Chile is a land of dramatic and great biological and geographic contrasts. During the birding trips we have prepared for you this year, will bird the major habitats of this 2,800 miles long, ribbon-shaped country, following Darwin’s footsteps amongst a number of the most beautiful landscapes on Earth. In the north sits the driest desert in the world, The Atacama. To the east, the magnificent Andes climb more than 18,000ft, bearing a vast salt pan, impressive peaks and numerous lakes. Further south, dense forests and pristine sub-Antarctic woods stretch into the distance. And then, where the world ends, the mythical Patagonia begins. Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego (the Land of Fire) are home to the furious fifties – the infamous local winds – cold, vast, bleak steppes and glacial fjords. Last, but not least, in the west, the Pacific Ocean, nourished by the fertile waters of the Antarctic, is one of the richest oceanic areas on the planet. Learn more about our Birding Chile trips...

Francisco Coloane is the name of the first marine protected area of Chile (2003) and comprises nearly 67,000 hectares (app. 260 sq. miles) of the western branch of the Straits of Magellan, in Chilean Patagonia. The park was established to protect the feeding grounds of an important seasonal population of Humpback Whales, visiting the area during the southern summer and fall months (December through April - May). Chilean scientists have been doing long-term reasearch on the migratory movements of these whales as well as on their feeding techniques and individual catalogue. Carlos III Island and surrounding rocky islets also protect important populations of seabirds, sea lions and fur seals. Chile's President Bachelet has recently declared our country's opposition to research whaling as conducted by Japan. Learn more about our trips to this marine park...