Rio de los Cipreses National Reserve

The reserve runs up a glacial valley in the Andes above Rancagua, with cypress of the cordillera - the Austrocedrus that names it - on the slopes and the river running through moraine and rock below. Its most cited resident is the tricahue or burrowing parrot, a large green and yellow parrot that nests in colonies in holes it digs in soft cliff faces; the population here is the largest in central Chile and the species is protected after heavy decline from trapping and habitat loss. Guanaco live in the upper valley. Rock art panels are recorded near the entrance sector, and the ground was used long before the reserve.

What you actually see

• A glacial valley in the Andes - with cordillera cypress on the slopes.
• The largest tricahue colony in central Chile - parrots nesting in cliff burrows.
• Guanaco in the upper valley - beyond the main trails.
• Rock art near the entrance - from earlier use of the valley.

When to go

October to April; the reserve closes sectors in winter. A full day.

Honest expectations

The upper valley requires long walks or arranged transport and is not casually reached. The road in is gravel at the end. Fire closures happen in dry summers. Parrots are seasonal and best in the morning.

Nearby

Rancagua is west; Sewell and El Teniente are north-east.