The Fray Jorge Biosphere is a unique forest oasis located in the middle of a semi-desert region in northern Chile. Only 10,000 hectares in size, it stretches along a coastal mountain range and is the northernmost forest in Chile. It has been a protected national park since 1941. In 1977, it was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve due to its unique ecosystem that is under threat from human development. (The UNESCO Biosphere Reserves program promotes the conservation and study of an ecological zone while promoting its sustainable development.)
Where is the Fray Jorge Biosphere
Fray Jorge Biosphere is located along the Pacific Ocean approximately 100 miles (161 km) south of the city of La Serena and about 200 miles (322 km) north of Chile's capital of Santiago. The biosphere itself spreads across the Fray Jorge, Talinay and Punta del Viento National Parks, which are part of a coastal mountain range known as the Cordillera de la Costa.
It is set in a semi-desert region just south of the Atacama Desert, the world's driest.
Unique Features of Fray Jorge Biosphere
The biosphere is a small version of the Valdivian temperate rain forests that can be found otherwise only in southern Chile. It contains similar flora and fauna as the Valdivian forests and is home to a variety of birds, small mammals, plants and trees, few of which exist outside the biosphere in the neighboring desert.
The Fray Jorge Biosphere fronts on the Pacific Ocean and is bordered on the other sides by a semi-arid desert that receives only about 4 inches of rainfall a year. The plants in the biosphere are kept moist by a coastal fog that hangs on the mountain slopes.
It is believed that Fray Jorge is the only remaining forest from the last glacial age (some 30,000 years ago), during which time humid forests cover what is now the Atacama Desert.
How to Visit the Fray Jorge Biosphere
The entrance to the biosphere (called Parque Nacional Bosque Fray Jorge) is about 13 miles (21 km) from exit D-560 on highway Ruta 5 (Route 5), the main road between Santiago and La Serena. The park is operated by the Chilean National Park Service (CONAF) and is open most days between 9am and 5pm. (Visitors should check with CONAF for opening times before making the trip).
A 3 mile (5 km) drive from the main entrance gate is the administration station, where visitors sign in, pay and collect a map. A short drive away is the Environmental Information Center, which provides more details about the biosphere's ecosystem and research efforts.
Visitors will need a sturdy car (4-wheel drive is optimal) to proceed further along the 6 mile (10 km) winding dirt road to the heart of the forest itself and the entrance to the Interpretive Path. This 0.6 mile-long (1 km) footpath takes visitors through the forest and surrounding scrub lands to some spectacular scenery of the Pacific.
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