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Introduction[]

Parque Nacional Laguna San Rafael is located on the Pacific coast of southern Chile. The park is named for the San Rafael Lagoon formed by the retreat of the San Rafael Glacier. Created in 1959, it covers an area of 17420 sq km and includes the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. A fjord more than 16 kilometres long is one of the park's principal attractions.

Even though many tourists visit the National Park, few actually set foot on land. Numerous tours from Puerto Chacabuco and Puerto Montt take them by boat or catamaran to the San Rafael lagoon, and then on to dinghies to get a closer look at the glaciers in the park. They never set foot on land while on excursion.

According to recent records by the National Parks in Chile, only about 150 people actually set foot in the park in a year, this is contrasted with the thousands who go on the cruises to see the glaciers.

Location[]

46°40′S 73°55′W

The lagoon is South-Southeast of Puerto Chacabuco in the Aisén region, and is surrounded by the Taitao peninsula connected to mainland South America by the Isthmus of Ofqui.

Getting There & Away[]

As mentioned before, most tourist visit the National Park on boat tours.

Navimag Ferries offers a 5 Day-4 Night ferry tour from Puerto Montt. Skorpios do a 6 Day-5 Night ferry tour also from Puerto Montt. While Geoturismo Patagonia and Catamaranes del Sur offer 13 hour catamaran visits from Puerto Chacabuco.

If interested in setting foot on land, air-taxis fly into the park and land on a landing strip and stay for about an hour, before returning to Coyhaique.

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