Northern Chile Wildlife Adventure

We will take a short boat trip off Iquique (c. 3 hours), to look for the endemic seabirds of the Humboldt Current, especially the endangered Humboldt Penguin; other seabirds we should encounter include Peruvian Pelican, Guanay Cormorant plus large numbers of South American Sea Lion. These seabirds have always been known for producing huge amounts of guano, a prime fertilizer and source of nitrates that played a key role in the rise and development of the Inca Empire, and after the arrival of the Europeans, helped to fuel the economics of the Spanish Crown and establish the American colonies ruled from the Viceroyalty of Peru. This boat trip will give us some idea of the huge productivity of the Humboldt Current ecosystem as we contemplate the large seabird and marine mammal colonies present in the area. There are also good chances of seeing cetaceans such as Short-beaked Common Dolphin, Dusky Dolphin and even Sperm Whale.

After our arrival to Iquique, we will drive across the hyper-arid Atacama Desert in a northerly direction, towards Chile’s northernmost city, Arica. There is a stretch of 190+ miles we need to cover, which will consider interesting stops, including the interesting array of geoglyphs, comprising the “Atacama’s Giant” and the Camarones Gorge.

Overnight Hotel Novotel or similar, Arica (1 night)(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Arica is a place full of history, as one of the decisive battles of the Pacific War between Chile and the Peru-Bolivia confederation (1879-1882) took place atop the cliffs guarding the bay, and long before that, its shores and coastal valleys were the home of the Chinchorro culture, who mummified their dead already around 8,000 BC, pre-dating the Egyptians by several thousand years. We will visit the Lluta river mouth to look for shorebirds, and from here we’ll drive east into the Azapa valley where we’ll visit the University Museum which holds an impressive collection of Chinchorro mummies, the oldest in the world. These places are also remarkable for the presence of some giant geoglyphs that were left by the ancient natives in the slopes of hills dominating the valley. They date from at least 600-800 years BC and mostly depict scenes reflecting the semi-nomadic life of these ancient herders, like llama caravans, shepherds, birds and other wildlife and hunting scenes.

As we drive up to the highlands, to reach the foothills of the Andes and the charming village of Putre. We will make a few stops along this interesting road, particularly to study closely the remarkable Chandelier cactus (Browningia candelaris) plus other desert vegetation growing in the barren hillsides. Close to Putre, we will find a National Monument, the old Inca fortress or pukara of Copaquilla, a complex of some 400 stone buildings defended by a double stone wall, dating from the 12th century. The picturesque village of Socoroma, known for still using the agricultural terraces, a system for growing crops inherited from the Inca that has come all the way down to our present time. Its old houses and church are also a fine example of the ancient adobe construction technique, which has been kept alive through generations.

The picturesque Andean town of Putre is located at 3,400 meters above sea level (11,483 ft); this friendly Aymara village will be our base for the day. The “pre-puna” semi-arid bushy slopes are very rich in avian life: The gardens, cultivated terraces, eucalyptus groves and rocky walls surrounding Putre are the perfect habitat for Sparkling Violetear and Andean Hillstar, Golden-billed Saltator and Blue-and-yellow Tanager are among the range of exciting birds that occur here. If we’re lucky we might spot the rare Northern Huemul Deer or Taruca and herds of Guanaco in the surrounding hills.

Overnight Hotel Q’Antati or similar, Putre (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Today we will visit the breathtaking Chungara Lake, truly one of the highlights of the trip, but before reaching it we´ll stop by the unique tiny village of Parinacota. Parinacota means “Lake of Flamingos”, and true to its name, the village is set among a group of lakes and ponds where these beautiful birds live. The hamlet dates from pre-incan days but it is better known for its old adobe and clay church, a fine example of 17th century Andean Baroque. The Altiplano (or High Andean plateau) is truly a ‘mecca’ for wildlife and we will have the whole day to discover its many secrets and stunning landscapes. Established to protect the highest lake in the world, Lauca National Park (and World Biosphere Reserve) supports a great diversity of High Andean (or ‘puna’) specialties. All three flamingo species – Chilean, James’s and Andean flamingos are often found here. Chungara Lake will be the highest spot during our entire trip (4,500 meters / 14,763 ft) and is surrounded by awe-inspiring volcanoes; this is a magnificent place and probably one of the most beautiful vistas that we will have during our whole Chilean Wildlife Adventure. The lake is full of birds including the striking Giant Coot and noisy Andean Gull. The surrounding bogs, locally known as bofedales, hold interesting mammals, all specialized to the high altitude, such as herds of Vicuña and charismatic Mountain Viscacha. The landscape of this area is dominated by the omnipresent and imposing Payachatas, meaning “The Twin Volcanoes”, the Pomerape, 6232m/20,446ft and the Parinacota, 6,110m/20,046ft, situated on the border with Bolivia. The breathtaking sight of these magnificent twin snow-capped peaks reflecting on the blue lakes is one of the gems of the high Andes and will probably be one of the most enduring memories from your trip to Northern Chile.

Overnight Hotel Q’Antati or similar, Putre (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

To see the Surire saltpan at sunrise is certainly one of the most fascinating sights of the whole Chilean Altiplano, as the lake holds one of the largest concentrations of the rare Puna Flamingo. Puna Rhea, Puna Tinamou Chilean and Andean flamingos, Andean Lapwing and a large variety of waterfowl including Andean Goose, Puna Teal, Crested Duck and Speckled Teal are also found here. Surire is reached after a nearly 3-hour drive from Putre, so an early start is required to see the lake at dawn. We guarantee that you won’t be disappointed! This salt flat is really a must for birders, especially if you like flamingos, for it is one of the very few places in the world where you can find all three species of High Andean flamingos in the wild, including the rare , range-restricted and endangered Puna Flamingo. The critically endangered and even rarer Puna Rhea is also present in the area, and the lovely vizcachas living in the rocky outcrops just by the ranger’s hut will delight you with their tameness and funny antics. But it’s not only wildlife photographers that will be delighted, for this site offers superb landscape photography as well, with its salt flat, mountains and rock formations.

Overnight Hotel Q’Antati or similar, Putre (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

We will drive back to Arica, from where we will catch a plane back to Santiago, where the trip ends.

(Breakfast, Lunch)