Chile Birding and Puma Tour - Pumas in Torres del Paine, Southern Patagonia

Chile Birding and Puma Tour: Pumas in Torres del Paine, Southern Patagonia
October 2025/2026

This birding and puma tour visits the southern tip of Patagonia, a vast territory crowned by the majestic Paine Massif. Its stunning granite “towers” and “horns”, surrounded by massive glaciers, turquoise lakes, and verdant forests, make it one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes on earth. This paradise is protected by the Torres del Paine National Park, “the jewel in the crown” of the Chilean national park system.

Torres del Paine is a remote refuge where the Patagonian wildlife is relatiely approachable and abundant. Here we can expect to see the inquisitive Guanaco, Patagonian Fox, Patagonian Huemul (Andean deer), Large Hairy Armadillo, Andean Condor, Black-faced Ibis, and Torrent Duck, which all share the mountain landscape with the top predator of the region, Puma or mountain lion. This Chile birding and puma tour focuses on the observation and photography of this large, elegant cat in the most spectacular area of its entire range. We will spend three full days within Torres del Paine during our search for Puma – this picturesque park ranks as one of the best places to find Puma!

Andean Condor is one of the big targets in the Andes (photo Alejandro Tello).

Along with searching for Puma and other Patagonian wildlife we will also visit a small wetland near Torres del Paine National Park, where we hope to observe the extremely rare Austral Rail.

Three full days will be spent in Torres del Paine National Park searching for Puma, the “lord of the Andes”.

This birding and puma tour is combinable with Northwest Argentina – from the foothills to puna birding tour which immediately proceeds this tour as well as Northeast Argentina – Iberá Marshlands and Iguazú National Park which immediately follows northwest Argentina.

Itinerary (8 days/7 nights)

Day 1. Punta Arenas

Arrival at Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport in Punta Arenas with an afternoon visit to the nearby Tres Puentes Wetland to look for Chiloe Wigeon, White-tufted Grebe, Red Shoveler, Southern Lapwing, Short-billed Miner, South American Snipe, and Austral Negrito.

Overnight: Hotel Cabo de Hornos or similar, Punta Arenas

Day 2. Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine National Park

Today we drive to the majestic Torres del Paine National Park, with stops at Puerto Natales for lunch as well as birding along the bay of Last Hope Sound, where we hope to find Yellow-bridled Finch and White-throated Caracara. While crossing over the impressive Patagonian steppes we will keep a lookout for Lesser Rhea and Least Seedsnipe. After arriving at Torres del Paine National Park we will head out on our first outing searching for Puma.

Overnight: Hostería Pehoé, Torres del Paine

Lesser Seedsnipe should be seen in the Patagonian steppes.

Days 3-5. Torres del Paine National Park

We will spend the next three full days looking for the majestic Puma, the “lord of the Andes”. After an early breakfast we will start searching for Puma in Torres del Paine National Park. To further increase our chances of finding Puma, we will also visit the nearby Estancia Laguna Amarga, a ranch located on the eastern border of the park, which hosts good numbers of Puma.

Together with Puma we should also see large groups of Guanacos (wild relatives of the llama), Large Hairy Armadillo, Patagonian Fox, Upland Goose, Andean Condor, Yellow-bridled Finch, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, and many other species. We will also bird the Nothofagus (southern beeches) forests, where we hope to find the impressive Magellanic Woodpecker and Austral Parakeet.

Overnight: Hostería Pehoé, Torres del Paine

Day 6. Torres del Paine National Park to Punta Arenas

This will be our last morning in Torres del Paine National Park searching for Puma. We will then visit a small wetland, where we might observe and photograph the very rare Austral Rail. We will stop en route for photo opportunities at Ultimate Esperanza Bay in Puerto Natales, where we may find Black-necked Swan, Crested Duck, White-tufted and Great Grebes, Magellanic Shag, Magellanic Oystercatcher, and Dark-bellied Cinclodes.

Overnight: Hotel Cabo de Hornos or similar, Punta Arenas

We may see White-tufted Grebe in Puerto Natales.

Day 7. Marta and Magdalena Islands

We will head across to Laredo Bay for the morning, where we will take a boat trip to two nearby islands, first to Magdalena Island to visit a colony of Magellanic Penguins and then circumnavigating Marta Island to view a colony of South American Sea Lions. In the afternoon we will visit San Juan Bay, where we might see Magellanic Diving Petrel, Black-browed Albatross, Chilean Skua, Kelp Gull, Magellanic Plover, and Blackish Cinclodes, among others.

Overnight: Hotel Cabo de Hornos or similar, Punta Arenas

Day 8. Departure

Transfer to the airport to board your departure flight, which will end an amazing eight days in Chile.

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling, or other factors.