9 creatures to look out for when traveling in Patagonia

30.06.2024 - 09:01 / lonelyplanet.com

Jun 29, 2024 • 9 min read

Some of the largest and most unspoiled tracts of wilderness on Earth, Patagonia's temperate rainforests, towering mountain ranges, grasslands, fjords, lakes and rivers are home to more than 500 wildlife species, making it one of the most diverse and fauna-rich regions in South America.

Birdwatchers, wildlife photographers and wildlife lovers alike come to this vast natural playground in the hopes of spotting condors, penguins, guanacos, pumas, whales and other creatures, but Patagonia's harsh continental climate, challenging topography and the encroachment of estancias (ranches) on some habitats mean that some of the more elusive beasts may only be spotted in specific areas at specific times of the year.

Here's our guide to Patagonia's most iconic animals and birds and where best to find them.

The national bird of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador, the Andean condor is one of the largest birds on Earth, with a massive 3m (10ft) wingspan that puts it ahead of its Californian cousins in terms of sheer size. Contrary to popular belief that once saw them hunted by sheep ranch owners, condors are scavengers – giant vultures – rather than birds of prey, and thus not capable of carrying off livestock. Instead, they act as a clean-up crew, picking over the carcasses of dead animals.

Where to see them: Bald-headed, black, with distinctive white feathery patches on their wings, condors are most commonly spotted in the Andes, in Torres del Paine, Perito Moreno, Los Glaciares, Patagonia and Cerro Castillo national parks, where they take advantage of the strong air currents to keep themselves aloft. They live near the coast as well, where there are strong ocean breezes and are frequently spotted circling above Parque Nacional Monte de León.  

Kenya and Tanzania have lions, India and Siberia have tigers, the Amazon Basin is home to the jaguar, and Patagonia has the puma. Once hunted almost to extinction, the Patagonian mountain lion has made a miraculous recovery over the past few decades, due to the protective measures in place and the numerous national parks teeming with food. The largest land carnivore in the region, the tan-colored puma is a powerful predator that can bring down prey much bigger than itself.

Where to see them: Puma spotting tops the list for most wildlife lovers, but since the big cats are nocturnal and shy, sightings are few and far between. The best place to see them is Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, where there's a large and thriving population, thanks mainly to an abundance of guanacos and wild horses. In fact, this writer spotted a very large puma while hiking there solo – an exhilarating yet terrifying experience, despite the fact that there have been no puma