The National Park Torres del Paine is one component of the National System of Protected Areas of the State of Chile. In 2006, covered an area of 242 242 ha. One of the largest parks in the country and one of the most important. It is the third most visits, of which about 75% are foreign tourists, especially Europeans.
The National Park is located 112 km north of Puerto Natales and 312 of the city of Punta Arenas. It is one of the eleven existing protected areas in the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica (along with four other national parks, three national reserves and three national monuments). Overall, protected areas cover 51% of the surface of the region (6,728,744 ha). Its northern border Glacier National Park in Argentina.
It presents a wide variety of natural environments: mountains (among which the complex of Cerro Paine, whose main peak reaches 3050 meters, Torres del Paine and the Horns of Paine), valleys, rivers (such as Paine River), lakes (known as Grey highlighting, Pehoé, Nordenskjöld and Sarmiento), glaciers (Grey, Pingo, Geikie Tyndall and belonging to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field).
The National Park is located 112 km north of Puerto Natales and 312 of the city of Punta Arenas. It is one of the eleven existing protected areas in the Region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica (along with four other national parks, three national reserves and three national monuments). Overall, protected areas cover 51% of the surface of the region (6,728,744 ha). Its northern border Glacier National Park in Argentina.
It presents a wide variety of natural environments: mountains (among which the complex of Cerro Paine, whose main peak reaches 3050 meters, Torres del Paine and the Horns of Paine), valleys, rivers (such as Paine River), lakes (known as Grey highlighting, Pehoé, Nordenskjöld and Sarmiento), glaciers (Grey, Pingo, Geikie Tyndall and belonging to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field).
History
The park was created on May 13, 1959. In 1977, Guido Monzino donated 12 000 hectares (30 000 acres) to the Government of Chile, and established its definite limits. UNESCO declared it a biosphere reserve on April 28, 1978.
In recent years, the Park has faced several fires caused by humans, who have consumed large areas of vegetation. On February 10, 1985, a Japanese tourist left a bad butt off, sparking a fire that consumed about 14 000 hectares of the park. Twenty years later, a Czech tourist overturned a stove and caused another fire, burning an area of more than 15 000 hectares, of which over 11 000 affected directly to the park. The Czech government paid for 30 000 trees to cooperate with the reforestation of the damaged area. In late 2011, the Torres del Paine National Park was again the victim of a huge forest fire that has consumed 30 December over 11 thousand hectares. The Chilean government has acknowledged the assistance of Argentina in an attempt to contain this latest fire, whose proportions required international support.
The park was created on May 13, 1959. In 1977, Guido Monzino donated 12 000 hectares (30 000 acres) to the Government of Chile, and established its definite limits. UNESCO declared it a biosphere reserve on April 28, 1978.
In recent years, the Park has faced several fires caused by humans, who have consumed large areas of vegetation. On February 10, 1985, a Japanese tourist left a bad butt off, sparking a fire that consumed about 14 000 hectares of the park. Twenty years later, a Czech tourist overturned a stove and caused another fire, burning an area of more than 15 000 hectares, of which over 11 000 affected directly to the park. The Czech government paid for 30 000 trees to cooperate with the reforestation of the damaged area. In late 2011, the Torres del Paine National Park was again the victim of a huge forest fire that has consumed 30 December over 11 thousand hectares. The Chilean government has acknowledged the assistance of Argentina in an attempt to contain this latest fire, whose proportions required international support.
