A new national park
for the region of Magallanes
One of our main conservation projects today is the creation of the new Cabo Froward National Park, located at the southernmost point of the continent, 62 km southwest of Punta Arenas.
The future National Park at Cabo Froward is an initiative led by Rewilding Chile in collaboration with Tompkins Conservation, aimed at protecting and conserving the unique ecosystems of the southern Brunswick Peninsula, while also safeguarding and enhancing the natural and cultural heritage of the Magallanes region.
Cape Froward encompasses vast expanses of subantarctic forest and peatlands, and is notable for hosting the world’s southernmost conifer, the Guaitecas cypress. It is the last continental habitat of the huemul and a refuge for the ruddy-headed goose, both endangered species. It is the ancestral territory of the Kawésqar people and a place rich in history dating back to the era of the explorers of the end of the world.
In 2021, with the support of Tompkins Conservation and a group of nine Chilean and international philanthropists, we acquired the first property that will form part of the Cabo Froward National Park, consisting of 93,492 hectares. A second purchase of 33,810 hectares was completed in 2024 thanks to the same network of donors.
Both properties were offered to the State of Chile during the administration of President Boric (2021–2025), which was formalized through a memorandum of understanding that includes two protected national assets. With the donated lands and the contribution of public lands, the future protected area will comprise just over 155,000 hectares.
In 2025, the lands offered by the Foundation were transferred to the State for the creation of a national park within a two-year timeframe, in accordance with the agreement signed with the Ministry of National Assets.
In November 2026, we signed a supplementary agreement that includes a new donation of 55,186 acres to the State to expand the footprint of the future national park. Additionally, the Ministry of National Assets pledged to contribute 82,557 acres from the Cape Froward and Batchelor Protected National Public Lands. This brings the projected total area to 452,313 acres—a landscape of extraordinary biodiversity and cultural and historical value, which also represents a tangible opportunity for economic development in the Magallanes region.
At the same time, the Ministry of the Environment initiated the Indigenous Consultation process for the Kawésqar community, a key stage in the administrative process to finalize the creation of protected areas. The official decree for the future Cape Froward National Park is expected to be enacted by the end of 2027.
Today, we continue to work diligently to bring about its creation and to ensure that this territory receives the highest possible level of protection under the National Park designation.
