Lussich Park, Uruguay
An Ecotourism Destination

The area of Lussich Park, Uruguay was originally purchased by Antonio Lussich. In 1896 he purchased land that was basically nothing more than waste land.

A few years later, he had planted cypress, araucarias, cedar, oak, lime, maple, magnolia and walnut trees to name a few.

The park today has more than 400 exotic species and 70 of the species are descended from the original species. There are 350 trees which are quite rare.

This area is an ecotourism destination that is visited by many each year. This park is considered "one of the most important botanical gardens in the world." It is approximately 474 acres and the Arboretum Lussich, which is visited by many, is about 300 meters from Route 93.

The Arboretum hosts approximately 11,000 visitors per year.
It is owned by the Commune of Maldonado.

If ecotourism is one of the reasons for visiting this Park, Uruguay you will find this is an area that takes this aspect very seriously. The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations" is a yearly ranking that is produced by Ethical Traveler magazine and Uruguay was listed in the 2011 rankings.

The list is based on identifying the best tourist destinations by studying the developing nations across the world. Some of the categories are social welfare, human rights and environmental protection.

Much of Lussich Park of today is due to the efforts of Antonio Lussich. He originally purchased over 4,000 acres, which was nothing but sand dunes. The forest was planted to stop the winds that came from the ocean. This was done to encourage the different types of birds to make their home here.

When visiting Lussich Park, Uruguay, you will find a variety of places to stay that fully support ecotourism. As part of the visitor's responsibilities, the traveler on an ecotourism trip should minimize any impact they will have on the environment. This is why the trips have become popular with tourists.

The originators of these ecotourism trips provide the guidelines that help guest to minimize the impact of their visit. Instead, an emphasis on the local history and the culture of the area as well as the vital eco-systems is the focus. The wildlife as well as the plant life that is indigenous to the area is preserved

Lussich Park, as the rest of Uruguay has many forests. The trees that are native to this area are mainly hardwood trees. The plants which provide one of the more interesting aspects of visiting include the acacia, alder, popular, aloe, eucalyptus and the mimosa.

The flowers that you will see will include scarlet-flowered crib, verbena - both white and red - and myrtle and rosemary.

Animals abound in the area and it should not surprise you to see an armadillo, a deer, a fox or an otter. Marine life is another part of the ecotourism tour. There are many salmon, corvine and pompano.

Located on the Sierra of the Whale, this is one of the best ecotourism destinations in the world