of its communities and its natural and cultural heritage. We all have a very important role to play as Chileans in preserving this legacy, which is why today we are making this commitment to Chile.”
Víctor Sánchez, Corfo Los Lagos Regional Director, emphasized the tremendous opportunity this milestone represents to strengthen sustainable tourism and the region’s productive development: “Through the Route of Parks of Patagonia Mesoregional Transforma Program, we are fostering public-private collaboration, connecting communities, entrepreneurs, and businesses with new development opportunities. The conservation of our natural heritage can also drive innovation, investment, and economic diversification, creating value for local communities and positioning Los Lagos as a strategic gateway to Patagonia.”
Raffaele Di Biase, President of the Route of Parks of Patagonia Mesoregional Transforma Program, explained that the park “now serves as the gateway to the Route, within an already well-developed ecosystem such as Puerto Varas. This also means that new ideas can begin to emerge and that we can build a strong entrepreneurial network that will contribute to the program’s governance. Furthermore, Puerto Varas is already established as a hub for distributing visitors throughout the Route. People traveling to Magallanes and Aysén always pass through this area, through Puerto Varas. Therefore, this is an extremely important milestone.”
“For Sernatur, the Route of Parks of Patagonia is extremely important because nearly 60% of the international tourists who visit Chile are motivated by our natural attractions, and a significant proportion of them come to explore this route and the Carretera Austral. In addition, the Route is one of the best showcases for the kind of tourism we want to develop as a country: sustainable tourism that becomes a genuine tool for conservation,” said Luis Hurtado, Acting Regional Director of Sernatur Los Lagos.
Ítalo Rossi, Manager of Protected Wild Areas at the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), also highlighted the importance of this development: “This is a tremendous step forward for tourism and excellent news, particularly considering that last August we celebrated the 100th anniversary of this protected area. On that occasion, we reaffirmed the State’s commitment to biodiversity conservation, a milestone that coincides with a historic change in the country’s environmental institutions: the transfer of protected-area administration from CONAF to the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP). This truly reflects the country’s commitment to protecting and conserving its natural resources and landscapes. With this incorporation, the park also joins the Route of Parks of Patagonia Passport.”
“This milestone presents us with the challenge of strengthening the work that has been carried out so far, improving our relationship with communities, organizations, and the wider territory, finding ways to connect them, and ensuring that this work is also carried out through a network linking all the units and protected areas within the Route of Parks of Patagonia,” said Carola Iturriaga, SBAP Los Lagos Regional Director.
