Thousands of years ago, long before the Llanquihue glaciation covered the region with an ice sheet, an incredible larch forest stood in a corner of Puerto Montt called Pelluhuín. In the midst of a humid atmosphere and lagoons, a unique species grew: the Fitzroya cupressoides , known as alerce, lahuán or Patagonian larch.
Today, in this wonderful place you can see vestiges of this petrified forest, which is approximately 46,070 years old. Declared a Nature Sanctuary in 1978 , this site is home to an ancient larch forest that was buried under the ashes of a volcanic eruption. It is one of the few places in the entire country where such old and remarkable larch stumps are found.
For a long time, these ancient stumps remained hidden underground and under the sea, waiting for the right moment to reveal their history. That moment came in 1960, when the largest earthquake in recorded history occurred. As a consequence of this seismic phenomenon of colossal proportions, the ground moved and the Pelluhuín stumps emerged to the surface, revealing an amazing natural treasure.
What was discovered in that place left scientists and nature lovers alike speechless. It was evident that there once existed an imposing forest of larches, those majestic trees with a wood that is resistant to water and practically indestructible. The wood from these trees has played a vital role in the history of architecture in this region of Chile, used to build churches, houses and large warehouses in Patagonia.
Larch tiles
The presence of these very old larch stumps transports us to a remote past, allowing us to imagine what that ancient forest was like. They tell us about the strength and resistance of nature, its ability to adapt to its environment and the historical and cultural importance that larch trees have had in this territory.
Currently, the Pelluhuín stumps are silent witnesses to the legacy of the ancient larches that existed in the past. They remind us of the importance of preserving and protecting our natural heritage. Fortunately, we can still admire living larches that are more than 3,000 years old in the southern parks of Chile. These trees are protected and their extraction is prohibited.
The history of Puerto Montt with its larch forests and the Pelluhuín stumps becomes a fascinating chapter in the history of Chile, uniting nature, culture and the memory of a unique place in the world. It invites us to value the beauty and importance of our natural environment, and to work together to protect and conserve it.