Fray Jorge National Park. Ovalle - CHILE

Direccion: Region de Coquimbo

The Forest National Park of Fray Jorge is in the province of Limar?, commune of Ovalle and has an area of ??9,959 hectares.

How to get to the Fray Jorge Forest National Park:
From Santiago, take the North Pan-American Highway until km. 389, to then take a side road to the west for 22 km. to the entrance gate to the Park. This road is dirt and it is kept in good condition all year round.

From La Serena, take Route 5 southbound until km. 389 and from there follow lateral road to the west.

Distances and travel times:
From Ovalle to Fray Jorge: 90 km. - 1 hour 30 minutes
From La Serena to Fray Jorge: 110 km. - 1 hour 45 minutes

Flora and Fauna
In this park there is a humid forest of the Valdivian type suitable for the growth of olivillos, cinnamon trees, myrtles, ferns and vines (medallita), brava, guayac?n, capers, cactus and uvillos
The fauna of the park is represented mainly by birds and some twenty species of mammals, among the birds that include the partridges, quails, loicas, thrushes, diucas, pequenes, hummingbirds and tenches. As for the culpeo fox mammals, wild cats, chingues, quiques and small rodents

Tourist Information
Administration of the area:
The administration of the Park is 4 km away. from the Environmental Information Center and 25 km. to the west of the North Pan-American Highway. The Park is only open to the public on weekends and holidays.

Ranger Office: They are located in the Park Administration, 5 km. of the entrance.

Excursion Paths:
Interpretive trail of the Hydrophilic Forest: It is 10 km. of the Environmental Information Center of the Park. It allows to go through the structure of the hydrophilic forest and the factors that favor its conservation in a semi-desert environment.
Duration of the tour: 40 minutes


Sites of greater scenic beauty:
The places of greater scenic beauty that can be visited in the Park are the Interpretation trail of the Hydrophilic Forest, the mouth of the Limar? River and the coastal coastal sector.

In this aspect, the House of Administration has a great attraction, whose approximate age is one hundred years.

Out-of-area services:
Bencina: Servicentro in km. 370 of Route 5 North, 40 km. from the park.
Phone; In Quebrada Seca, 55 km. North of the National Park.
First Aid: Posta Cerrilos de Tamaya, 50 km. , Ovalle Hospital 75 km. from the park.
Sale of food: In Poor Cerrillos, 22 km. from the park.