TIMAUKEL, Chile – Karukinka Natural Park, which sprawls over 300,000 hectares (740,740 acres), offers adventurous visitors to Chile’s remote Tierra del Fuego province an opportunity to explore an environmental gem that serves as a natural laboratory.
The park is home to forests, wetlands, lakes and rivers, inviting visitors to hike, kayak, cycle and enjoy other outdoor activities.
Just 13 years ago, however, Karukinka was in the hands of a Canadian timber company that planned to log its forests.
The vast environmentally sensitive property eventually ended up in the hands of American banking giant Goldman Sachs, which donated it to the Wild Conservation Society (WCS) in 2004.
The WCS manages Karukinka, which means “our land” in the language of Tierra del Fuego’s former inhabitants, the Shelknam, who were wiped out by settlers just over a century ago.
Karukinka is one of the greatest natural gems in Chilean Patagonia, drawing adventurous visitors who are willing to endure sometimes extreme temperatures to enjoy spectacular landscapes and endless opportunities to hike and explore.
Only about 400 people, however, visit Karukinka annually due to the park’s remote location.