Protected Areas in South America

Llanos de Challe National Park is located along the coast of northern Chile's Atacama Region and features a coastal desert ecosystem that is a habitat for rare and threatened plant species. It is one of the southernmost locations of the coastal desert lomas.

Lomas de Lachay National Reserve is a protected area in the desert foothills of Peru where moisture from coastal mists has created a unique micro-environment of dwarf forest called Lomas, which conceals many small animals and birds.

Los Alerces National Park is located in the Andes of northern Patagonia. It contains the largest alerce forest in Argentina. Successive glaciations have molded the landscape, creating spectacular features such as moraines, glacial cirques, and clearwater lakes.

Los Arrayanes National Park, located in the southern part of Neuquén Province, Argentina, occupies the entire Quetrihué Peninsula, which stretches south into Lake Nahuel Huapi. It was created to preserve a forest of beautiful Arrayan (myrtle) trees from which it takes its name.

Nestled in the Andes of northwest Argentina, Los Cardones National Park is a testament to the nation's commitment to conservation. Established to preserve its unique natural heritage, the park showcases the breathtaking beauty of high-altitude landscapes.

Los Flamencos National Reserve is a nature reserve in northern Chile's Antofagasta Region. The National Reserve has a desert climate and is divided into seven sectors. Notable sectors include the vast salt flats of Salar de Atacama and Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley).

Los Roques is an archipelago off the northern coast of Venezuela with over 300 small islands, cays and sand banks that ring a central shallow lagoon. Los Roques Archipelago National Park was created to protect its marine ecosystem of coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds.

Machalilla National Park is a protected area along western Ecuador's Pacific coast. It incorporates beaches, fog forests, dry forests, small islands, and two larger islands: Isla Salango and Isla de la Plata. Many of the large mammals in the park are regionally and locally endangered.

The Macizo del Cajas Biosphere Reserve in southern Ecuador contains many ecosystems, ranging from high mountains to coastal and marine areas along the Pacific. It includes El Cajas National Park, which features tundra vegetation on a spectacular jagged landscape.

Madidi National Park in Bolivia is a biodiversity oasis in the upper Amazon River basin. It safeguards diverse ecoregions and climates, forming a vast protected network. Madidi is a biological marvel, hosting a fauna and flora extravaganza. It also hosts indigenous communities facing challenges. Conservation initiatives emphasize this global treasure's delicate harmony of nature and culture.