ECOTOURISM IN KATALAPI PARK
Katalapi is a private park. It has a Biological Station and scientific collaborators that have made studies on the local vegetation, particularly in lichens, trees, shrubs, and ferns.. We have also identified birds, anphibians, and reptiles present in the park. All this is in field guides for the park. Specialized guides may shown the biota of the park to visitors. Ecotourism activities are develop trying to respect the biological organisms and ecological equilibrium. For this reason, before beginning a park visit, there is a 15 min annimated lecture on desirable conducts while i n the park.
Are you planning a university field trip or nature travel groups to the Chilean Patagonia? A stop at Parque Katalapi may be may be perfect for you
Katalapi Park has four trails to help visitors to get close to the Valdivian temparate rain forest:
Chilco Trail (Sendero del Chilco): this is a 1200 m trail built to facilitate visitors to know trees, shrubs, ferns, and climbing plants. Ecotourists are given a handout with scientific, ecological, and ethnobotanical descriptions of the species found along the trail.
Mirador trail (Sendero del Mirador Cordillera de Quillaipe): this is a 1300 m extension from the previous trail, crossing a suspension bridge over Tepual river. After climbing a small hill with dense vegetation, there is a nice lookout point (El Mirador) towards Cordillera de Quillaipe.
Los Coigues trail (Sendero Los Coigües): For ecotourists who enjoy dense forests, this 2500 m tail allows you to get familiar with the biota of the evergreen temperate rain forest. The trail begins with a 17 year old coigue tree and ends with a 300 year old coigue (the Grandfather of the Forest). Along the trail it is possible to hear an see native bird. Quite often, it is possible to see the black carpenter bird, which is the largest of its kind in the world.
The Forest gives you helth trail (Sendero “El Bosque te Salud‐da”): this is a 900 m trail, classified as “low difficulty trail”. This trail was designed for elders, and handicapped people, such as blinds. People with full capacities enjoy doing night walks along this trail. Senses other than vision are greatly stimulated in this trail, specially at night. Touching and smelling the vegetation and hearing nightly active animals gives a different perspective of the forest. . The foccus of this experience is on the intimate relations between physical health and medical properties of native species of this forest.
For more information, please contact:
Ana María Vliegenthart
Email: avliegen@parquekatalapi.cl
Cell Telephone: +569 8360 1380
