Radal Siete Tazas National Park
Seven basalt basins the river has drilled one below the next, in the transition forest of the Maule.
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The Rio Claro runs over volcanic rock here and has drilled a chain of seven cylindrical basins, each one dropping into the next through a narrow throat, in a gorge of dark basalt with forest above - the tazas, or cups, that give the park its name. Below them the Salto de la Leona and the Velo de la Novia fall into the same gorge. The park sits in the transition zone where the sclerophyll forest of central Chile gives way to the southern Nothofagus forests, so the species mix is unusual, and it holds the northernmost stands of some southern trees. Swimming in the basins is prohibited.
What you actually see
- Seven drilled basins - each dropping into the one below.
- A basalt gorge - dark rock with forest above it.
- A forest transition zone - central sclerophyll giving way to southern species.
- Falls below the cups - the Leona and the Velo de la Novia.
When to go
November to April; the park closes sectors in winter. A full day.
Honest expectations
Swimming in the tazas is prohibited and enforced, after accidents. The last road in is gravel and slow. The park fills at summer weekends and parking is limited. Fire closures happen in dry summers.
Nearby
Altos de Lircay reserve is south; Molina and Curico are west.
What to pack for Radal Siete Tazas National Park
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
