Radal Siete Tazas National Reserve
Encyclopedia
Radal Siete Tazas National Park is a national park
straddling the border between the provinces of Curicó
and Talca
, Maule Region
, Chile
. It lies in a pre-Andean area close to Descabezado Grande
volcano.
The reserve's most popular feature is the area known as Siete Tazas (Seven Cups), which consists of seven consecutive natural pools with their respective waterfalls along Claro River. These waterfalls range from 1 to 10.5 metres. There are also two high waterfalls called El Velo de Novia (The Bridal Veil) and La Leona (The Lioness), with single vertical drops of 40 and 20 metres respectively. Many kayakers paddle the smaller falls ranging from 1 to 10.5 metres (3-32 feet). Once kayakers enter the steep canyon the only way out is down. Many tourists congregate on platforms surrounding the canyon to watch the kayakers as they navigate the waterfalls. At the end of the run kayakers must make a quick move to shore in order to avoid the 40 meter waterfall. This is the end of the canyon where kayakers then hike out.
The reserve protects tree species mainly of the genus Nothofagus
, including the threatened Nothofagus glauca
and Nothofagus leonii, as well as Nothofagus macrocarpa, Nothofagus dombeyi, Nothofagus antarctica
and Nothofagus alpina
. Also it is possible to find vulnerable and rare species, as are Austrocedrus chilensis and Maytenus chubutensis.
The reserve is home to an endangered subspecies of Cyanoliseus patagonus known locally as Tricahue.
After the February 27, 2010 earthquake
one of the reserve's main attraction, the Seven Cups, completely dried up. It is believed a rock fissure allowed the water to empty into an aquifer
.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
straddling the border between the provinces of Curicó
Curicó Province
Curicó Province is one of four provinces of the central Chilean region of Maule . Its capital is the city of Curicó. It lies between the provinces of Colchagua and Talca and extends from the Pacific to the Argentine frontier, spanning an area of...
and Talca
Talca Province
Talca Province is one of four provinces of the central Chilean region of Maule . Its capital is the city of Talca.-Administration:As a province, Talca is a second-level administrative division of Chile, governed by a provincial governor who is appointed by the president.-Communes:The province...
, Maule Region
Maule Region
The VII Maule Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region takes its name from the Maule River which, running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a basin of about 20,600 km2...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It lies in a pre-Andean area close to Descabezado Grande
Descabezado Grande
Descabezado Grande is a stratovolcano located in the Maule Region of central Chile. It is capped by a ice-filled caldera and named for its flat-topped form, as descabezado means "headless" in Spanish...
volcano.
The reserve's most popular feature is the area known as Siete Tazas (Seven Cups), which consists of seven consecutive natural pools with their respective waterfalls along Claro River. These waterfalls range from 1 to 10.5 metres. There are also two high waterfalls called El Velo de Novia (The Bridal Veil) and La Leona (The Lioness), with single vertical drops of 40 and 20 metres respectively. Many kayakers paddle the smaller falls ranging from 1 to 10.5 metres (3-32 feet). Once kayakers enter the steep canyon the only way out is down. Many tourists congregate on platforms surrounding the canyon to watch the kayakers as they navigate the waterfalls. At the end of the run kayakers must make a quick move to shore in order to avoid the 40 meter waterfall. This is the end of the canyon where kayakers then hike out.
The reserve protects tree species mainly of the genus Nothofagus
Nothofagus
Nothofagus, also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 35 species of trees and shrubs native to the temperate oceanic to tropical Southern Hemisphere in southern South America and Australasia...
, including the threatened Nothofagus glauca
Nothofagus glauca
Nothofagus glauca is a species of plant in the Nothofagaceae family. It is a tree endemic to Chile. It grows from 34° to 37° South latitude.-Description:...
and Nothofagus leonii, as well as Nothofagus macrocarpa, Nothofagus dombeyi, Nothofagus antarctica
Nothofagus antarctica
Nothofagus antarctica , is a deciduous tree or shrub native to southern Chile and Argentina from about 36°S to Tierra del Fuego . The southernmost occurrence is on Hoste Island, making it the southernmost trees on earth...
and Nothofagus alpina
Nothofagus alpina
Nothofagus alpina also called Rauli Beech is a species of plant in the Fagaceae family. Deciduous tree, it grows in Chile and Argentina , it reaches 50 m height and more than 2 meters in diameter. Its distribution goes from 35 to 42° South latitude. It is found on the Andes...
. Also it is possible to find vulnerable and rare species, as are Austrocedrus chilensis and Maytenus chubutensis.
The reserve is home to an endangered subspecies of Cyanoliseus patagonus known locally as Tricahue.
After the February 27, 2010 earthquake
2010 Chile earthquake
The 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...
one of the reserve's main attraction, the Seven Cups, completely dried up. It is believed a rock fissure allowed the water to empty into an aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
.