National Park Sierro Nielol (Monumento Natural Cerro Nielol) description and photos - Chile: Temuco (Topic)

National Park Sierro Nielol (Monumento Natural Cerro Nielol) description and photos - Chile: Temuco. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Monumento Natural Cerro Nielol.

Photo and description

Cerro Nielol National Park is located in Temuco, Cautin province. It is located on a huge hill (height - 335 m above sea level). On its territory (89 hectares) you can see the flora and fauna of the Valdivian rainforest, as well as important historical and cultural monuments of Temuco.

In the valley surrounding the hill, in the distant times of the pre-Columbian period, the Mapuche Indians cultivated fertile soil. They used the hill as a place of worship and solemn felling of timber for the construction of their huts. In the highest part of the hill, you can see five wooden statues-chemamul (in the Mapuche language ″ wooden man ″), more than two meters high.In 1881, as a sign of reconciliation, the Indians transferred part of their land to settlers to build houses, declaring a truce ... This is how the history of the city of Temuco began.

At the top of the hill there was a small fortress during the Arauco War (the struggle of the indigenous people against the Spanish colonialists in the Araucania region in 1861-1883). In the place where the armistice was signed, wooden statues were installed.

Cerro Nielol National Park was established after several years of efforts by the Society for the Conservation of the Environment, led by Luis Picasso Vallebuona, to buy out territories to carry out work to restore the rainforest. In 1987, the National Park became a natural monument of Chile.

Cerro Nielol Park is considered one of the few remaining relics of the Valdiv ecoregion in the central part of the Araucania region. Here grow oak, laurel, hazelnuts, cinnamon, hazel, vultures, kestrels, fire-capped hummingbirds, The endangered hawk, Darwin's frog, wild cat, fox, rabbit and monkey.

The park has four paths with modern information centers and observation decks. There are also special picnic areas and playgrounds.

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Topic: National Park Sierro Nielol (Monumento Natural Cerro Nielol) description and photos - Chile: Temuco.