Las Vicuñas National Reserve

Las Vicuñas Nacional Reserve was created on March, 1983, extends on an area of 209,131 hectares with an altitude between 4,300 and 5,800 metres height and is located 230 km from the city of Arica. In Las Vicuñas National Reserve (Reserva Nacional Las Vicuñas) the weather is dry. It rains in summer and it snows in winter. The average temperature oscillates from 8º C to 15º C at day and from -5ºC to -15ºC at nigh.

This important Chilean reserve gets more interesting yet when finding vestiges from the pre-Columbian cultures, such as the aymará altars. There can still be found small aymará villages around this area. They live from pasturing llamas and alpacas in Las Vicuñas National Reserve (Reserva Nacional Las Vicuñas).

The reserve presents hills and mountains attractive for hikers and climbers: Puquintica (5,780 mt), Aritinca (5,999 mt), Salle (5,403 mt) Belén (5,260 mt) and Anocariri (5,050 mt).

Las Vicuñas National Reserve (Reserva Nacional Las Vicuñas) is administrated by CONAF (National Forest Corporation of Chile), the entrance in Guallatire is free of charge.

On the 83^rd km, there is a detour to the left which leads to Japu. Further on, there is the entrance to Guallatire. It is a pre-hispanic small town, with about fifty houses in front of the Guallatire Volcano (Volcán Guallatire), disposed in narrow streets. Its church, from de XVII century faces the volcano. In this church are celebrated the festivities of San Juan on 24^th June and the Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepción) on  September 22^nd. The bell tower is painted with white lime and has cone-shaped ornaments in the corners.

There is Police control at the entrance of the town, you should inform your presence. Next to the church, there is the Guallatire office of CONAF (National Forest Corporation of Chile). They are open from Monday to Sunday, from 8:30 till 13:00, and from 14:00 till 17:30. There is accommodation for seven people, if booking in the Regional Direction of Arica.

** Information related to Hours, Rates and Dates might change without any previous notice **