Los Alerces National Park
Argentina ·
Description
Los Alerces is the realm of green giants. Here grow Patagonian larches, trees that can live over 3,000 years and reach 60 meters tall. Crystal-clear lakes fed by glaciers reflect virgin forests where silence is broken only by endemic bird songs. It is one of the last refuges of intact Andean-Patagonian nature.
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Why It's a World Heritage Site
The park protects one of the last temperate rainforests in South America with larches (Fitzroya cupressoides), the second longest-lived tree species on the planet. The Valdivian forest ecosystems present here are relicts of forests that covered Gondwana millions of years ago, with endemic flora and fauna species.
UNESCO Criteria
Frequently Asked Questions
It protects the last forests with millennial larches, the second longest-lived tree species in the world, in relict Gondwanan ecosystems.
It was inscribed in 2017, being Argentina most recent natural site on the list.
In northwestern Chubut province, Argentina, in the Patagonian Andes, bordering Chile.
They can exceed 3,000 years of age, being the second longest-lived tree species after the bristlecone pine.
It is a relict of forests that covered the Gondwana supercontinent, with species that evolved in isolation for millions of years.