I always think of summer as being the very best time to visit places; blue skies, the warmth of the sun and lush greenery. Last month, I was proved wrong as we visited a place that can only be described as an Autumn Wonderland.
It was the long Easter weekend so Carlos and I headed south to Conguillo National Park which is an hour flight from Santiago and then and hour-and-a-half drive. I din’t know much about Conguillo apart from the fact that the park is home to Chile’s national tree: Araucaria. Which are 1,500 years old! Can you imagine how many things have changed in the world since they first started to grow?!
Little did I know, there was so much more to this park!
The park is home to an active volcano which erupts about once a decade. A big, big eruption that happened almost 800 years ago accounts for the reason why a big part of the park in covered in dark volcanic matter. I didn’t understand why everything around us was covered in black/grey matter… but when you know, it’s pretty interesting!
Asides from that the park is home to lakes, lots and lots of trees and of course an Autumn wonderland. 
We trekked up to The Sierra Nevada look out and really couldn’t believe that view that greeted us! The warm colours against the bright blue sky really was special! The volcano in the background only added to how picturesque it was too. We concluded that volcanoes must attract the clouds somehow as we only saw a cloud covered top for the whole three days we were there.
It really was the most perfect Autumn getaway! I’m so glad we went in the orange months!
Where are you exploring in the Autumn/Spring?
Marcella xx
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Meet your hosts: Lauren of Lauren on Location, Van of Snow in Tromso, Isabel of The Sunny Side of This and me, Marcella of What a Wonderful World.
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Beautiful! I love autumn ever since I saw the beautiful autumn colors in Japan last year. And another reason I prefer it is that it’s not so hot. Exploring is so much better when you’re not melting and sweating buckets! Wow 1,500 year old trees… I love their form. And that lake is so clear, in the picture with the submerged trees.
Thanks Anna! And that’s so true, you just can’t trek in central Chile in the summer, you’d boil! So it was great that it was cooler!
beautiful photos! It’s been raining a lot recently here so it felt more like autumn than spring:) #wanderfulwednesday
Thank you! It’s raining here today too, but I don’t mind it as it doesn’t rain very often in Santiago 🙂
Autumn is my favorite time of year and I’m glad to see that South America doesn’t fall behind! #WanderfulWednesday
Nice! Autumn colours really are special. Especially when they are in such a beautiful place 🙂
Such beautiful views of autumn!!
Thanks Nano!
Wow! The fall foliage is really beautiful. Some day, I will get below the equator and experience the reverse seasons! I think the natural landscape of Chile is just incredible – I can’t get over how crystal clear that lake is!
It’s weird to see the seasons in reverse, but I guess it’s starting to get more normal… apart from a hot Christmas, which will never be normal!
And you’re right, Chilean beauty really is the most special 🙂
I really don’t usually travel much in fall, but I’m looking to change that!! it’s seriously such a beautiful time! It’s still so weird for me to think of fall in May tho. haha!
It really is a beautiful time, especially when the sun is shining and the sky is a beautiful blue 🙂
How is this place even real? The volcanic matter looks like out of this world! Thank you for showing me this impressive corner in the world. I love this!
You’re welcome 😉 It’s always a pleasure to show places that are less well known!
I see what you mean about the beautiful colours! And such a changing landscape as well. Gorgeous pictures from a jaw-dropping national park! #WanderfulWednesday
Thank you! It was such an amazing place and I’m just so glad we got to see it in its autumn glory!
Look at those trees! They are really unique! Indeed fall colors are very pretty! I miss fall foliage, Athens has so many perennial trees so we don’t get to see those yellow and reds come fall.
They really are very special trees! 🙂 I hope you are currently enjoying lots of Spring colours!
Conguillo looks absolutely beautiful – and those really are some old trees! I’m sure they would have some amazing stories to tell if they could talk xD
Imagine! They were there for more than a thousand years before Chile was even known as being Chile. Crazy!!
All of those fall colors are so beautiful! I totally wouldn’t have known what that grey stuff was either until you mentioned it!
I was so confused, ha! Then it all made sense 🙂
Y’all are so cute together, and gorgeous photos as usual. The photos of the spring actually really reminds me of a spring I saw in upper peninsula Michigan called Kitchi-iti-kipi!
Ah, thanks so much!! Those autumn colours were all kinds of magical!
Spectacular photos! What gorgeous colours. Autumn is definitely my favourite season!
Thanks so much! Autumn really is a special time 🙂
This seriously is an Autumn wonderland! I still can’t get over these pictures… What a gorgeous spot. Need to visit here!!
Thanks Lauren! And yessss, add it to the never ending Chilean bucket list 🙂
That lake with the fallen trees and turquoise water is stunning! I absolutely love the colours of autumn, potentially more than spring, so this would be heaven for me 🙂
It was so so pretty! There was beauty in every direction 🙂
Gorgeous pictures!!! It’s hard to imagine autumn right now with snow still being around in Norway though 😀
Thanks Van! I can’t imagine snow, hehe!
Hi Marcella. Long time no speak. Love the imagery in this blog and live the idea of your link up. Let me know how to get involved?
Thanks so much! We’d love to have you join us, every Wednesday we post a link on our blogs where you upload a post. Then hop around and see what everyone has written about 🙂
What unbelievable scenery! It’s so beautiful! You’ve got lovely shots, as ever. You really should start selling these! They’re so good! Yesterday S and I went for a walk around a ‘wildflower garden’ that turned out to be a fair size nature reserve. We got to see loads of crazy native Australian plants and autumn foliage and it was a biologists dream, ha. I’m loving how different nature is here!
What a lovely compliment! 🙂
The nature reserve sounds beautiful, I love those kind of places despite having no idea about biology, ha!
I love all of the colors! Makes me miss autumn 🙂
Beautiful photos! That orange flower is very pretty. It makes me want to go outside and hang out in the nature this weekend!
Beautiful! And I know it’s weird haha but in that last photo you both remind me so much of my parents 25 years ago!
Aww, cute! Maybe we’ll be like them in 25 years time too 🙂