Parque Tantauco (Tantauco Park) is a 1,180-km² privately owned park on Chiloé Island, Chile. Tantauco Park is an attractive ecotourist destination due to the remarkable biodiversity of its nearly untouched Valdivian temperate rainforest and the rather easy public access. Some of the endangered species that can be seen in the park include Guaitecas cypress, Huillín otter, Chilote fox and the Blue whale

Understand

Lago Chaiguaco

There is an office in Quellón at Avenida La Paz 068 that can answer your questions. They also have a booklet with much more information than the website about the park that they can email (try calling or emailing them) or print out for you.

Parque Tantauco is owned by the Chilean billionaire businessman Sebastián Piñera, who served as president of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and 2018 to 2022. It was created in 2005, when Fundación Futuro decided to build a nucleus of local development in order to conserve the region’s unique ecosystems while boosting Quellón district and Chiloé Province.

In May 2005, advised by the Chile Ambiente corporation, Fundación Futuro began developing the "Management Plan for the Conservation of Parque Tantauco." In September of that year, after the first infrastructure works were well underway, building of the Inio lodge, Tantauco’s center of operations, began.

In February 2006, the Parque Tantauco offices opened in Quellón. As well as serving as the park’s administrative headquarters, the offices also serve as an information center for visitors. The park is comprised of two campgrounds; 120 km of hiking trails; Chiloé Island’s southernmost museum, Museo Parque Tantauco; and various facilities for visitors wishing to enjoy nature and the zone’s beautiful landscapes.

Landscape

The natural barriers separating Chiloé from Chile create special conditions that enable the existence of unique and valuable species and marine and land ecosystems on the Island.

In this context, public access to Parque Tantauco is an important opportunity given that its territory is located on one of the world’s 25 Biodiversity Hotspots Moreover, its surface is part of “Sitio Chaiguata”, defined by Chile’s CONAMA (National Environmental Commission) as a priority spot for the conservation of wildlife.

Flora and fauna

The park’s flora includes species such as the Guaitecas cypress (Pilgerodendron uviferum) and the coastal Olivillo (Aextoxicum punctatum); its fauna includes the huillín otter (Lontra provocax), the chilote fox (Pseudalopex fulvipes) and the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus).

Climate

The Parque Tantauco climate is governed by its latitude, its altitude, the cold Humboldt current and the location of the territory as regards the sea. The zone’s climate can be classified as rainy cold temperate maritime climate on the western coast. Its distinguishing features include a permanent environmental humidity and high probability of precipitations throughout the whole year.

Maximum temperatures observed during summer stand at 27 °C. Although in general, the weather during summertime is pleasant, rain and cold temperatures are also to be expected. Average annual precipitation stands at approximately 2500 mm.

Get in

The northern sector is accessed via 40 km of unpaved road (the first 18 good quality, the rest 4x4 is recommended) off of Ruta 5. The southern sector is accessed by boat (lancha) which carries personnel and supplies (and tourists) from Quellón. There is limited space on the boat, reserve your spot with the guardaparques office in Quellón.

Fees and permits

Entrance cost 3500 pesos per adult and 500 pesos per child (Jan-Mar 2018).

Sleep

Lodging

There is a guesthouse in Caleta Inio (60,000/70,000 pesos for double room with shared bathroom/private bathroom. Cabins for up to 8 people cost 84,000-98,000 pesos. (High season rates Jan-Mar 2018 - up to 1/3 less in low season)

Camping

Camping costs 15,000 pesos (high season Jan-Mar 2018 - up to 1/3 less in low season).

Backcountry

A system of 60 km of trail link refugios throughout the interior of the park.