In the municipality of Puchuncaví, open to the community, and developed by the Maratué project, the park features trails, information panels, and viewpoints. The Valparaíso region boasts several places of great natural beauty, and Quirilluca is one of them. The park, located on the coast just a few kilometers from the center of Puchuncaví, is home to numerous species of native flora and fauna, accompanied by beautiful landscapes, cliffs, and access to Quirilluca and Luna beaches. Puchuncaví is a municipality with significant environmental attributes. Countryside, native forest, and beaches intertwine with a blend of rural and urban life, creating a landscape inhabited by more than 18,000 people, with important seaside resorts such as Ventanas, Horcón, and Maitencillo.
Quirilluca Park is nestled within this environment, located about five kilometers from the center of Puchuncaví. This park covers more than 125 hectares on the coastal edge of the commune, between the towns of Campiche to the south and Maitencillo to the north. Developed by the Maratué project, the park features trails, information panels, and viewpoints, accessible on foot, by bicycle, or from the parking area, which also provides access to Luna and Quirilluca beaches, the latter considered the “beach of the Puchuncavinos” (residents of Puchuncaví).
Among its natural attractions are the Quirilluca cliffs, a geosite that is home to the main nesting area for Peruvian boobies in the central region, and the Belloto Forest, a sclerophyllous forest that shelters specimens of the northern belloto tree, a species declared a National Monument. If you’re lucky, you might spot chungungos (marine otters) swimming among the rocky outcrops from the cliff viewpoints. “The Puchuncaví commune carries the stigma of being a “sacrifice zone,” however, there are places of great environmental importance and landscapes that must be preserved. Quirilluca Park is a good example of how a place can be cared for while also welcoming delegations, students, and visitors who seek to investigate, learn about, and admire it,” stated Franco Venegas, socio-environmental manager of the Maratué project. “This place, which for a long time was exposed to excessive garbage, hunting, fires, the extraction of firewood, and the removal of eggs from seabird nests, is now being properly cared for, complementing and contributing to the commune’s growth. This care, however, is everyone’s responsibility—Puchuncaví residents and tourists alike,” he added.
For her part, Marina Cisternas Gaete, president of the J. Kennedy neighborhood association in Puchuncaví, stated that “for the people of Puchuncaví, Quirilluca is part of our history and is also important for local tourism. Together we must care for its landscapes and ensure its conservation for future generations of the community and the region.” The park has numerous signs where visitors can find information about the northern belloto tree, the Peruvian boobies, migratory birds that nest on the northern part of the cliffs, the Quirilluca Cliffs geosites, and the ravine where a spring emerges that flows into Quirilluca Beach. For more than five years, the Maratué project has been studying and monitoring the environmental attributes of the area, with a focus on censuses of Peruvian boobies and marine otters.
“We keep a record and study of every location and species in the park. Thanks to this, we have been able to identify and monitor the health of the 197 northern belloto trees in the forest, as well as maintain a database on the population dynamics of the Peruvian boobies that nest on the cliffs between October and April,” explained Venegas.
Visiting Quirilluca Park is free. Only during the summer months, from December 15th to March 15th, is there a parking fee. Vehicles from the municipality of Puchuncaví park free of charge.
From Route F-30 E, the entrance is located opposite the town of Las Catitas. The vehicle gate is open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and until 8:00 PM during the summer. There are no time restrictions for pedestrian and bicycle access. “Quirilluca Park is a good example of how a place can be cared for while also receiving delegations,” said Franco Venegas, socio-environmental manager of the Maratué project.
Visiting Quirilluca Park is free. The park is open only during the summer months, from December 15th to March 15th. The park has numerous signs where visitors can find information. Luna and Quirilluca beaches can be reached through the park.