*Updated on 13 November 2026.*
Chile's oldest national park is Vicente Pérez Rosales, in Los Lagos, protected since 1926: in 2026 it turns 100. It is followed by three parks from 1935 (Juan Fernández Archipelago, Rapa Nui and Tolhuaca) and Nahuelbuta (1939). Of the 57 entries classed as national parks in the Ministry of the Environment's National Registry of Protected Areas, only 13 were protected before 1960, and 17 were added in the 2010s, the decade with the most new parks.
Chile's oldest national parks in figures
View the data as a table
| Year of the first national park | 1,926 |
| National parks in the registry | 57 |
| Protected before 1960 | 13 |
| Added in the 2010s | 17 |
Ranking: the 15 oldest national parks in Chile
| # | National park | Region | Year protection began | Official area (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vicente Pérez Rosales | Los Lagos | 1926 | 227,186 |
| 2 | Juan Fernández Archipelago | Valparaíso | 1935 | 10,009 |
| 3 | Rapa Nui | Valparaíso | 1935 | 7,100 |
| 4 | Tolhuaca | La Araucanía | 1935 | 5,708 |
| 5 | Nahuelbuta | La Araucanía and Biobío | 1939 | 6,671 |
| 6 | Bosque Fray Jorge | Coquimbo | 1941 | 8,723 |
| 7 | Puyehue | Los Lagos and Los Ríos | 1941 | 115,401 |
| 8 | Villarrica | La Araucanía and Los Ríos | 1941 | 44,407 |
| 9 | Cabo de Hornos | Magallanes | 1945 | 58,917 |
| 10 | Conguillío | La Araucanía | 1950 | 58,660 |
| 11 | Laguna del Laja | Biobío | 1958 | 15,961 |
| 12 | Laguna San Rafael | Aysén | 1959 | 1,698,092 |
| 13 | Torres del Paine | Magallanes | 1959 | 205,303 |
| 14 | Alberto de Agostini | Magallanes | 1965 | 1,190,458 |
| 15 | Huerquehue (and four others from 1967) | La Araucanía | 1967 | 11,960 |
In 1967 five parks were protected in the same year: Huerquehue, Isla Guamblin, Isla Magdalena, La Campana and Volcán Isluga. All appear in the full table below.
- 1926Vicente Pérez Rosales
- 1935Archipiélago Juan Fernández
- 1935Rapa Nui
- 1935Tolhuaca
- 1939Nahuelbuta
- 1941Bosque Fray Jorge
- 1941Puyehue
- 1941Villarrica
- 1945Cabo de Hornos
- 1950Conguillío
- 1958Laguna del Laja
- 1959Laguna San Rafael
- 1959Torres del Paine
When Chile's national parks were created, decade by decade
| Decade | National parks whose protection began | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 1 | Vicente Pérez Rosales |
| 1930s | 4 | Juan Fernández, Rapa Nui, Tolhuaca, Nahuelbuta |
| 1940s | 4 | Fray Jorge, Puyehue, Villarrica, Cabo de Hornos |
| 1950s | 4 | Conguillío, Laguna del Laja, Laguna San Rafael, Torres del Paine |
| 1960s | 7 | Alberto de Agostini, La Campana, Bernardo O'Higgins |
| 1970s | 4 | Lauca, Pali Aike, Cerro Castillo, Palmas de Cocalán |
| 1980s | 6 | Río Clarillo, Alerce Andino, Chiloé, Queulat, Pan de Azúcar, Hornopirén |
| 1990s | 4 | Llanos de Challe, Nevado de Tres Cruces, Llullaillaco, Radal Siete Tazas |
| 2000s | 2 | Francisco Coloane, Corcovado |
| 2010s | 17 | Alerce Costero, Yendegaia, Pumalín, Patagonia, Kawésqar and several marine parks |
| 2020s | 4 | Tictoc-Golfo Corcovado, Salar del Huasco, Desierto Florido, Glaciares de Santiago |
The jump in the 2010s is explained by two processes: the creation of large marine parks (such as Nazca-Desventuradas, Mar de Juan Fernández and Diego Ramírez-Drake Passage) and the Patagonia Park Network, which added Pumalín Douglas Tompkins, Patagonia, Melimoyu and Kawésqar in 2018 and 2019.
