Patagonia Wildlife Adventure, Pumas, Whales and Penguins Trip, An adventure through the southern part of Chilean Patagonia, visiting the best wildlife watching places in this wonderful region.
Visit the Torres del Paine National Park, known for its steep mountain peaks and incredible landscapes, to see one of the largest cats in South America, the Pumas, in its natural environment, a dreamlike landscape. Discover the incredible marine life of the southernmost fjords in Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego and the beautiful Marine Parks created to protect the great diversity of species that inhabit this place. All travel ideas are fully customizable, so we make travel proposals adapted to your interests, activities you enjoy, travel dates and destinations you want to visit.
Know Punta Arenas, Southern Chile
Discover Pumas at Torres del Paine
Navigate the Magellan Strait
Spend a night camping on Carlos III Island
The first stay in your Patagonia Wildlife Adventure, Pumas, Whales and Penguins is Torres del Paine. Located a few kilometers from Puerto Natales, in southern Chile, Torres del Paine National Park is considered one of the most beautiful places over Southern Patagonia and the world and one of the best trekking areas. Start your trip arriving to Punta Arenas. Your driver will be waiting for you at Punta Arenas Airport to take you to Torres del Paine. A trip of approximately 4 hours in a beautiful landscape of Nothofagus forest. During the tour you can make stops to watch wildlife such as guanacos, choiques, foxes, pumas and some species of birds.
The Pumas Tracking Adventure begins. We will carry out full days of Puma Tracking from dawn to dusk with the local guide, an expert in wildlife watching. The area by the north coast of Lake Sarmiento Lake, Amarga Lagoon and Azul Lagoon is well-known for having one of the largest populations of pumas in the wild. The best time to see pumas is from February to April, as the females pumas are actively hunting to provide food for their growing cubs. At this time of year, they are active by night, and also during the twilight hours. To see a female pumas and her cubs in the middle of this stunning mountain landscape is one of the most impressive wildlife spectacles. You will also have the opportunity to see other species of wildlife such as guanacos, foxes, lesser rhea, among others.
After the Pumas Tracking, today you will tour the western part of the Torres del Paine National Park, visiting the main attractions before saying goodbye to this spectacular place. You will begin the journey to the Mirador del Lago Nordenskjöld, then you will continue towards Salto Grande and from there you can take the walk to the The Horns Viewpoint, which takes 1.30/2 hours. Then continue to the Mirador Pehoe, and the last panoramic point which is Puente Weber. Finally you will leave the park to begin the trip to Punta Arenas, to continue your Patagonia Wildlife Adventure, Pumas, Whales and Penguins. It will be our base to explore the spectacular landscapes of the fjords, islands and their wonderful marine parks with their enormous amount of wildlife species that inhabit this remote area.
Today you will continue your Patagonia Wildlife Adventure, Pumas, Whales and Penguins Trip leaving back to the pumas behind to crossthe western branch of the Strait of Magellan to stay on a tiny island in one of the remotest, pristine places on Earth, The Carlos III Island, which houses a vast and unique biological diversity. You will navigate through The Francisco Coloane Marine Park, this park is home to a summer population of humpback whales and occasionally orcas that use these waters for feeding. You will enjoy whale watching in this remote area of Chile surrounded by beautiful landscape and nature panoramic.
On the 7th day of your Patagonia Wildlife Adventure, Pumas, Whales and Penguins Trip, you will enjoy another day of humpback whale watching with the possibility of seeing a rare Chilean dolphin while sailing these waters. Also will visit vast colonies of fur seals, sea lions, Magellan penguins, among other species.
You will also enjoy an explanatory talk from scientists who work on population studies of these species, they will explain marking and identification techniques. We will spend the entire afternoon observing these whales up close. An intimate experience of close encounter with marine fauna in a landscape of remote islands, mountains, glaciers and enchanted forests.
After visiting these waters and islands teeming with marine life, you the Patagonia Wildlife Adventure, Pumas, Whales and Penguins Trip with the 8-hour journey back to the San Isidro Lighthouse. Along the way you can observe species of birds, dolphins, sea lions, among others. In the afternoon you will return to Punta Arenas to spend the night.
Continue your Patagonia Wildlife Adventure crossing the legendary Strait of Magellan toward Tierra del Fuego, retracing the routes once navigated by explorers like Magellan and Darwin. During the two-hour ferry ride, keep your eyes open for albatrosses, petrels, cormorants, sea lions, and playful dolphins. Upon arrival, settle into your accommodation in El Porvenir for a short rest before heading toward King Penguin Park. The scenic drive offers chances to spot guanacos, foxes, flamingos, and other native species. At the reserve, learn about the conservation of the few King Penguins that inhabit the area year-round and observe them respectfully from the designated distance. Enjoy this magical wildlife encounter before returning to El Porvenir for the night, surrounded by pure Patagonian silence.
Day 10th of your Patagonia Wildlife Adventure, Pumas, Whales and Penguins Trip. This day you will use the morning tour El Porvenir and learn about the native wildlife and history of this remote region of Patagonia. Then you will go to visit alkaline pools, home of large groups of migratory birds such as sandpipers and plovers, and the beautiful Chilean flamingos. Then you will travel along the coast to visit remains of old shipwrecks. After lunch you will take the ferry back to Punta Arenas.
Say goodbye to the wonderful Patagonia. Your local driver will take you to Punta Arenas Airport to catch your flight to the next destination.
Transportation throughout the trip
Accommodation
Expert local guides
Full support from your Travel Agent before, during, and after the trip
International or domestic flights
National Park Tickets
Personal expenses and optional activities
To start this journey, travelers will need to fly into Punta Arenas Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibañez del Campo (PUQ), located just outside Punta Arenas City. This airport receives domestic flights from and international connections via Santiago de Chile (SCL).
Arrival Flight: Traveler flies from origin city to Santiago de Chile (SCL), then connects with a domestic flight to Punta Arenas (PUQ).
Departure Flight: At the end of the itinerary, travelers will take a domestic flight from Punta Arenas (PUQ) back to Santiago de Chile (SCL) for onward international connections.
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