SAN RAFAEL NATIONAL PARK

Spanish Parque Nacional De Turismo Laguna San Rafael, national park in Aisn region, southern Chile, on the Pacific coast. Established in 1945, it occupies an area of 2,300 sq mi (5,900 sq km). One of its great attractions is Laguna San Rafael (Lake San Rafael), a fjord more than 10 mi (16 km) long between Pennsula de Taitao and the mainland, into which Ventisquero (glacier) San Rafael flows. Created to preserve native fauna and flora from extinction, the park also has considerable scientific interest to volcanologists. Its windswept canyons and numerous lakes make the area a promising tourist and recreation centre. Access is by sea and river.