"This is one of the most stunning natural landscapes I have ever explored!" The Chilean government is preparing to establish its 47th national park, which will safeguard approximately 200,000 hectares (about 500,000 acres) of untouched wilderness. This new park will complete a remarkable wildlife corridor that stretches an impressive 1,700 miles (2,800 kilometers) all the way to the southernmost tip of the Americas.
Known as the Cape Froward National Park, this area features a rugged coastline battered by winds and lush valleys filled with diverse flora and fauna. It is not only rich in biodiversity but also steeped in thousands of years of human history.
Kristine Tompkins, a prominent conservationist from the United States who has been instrumental in this initiative, shares her excitement: "I have visited many incredible places, and I can confidently say that the Cape Froward project is the wildest place I've ever walked through. It's one of the last truly wild regions of forests and mountains left in the country, and the deep-rooted Indigenous history here underscores the importance of preserving these lands forever."
This initiative marks the 17th national park created or expanded in both Chile and Argentina by Tompkins Conservation and its successor organization, Rewilding Chile. Over nearly a decade, these organizations have been diligently working to weave together a mosaic of land acquisitions and state-owned properties to form this protected area.
In 2023, they formalized an agreement with the Chilean government to donate the land, thus establishing Cape Froward National Park.
Recently, a group of ten huemul, a critically endangered species of deer, was spotted within the park's boundaries. The region is also monitored by a network of cameras that frequently capture images of elusive wild pumas and the endangered huillín, a type of river otter. Additionally, the park encompasses 10,000 hectares of sphagnum bogs—spongy moss that plays a crucial role in carbon storage beneath the surface.
Benjamín Cáceres, the conservation coordinator for Rewilding Chile in the Magallanes region, has his own connections to Cape Froward that trace back to his childhood. He recalls visiting the area for the first time at twelve years old with his father, Patricio Cáceres, who was also a passionate conservationist.
"My father was a visionary," Benjamín reminisces. "When he discovered an abandoned lighthouse many years ago, he brought our family here to share his dreams with us—and that’s where my journey began."
The San Isidro lighthouse, one of seven constructed by Scottish architect George Slight along the perilous Strait of Magellan, was abandoned in the 1970s. For years, itinerant fishers salvaged its wood until it ultimately collapsed. Now, thanks to the vision of Patricio and Benjamín, the lighthouse has been transformed into a museum dedicated to the area's natural and human history. Alongside a café located on the beach below, it will serve as the entrance to the new national park.
Scattered along the coastline are sensitive archaeological sites that tell the story of the Kawésqar, a nomadic Indigenous group that navigated the fjords, rocky beaches, and forests in canoes crafted from local trees.
Cáceres emphasizes the significance of this diverse ecosystem, stating, "This intricate mosaic of habitats is incredibly important. The fragile bogs and subantarctic forests, along with the cultural heritage linked to the Kawésqar, the era of explorers, and the whalers—all of this history and biodiversity must be preserved within the future national park."
At the Kawésqar campsites, remnants of past feasts are found buried in the silty mud, including bird and dolphin bones. Evidence of ancient fishing practices, such as stone circles used as fish traps on beaches, and trees stripped of their bark for canoe construction, reveals the ingenuity of the Kawésqar people.
"This area was home to nomadic canoeists who relied on fishing and foraging," explains Leticia Caro, a Kawésqar activist from the Nómades del Mar community. "Protecting this land is vital for our community, as it showcases various ways of interacting with the land and sea, as well as connections with other groups like the Yagán, Selknam, and Tehuelche."
Long after the Indigenous communities had settled, the waters of the Strait of Magellan—referred to as tawokser chams by the Kawésqar—became a crucial link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. During his voyage along the Chilean coast, Charles Darwin disembarked from the Beagle to ascend Mount Tarn, while the strait served as one of the world's busiest shipping routes until the Panama Canal opened in 1914.
The treacherous depths of the strait have historically claimed numerous lives and given rise to many legends; treasures lie hidden beneath the waves, and sealed bottles of rum have washed ashore throughout the centuries. Timber harvested from the forests was transported as far as the Falkland Islands and Buenos Aires for construction. In 1905, the Magallanes Whaling Society was established, but just eleven years later, the dwindling whale population led to an auction of the society's land and assets.
Today, all that remains at Bahía el Águila, where the whale carcasses were processed, is the outline of the factory and a few decaying wooden stumps. Adolf Andresen, the society's Norwegian founder, passed away forgotten and destitute in the saloons of Punta Arenas in 1940.
However, several hurdles remain before the national park can officially come to fruition. An Indigenous consultation process, mandated for large-scale projects in Chile, took place in September but did not yield significant results. The Chilean Ministry of Environment has pledged to strive toward advancing the park's plans by March.
Yet, should no progress be made within two years, the land will revert back to the Tompkins organizations. "Each park project we undertake has specific reasons that underscore their necessity for conservation," Tompkins asserts. Having served as CEO of Patagonia outdoor clothing for two decades until 1993, she adds, "In this regard, Cape Froward represents a crucial piece in an ecological puzzle designed to ensure the lasting protection of essential biodiversity sites within Chilean Patagonia."
The Guardian’s coverage of this story was supported by Rewilding Chile.
