Santuario de la naturaleza El Ajial, Chile: what it is and when to go

What it is and where

Santuario de la naturaleza El Ajial is a protected area in Chile (Isla de Maipo). It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Chile: one to enjoy at a calmer pace.

2134 hectáreas protegidas de un ecosistema de bosque esclerófilo de la ecorregión mediterránea. Tiene como objetos de protección a especies, comunidades naturales o sistemas ecológicos y los servicios ecosistémicos como la regulación del flujo hídrico.

It is in Isla de Maipo, where this site lists 13 more places to see, 36 km from the centre.

Its coordinates are -33.86633, -70.54869; the nearest main airport is Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL, Santiago), 57 km as the crow flies. How to get around Chile (train, car, bus) is covered in its country guide.

Where it is (opens in a new tab)Directions (opens in a new tab)

Run by

Andrés Perez Cruz y Servicio de Biodiversidad y Áreas Protegidas

It is one of the Nature and Wildlife places in Chile. In Kokai it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap.

When to go

The best time to visit Santuario de la naturaleza El Ajial is October to April.

In December there are 14 h 15 of daylight, and in June, 9 h 46. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather.

It is not the same trip whatever you come for: Santuario de la naturaleza El Ajial has a different season depending on what you want to do here, and Kokai puts it in the right month for you.

When to go to Chile in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in its country guide.

Before you go to Chile

To enter Chile there are 8 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Book domestic flights and Torres del Paine places”: they are all, with their deadlines, in the Chile checklist. Currency: Chilean peso (CLP); plugs: Type C and L · 220 V · 50 Hz (the Spanish two-pin plug usually works); emergencies: 133 police · 131 ambulance · 132 fire brigade.

In Kokai you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it.

What is nearby

• Cerro San FranciscoMountain in Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile; geonames ID = 38722202.3 km
• Greater Patagonian Trail Section 2: Mina El TenienteHiking12 km
• Río Clarillo National ParkNational park in Chile14 km
• Museo Rural de PirqueMuseum17 km
• Sendero de Chile: Tramo Quebrada de Los BueyesHiking18 km

Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in the Chile guide.

More in Chile: Nature

• Ojos del Salado: highest volcano in the world
• Llullaillaco: stratovolcano in Chile and Argentina
• Beagle Channel: strait of Chile and Argentina
• Atacama Large Millimeter Array: 66 radio telescopes in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile
• Copahue: stratovolcano nestled on the border between Argentina and Chile
• Fitz Roy: mountain of Chile - argentina

Every Chile place under Nature, each with its season, is on its page.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

• Isla de Maipo13 places to see in and around Isla de Maipo, Chile: Laguna de Aculeo, Cerro Cantillana, Santuario de la naturaleza El Ajial. Best time: October to April.
• Nature666 places for nature in Chile, from Ojos del Salado to spots hardly anyone knows. Best time: October to April. Each with its own season by altitude and daylight.
• ChileBefore travelling to Chile: 8 things worth sorting out, each with its deadline. No visa is needed for tourism for up to 90 days and a valid passport is enough; on entry…
• Where to travelPick what you fancy (mountains, beaches, museums…) and the months you have free, and Kokai tells you which countries to go to and what to see there.