Chile de Finde
Andean mountain range seen from Río de los Cipreses National Reserve.

116 km from Santiago · straight line

Río de los Cipreses

A glacial valley with burrowing parrots screaming overhead.

  • On the list
  • A weekend
  • Car or transfer recommended

Photograph: Polahola · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Cartography: OpenStreetMap

How to get there

Recommended option

Car from Rancagua via Machalí.

Car or transfer recommended

Departure point
Santiago or Rancagua
Arrival point
Reserve gate, above Machalí
Final leg
The stretch between Machalí and the gate has no regular public transport.
Limitations
Nesting areas carry access restrictions so the birds are not disturbed.

Schedules, fares and conditions may change. Check the latest information before travelling.

CONAF — Nuestros ParquesDirections from SantiagoOpen in Google MapsView on OpenStreetMap

Reviewed: 2026-08-04 · Official source

Why it's worth the trip

Because this is real wildlife, not a zoo: you come here to look up. And because the valley still feels big and lightly travelled.

Landscape

Above Machalí a long valley opens with the Cipreses river running through it and rock walls on either side. It is one of the places where the tricahue — Chile's largest parrot — still nests in the ravine walls, and you hear it well before you see it.

  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Water
The Cipreses river passing through the Chacayes sector, next to the national reserve.
The Cipreses river passing through the Chacayes sector, next to the national reserve. Photograph: Marco Antonio Correa Flores · CC BY-SA 3.0

What the trip could look like

A short weekend: a walk up the valley, early bird watching and a night near the reserve.

An idea of how the day would go.

A good fit if

  • Anyone interested in wildlife and birds
  • People who want a long valley and few others around

Maybe not if

  • Anyone chasing summits

Worth knowing

  • A CONAF-managed reserve with regulated access.
  • Nesting areas carry restrictions so the birds are not disturbed.

Sources

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