Once again, nature lovers must congratulate ourselves and thank a private and non-governmental organization for the possibility of enjoying unique natural spaces like this one. In this case, CODEFF, National Committee for the defense of fauna and flora.
In 2000 CODEFF bought 80 hectares on the Valdivian coast in order to protect the flora and fauna of a relict coastal olivillo forest. Ceremonial place of the Mapuche people and one of the must-sees of the Valdivian Jungle because it has large and very long-lived trees, some of them with estimated ages of over 500 years.
An important milestone for conservation since, unfortunately, the olivillo forest is very fragmented, little valued by the general population and null or scarcely represented in the National System of Protected Areas of Chile.
Let’s get started! Within the 87 hectares of the reserve, we can get into the heart of the coastal ecosystem through 10 kilometers of a route that is divided into three trails: Chungungo lookout trail, Coastal trail, Olivillo ancient forest trail y Los Melies trail.
It is approximately two hours of quiet walking.Of course, stopping from time to time to breathe the pure air, delighting ourselves in calm with the incredible views of the coast from the viewpoints on the top of the cliffs, rejoicing in the presence of the huge trees, contemplating the flora and, if we are lucky, spotting some of its local inhabitants.
On the trails or in the forest we can come across pudúes, huiñas, chilla foxes … On the coast with chungungos, coastal churretes, sea lions, imperial cormorants, purple ducks, yeco ducks and above our heads or perched on a branch to the chucao, the carpenter black or the hued hued.
As we enter the path traced to penetrate the interior of the dense flora of the Valdivian temperate rainforest, we are overcome by a pleasant feeling of being surrounded by natural beauty everywhere.Sometimes it seems that we are going through the passageway of a vegetal maze in the gardens of an old palace and, suddenly, we appear in a viewpoint facing the sea from which we can observe the best views of the coast and the game of the huge bushes of seaweed that comes and goes between the rocks moved by the waves.
A rich biodiversity: murtas, arrayanes, the copihues climbing canelo trees, lingues and lumas and, as the main attraction of the park, the impressive sacred forest of centenary olivillo trees.
If you are one of those who have a close relationship with trees, you will always remember this place. Be that as it may, it is easy to perceive the mystical atmosphere of spirituality created by this group of venerable Forest Lords. The large size of the trees, the fact that there was an old Mapuche cemetery in the place and that is still used as a ceremonial place by this native people today, leaves no one indifferent.
