Quirilluca Maratué Park is establishing itself as an ideal location for environmental education, allowing students, teachers, and visitors to reconnect with the land. What was a vulnerable and impacted area a decade ago now functions as an open-air classroom, where biodiversity is observed, understood, and valued from multiple disciplines.
Thousands of people and students from rural schools, universities in the region, and Santiago have explored its trails this year, renowned for harboring unique conservation features such as the Northern Belloto tree, the Quirilluca cliffs, and the booby nesting area.
Thanks to the work of the Maratué team, its park rangers, the demarcation of trails, and new usage regulations, the area shows a visible recovery from practices that were once common, such as firewood extraction and forest disturbance.
For Juan Pedro Figueroa, director of the General Velásquez School in Puchuncaví—whose students visit the park from preschool through twelfth grade—exploring this space has meant integrating the local area into their daily learning.
“One of the things that most surprises the students is that there is a space with so much biodiversity in our community. The cliffs, the belloto forest, the booby nesting area—all in a very safe place—is fascinating. The landscape is beautiful; observing how the sea meets the forest is wonderful,” he said.
The school, in partnership with the park, has implemented activities ranging from civics and history to English, allowing them to work on diverse content related to nature.
“We respect the park and work constantly to maintain it. Learning in a technology-rich environment allows you to connect with nature, appreciate the earth, the air, the wind, the sea, the animals, the flowers… in a peaceful and beautiful place,” he added.
For the community, the park’s restoration has marked a profound change. Maratué’s Sustainability Manager, Franco Venegas, recalls that ten years ago the area was heavily impacted, with people even entering to extract booby eggs or firewood from the forest.
Today, he states that “those kinds of activities no longer take place. Camping on the beaches is no longer permitted due to a municipal ordinance, nor is it allowed within what is now Quirilluca Maratué Park. So, there is no more firewood extraction, and very little litter.” Furthermore, its location near Puchuncaví and the main beach resorts has encouraged visits that combine birdwatching, trekking, and landscape interpretation, always guided by a conservation approach.
EDUCATION TO TRANSFORM THE TERRITORY
Ecotourism specialists agree that spaces like this park possess the key conditions to become a model for environmental education.
Daniela Candia, Director of Ecotourism at Duoc UC Valparaíso, explains that “if we don’t know our environment, we won’t be able to care for or value it. Environmental education helps us develop an awareness of our environment from a young age, to care for it, to love it, and to share that care so that it can be appreciated through what we transmit to our surroundings.”
She also emphasizes that sustainable tourism spaces help to redefine territories historically affected by environmental impacts, offering “a new narrative based on restoration, education, community participation, hospitality, and also entertainment—everything that a park or tourist destination can offer.”
This shift in narrative is especially significant for Puchuncaví, a town associated for decades with the image of a sacrifice zone. Today, the park’s images show seabirds on the cliffs, birds of prey soaring over the forest, culpeo foxes, and small mammals that find refuge thanks to the management and conservation of the area.
Venegas points out that “in a small area, you can simultaneously observe the interaction and activities of seabirds on the coast, and just a few meters inland, you can already see continental birds.”
PROJECTION: A PARK THAT TEACHES THROUGH CONSERVATION
Looking ahead to 2026, Quirilluca Maratué Park plans to add new educational stations, interpretive signage, and improvements to trails and access points, as well as forging more partnerships with educational institutions and research centers to strengthen citizen science initiatives. The goal is to expand work with students and enhance flora and fauna monitoring, incorporating the community into observation and recording activities.
With each visit, the park reaffirms its purpose: to teach through conservation. For many residents and students, Quirilluca Maratué Park represents a source of natural educational inspiration, a place that helps them understand and appreciate the ecological heritage of their region. In a context marked by environmental challenges, the park stands as a local example of how education, management, and nature can come together to create a more sustainable future for Puchuncaví.
IF YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW THE PLACE, LOOK FOR IT ON INSTAGRAM @PARQUEQUIRILLUCAMARATUE