Another year, another gauntlet of supersized hurricanes, melting glaciers and disappearing rainforest. Seems like there isn’t much to be excited about for the environmentalists among us. Well, except for down in Chile, where the forces that be have taken recent charge in protecting the country’s incomparable wilds.
First, the Chilean government formally introduced the Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia, a 1,700-mile trail through 11 million acres of protected steppe, lakes and peaks — a declaration that followed the Tompkins Conservation’s gift of over a million protected acres to the country. And now, in the hopes of securing the next great “conservation steward,” Christie’s International Real Estate is selling 348,000 acres of Patagonian outdoors for a looney-tunes sum of $150,000,000.
The “estate,” known as Hacienda Pucheguin, is located in Zona de Los Lagos Andinos. For the uninitiated, think northern Patagonia. The area’s as gorgeous as it is remote, a waltzing tableau of ice-blue lakes, Patagonian cypress (some up to 3,500 years old), pastures for sheep and horses, and rock walls that make Yosemite look like a McDonald’s PlayPlace.
And to be clear, Christie’s is definitely not searching for any Disney movie villains who want to turn the whole deal into a parking lot. This land is meant for conservation and responsible development, and federally protected as such. An interested buyer might reserve some land for recreation — think an eco-resort with one heckuva backyard for skiing, fishing and rock climbing — while keeping the rest of the acreage free from environmental exploitation.
For more information on the lot, head here.
All images from Christie’s International Real Estate
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