Ancient coastal forests

(Full-day tour, approximately 9 hours) A drive of approximately 2 hours from Santiago will take you to the Zapallar beach resort, a favorite among locals for its unusual mix of an arid coastal desert surrounded by hills covered with a lush forest that grows thanks to the fog that rolls in from the Pacific Ocean, a remnant of ancient times.

The Corporación Bosques de Zapallar, Chile’s first land trust, created El Boldo Park, which protects almost 70 hectares (173 acres) of this unique and highly threatened forest.

Climbing the trail that leads from the beach in Zapallar to El Boldo Park is like traveling to southern Chile in just an hour’s walk. As you go up, the vegetation changes from desert cacti and puyas to shrubs and trees and, finally, to a sclerophyll coastal forest adapted to dry environments.

After having lunch at a beach restaurant, you will head to Cachagua to view some marine wildlife before heading back to Santiago.