Walks around Valpo |
North of Quintay |
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Overlooking the lagoon at Playa Grande |
View across the rocks to the Playa Grande beach and resort |
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Big surf at Playa Grande |
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A final clamber over the cliffs and home |
Fisherman returning to Quintay Cove |
Pelicans and kelp gulls at Quintay Cove |
La Ponderacion de Santa Augustina (yummmm!!) |
South of Quintay |
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Cormorant |
The rock fisherman of Playa Chica |
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The wild coastline south of Quintay |
At the edge of the pine plantation |
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La Campaña National Park
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Sadly, the world's third best climate let us down badly and we emerged to a cold grey morning; the cloud hanging low and obscuring the peaks around, including Cerro Campaña. It was to stay there and keep temperatures down all day. There would be no views across the width of Chile today and the enthusiasm to do a 1400m climb in the fog rapidly dwindled. Still, we had come to walk in the National Park and so we set out on a lesser climb, 720m up to the saddle of the mountain ridge at Portazuelo de Ocoa. At least this would give us a chance to check out the richness of the flora that impressed Darwin, particularly the rare palm groves that grow here. |
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Forest of the valley floor |
Dense forest of La Campana |
Climbing up into the mist |
A splash of colour on the path |
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Tiny but beautiful white and yellow orchids of La Campana |
The slope dropped off steeply beneath the path and you had the impression that beyond the ghostly pall of the swirling cloud there were magnificent views over the ridges of the park and perhaps of Cerro Campaña itself - we would need to return one day to find out. Finally, we reached Portazuelo de Ocoa and ate our lunch in the shelter of an old stone wall on the pass - sadly, the clouds also obscured any trace of the palm groves in the valley beyond. We retraced our steps and retreated to Olmué for a cup of hot chocolate and a pisco sour. |
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