Lauca National Park

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A lot of llamas and alpacas at Lauca National Park, with Parinacota Volcano in the background.

The Lauca National Park is located in northern Chile in the Andean range. It encompasses an area of 1,379 square kilometres of Altiplano and volcanoes. One of its principal attractions is the Lake Chungará, lying at the foothills of the Nevados de Payachata. Other majestic volcanoes forming part of the park are the Guallatiri and the Acotango. Park features include archaeological sites, lava fields and volcanic calderas. Several species of animals and plants can be found in the park. Mammals in the area include vicuñas, llamas, alpacas, guanacos, tarucas, pumas and vizcachas. There are over 130 bird species, making it one of the best national parks for birding in Chile. The Park's vegetation is adapted to the high elevations, as are the bofedales, llaretales and Andean steppes.