New nature reserve in Chile 'is great for hikers'
Adventure travellers looking to visit South America for a trekking holiday may want to consider one of the newest nature reserves in Chile.
Writing for the Financial Times, Collin Barraclough explained that the newly-formed Patagonia Park in the south of the country will be a good place for hikers to head to from next year.
The reserve is set to open in April 2011, when two campsites and a number of walking trails will have been completed.
Much of the park's lands are centred on a former sheep farm called Estancia Valle Chacabuco. The land trust that bought the property six years ago has been working to encourage native wildlife and plants to return to the area.
Describing the location of the reserve, Mr Barraclough noted it is "surrounded by majestic glaciers, snow-capped volcanoes, raging melt-water rivers, temperate rainforests and two continental ice sheets".
The Patagonian region covers thousands of miles at the southern tip of South America, stretching across parts of Chile and Argentina.
It is well-known for its natural beauty and varied wildlife, which attracts walkers from all over the world every year.
