Qualla: Anchorena National Park

Anchorena National Park: Introduction

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Marcelo Campi from Costa de Oro, Uruguay, CC BY-SA 2.0. In 1907, a wealthy Uruguayan named Aaron de Anchorena drifted over this stretch of coastline in a hot air balloon and fell in love with what he saw below. The rolling hills, the native forests meeting the Rio de la Plata, the wild beauty of the place convinced him to purchase the land and spend decades transforming it into something between a private estate and a botanical wonder. When he died in 1965, his will gave it all to the nation, stipulating that it should serve three purposes: conservation, public education, and a quiet refuge for Uruguay's presidents. Today, Anchorena National Park fulfills all three roles, its 1,369 hectares encompassing native woodland, exotic gardens, an English manor house, and South America's tallest lighthouse, all open to visitors willing to make the journey to this remote corner of the country.

Read more: Anchorena National Park on Qualla

Image: Marcelo Campi from Costa de Oro, Uruguay | CC BY-SA 2.0

Anchorena National Park: A Landscaper's Vision

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Hoverfish, CC BY-SA 3.0. Aaron de Anchorena hired Hermann Botrich, a German landscape architect, to realize an ambitious dream: a park that would blend Uruguay's native flora with exotic species gathered from across the globe. Botrich carved out artificial ponds, cleared sections of forest to create sava...

Read more: Anchorena National Park on Qualla

Image: Hoverfish | CC BY-SA 3.0

Anchorena National Park: The Lighthouse Tower

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Ricardo Stuckert/PR, CC BY 3.0 br. The Gaboto Lighthouse Tower rises 75 meters above the park, making it the tallest lighthouse in Uruguay and one of the tallest in South America. Anchorena commissioned the brick tower in 1927, naming it after Sebastian Cabot, the explorer who sailed these waters four centuries ea...

Read more: Anchorena National Park on Qualla

Image: Ricardo Stuckert/PR | CC BY 3.0 br

Anchorena National Park: Wildlife Encounters

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Fadesga, CC BY-SA 3.0. Anchorena did not stop at plants. He introduced 70 species of non-native wildlife to his estate, hoping to create a living menagerie mixing creatures from around the world with Uruguay's native fauna. Some experiments failed spectacularly: the kangaroos, buffalo, and peacocks hav...

Read more: Anchorena National Park on Qualla

Image: Fadesga | CC BY-SA 3.0

Anchorena National Park: The Presidential Retreat

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Fadesga, CC BY-SA 3.0. The centerpiece of the park is Anchorena's English-style manor house, now serving as Uruguay's official presidential retreat. International summits have convened in its elegant rooms, and foreign dignitaries have strolled its gardens between sessions. Access requires advance rese...

Read more: Anchorena National Park on Qualla

Image: Fadesga | CC BY-SA 3.0