Llanos de Challe National Park

Llanos de Challe National Park is a protected natural area along the coast of northern Chile's Atacama Region. Created in 1994 and consisting of 45,708 ha (112,947 acres), it features a coastal desert ecosystem.

The highest elevation in the Park is Cerro Negro at 950 m (3,116 ft). The mountains in Llanos de Challe National Park are moistened by the Camanchaca (marine stratocumulus cloud banks that form on the coast), creating a fog and mist-fed ecosystem called lomas.

The Park is one of the southernmost locations of the lomas, which are scattered along the coastal desert from northern Chile to northern Peru. Consequently, vegetation is more abundant along the coast than in the interior.

The fragile ecosystem is a habitat for rare plant species, including the threatened Leontochir ovallei (known locally as Garra de León or "Lion Claw"), which guanacos often eat. Plants survive by growing through spiny shrubs and on rocky cliffs.

The natural phenomenon, desierto florido (flowery desert), occasionally occurs here due to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Flora and Fauna

The flora constitutes one of the Park's main attractions and includes abundant cacti. The flora comprises more than 220 species, of which 206 are native to Chile and 14 are endemic to the Atacama Region.

Llanos de Challe National Park has the largest population of guanacos (Lama guanicoe) in the region. The guanaco is the largest wild mammal in Chile and can adapt to various environmental conditions, surviving extreme weather.

Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids, the other being the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations. Other mammals include the chilla and culpeo foxes.

The coastal area features unspoiled white sand beaches and a wetland. It shelters common moorhens, red-gartered coots, black-necked swans, and flamingos. Peregrine falcons and condors are also found in the area of the National Park.