Full table of Chile's national parks by age
| Vicente Pérez Rosales | 1926 | 253,780 |
| Archipiélago Juan Fernández | 1935 | 9,571 |
| Rapa Nui | 1935 | 6,908 |
| Tolhuaca | 1935 | 6,374 |
| Nahuelbuta | 1939 | 6,831 |
| Bosque Fray Jorge | 1941 | 9,959 |
| Puyehue | 1941 | 102,522 |
| Villarrica | 1941 | 54,460 |
| Cabo de Hornos | 1945 | 63,093 |
| Conguillío | 1950 | 60,833 |
| Laguna del Laja | 1958 | 11,600 |
| Laguna San Rafael | 1959 | 1,742,000 |
| Torres del Paine | 1959 | 170,974 |
| Alberto de Agostini | 1965 | 1,460,000 |
| Huerquehue | 1967 | 12,500 |
| Isla Guamblin | 1967 | 10,625 |
| Isla Magdalena | 1967 | 249,712 |
| La Campana | 1967 | 8,000 |
| Volcán Isluga | 1967 | 174,744 |
| Bernardo O'Higgins | 1969 | 3,525,901 |
| Cerro Castillo | 1970 | 143,502 |
| Lauca | 1970 | 137,883 |
| Pali Aike | 1970 | 5,030 |
| Palmas de Cocalán | 1972 | 3,709 |
| Río Clarillo | 1982 | 13,134 |
| Alerce Andino | 1983 | 39,255 |
| Chiloé | 1983 | 42,568 |
| Queulat | 1983 | 154,093 |
| Pan de Azúcar | 1985 | 43,754 |
| Hornopirén | 1988 | 66,196 |
| Llanos del Challe | 1994 | 45,708 |
| Nevado de Tres Cruces | 1994 | 59,082 |
| Llullaillaco | 1995 | 268,671 |
| Radal Siete Tazas | 1996 | 4,138 |
| Francisco Coloane | 2003 | 1,506 |
| Corcovado | 2005 | 400,011 |
| Alerce Costero | 2010 | 24,694 |
| Morro Moreno | 2010 | 7,314 |
| Motu Motiro Hiva | 2010 | 15,000,000 |
| Nonguén | 2010 | 3,037 |
| Yendegaia | 2013 | 150,587 |
| Nazca-Desventuradas | 2016 | 30,003,500 |
| El Arenal | 2017 | 44 |
| El Palillo | 2017 | 4 |
| Lobería Selkirk | 2017 | 258 |
| Montes submarinos Crusoe y Selkirk | 2017 | 107,800 |
| Tierra Blanca | 2017 | 39 |
| Mar de Juan Fernández | 2018 | 26,200,000 |
| Melimoyu | 2018 | 105,500 |
| Patagonia | 2018 | 304,528 |
| Pumalín Douglas Tompkins | 2018 | 402,392 |
| Islas Diego Ramírez y Paso Drake | 2019 | 14,439,060 |
| Kawésqar | 2019 | 2,842,329 |
| Tictoc-Golfo Corcovado | 2022 | 101,916 |
| Desierto Florido | 2023 | 57,104 |
| Glaciares de Santiago | 2023 | 75,115 |
| Salar del Huasco | 2023 | 110,049 |
How to read this ranking
- Year protection began: the "AnoInicioProteccion" field of the official registry (checked on 13 November 2026). In some cases the area was first protected under another category and later became a national park; for example, Torres del Paine was created as a protected area on 13 May 1959, according to Wikipedia.
- Official area: the "SuperficieOficialIDE" field in hectares. Marine parks have no official area in that field and are not included in the land total.
- Primary source: Ministry of the Environment, National Registry of Protected Areas, viewable in SIMBIO.
- Related: Chile's largest national parks and the most visited.
The centenary is marked with free entry to 26 protected areas on Saturday 14 November, National Protected Areas Day, according to Diario Regional Aysén; Vicente Pérez Rosales is one of them. Details in the list of free parks. From March 2027 management will move from Conaf to the new SBAP, as we explained in this story.
Frequently asked questions
What was Chile's first national park?
Vicente Pérez Rosales, in the Los Lagos Region, protected since 1926. It includes Lake Todos los Santos, the Petrohué Falls and Osorno volcano.
How many national parks does Chile have?
The National Registry of Protected Areas lists 57 entries classed as national parks, including marine ones, as of 13 November 2026.
What is Chile's newest national park?
The most recent in the registry date from 2023: Salar del Huasco, Desierto Florido and Glaciares de Santiago.
How to cite this data
Viajando Chile (2026). *The oldest national parks in Chile: ranking by year of protection in the 2026 centenary*. Data from the National Registry of Protected Areas (Ministry of the Environment). Available at: https://viajandochile.com/en/news/oldest-national-parks-in-chile-ranking-centenary
