Where to see a Humboldt Penguin near Santiago (and Inca Tern too!)
We woke up to pouring rain. Normally that would have dampened the mood, but we were still glowing from the day before. Penguin number thirteen, the Fiordland crested, had delivered in spectacular fashion. Now the focus shifted. The entire trip had been built around Snow Hill. But first, we had to find a Humboldt penguin near Santiago
Back to Queenstown
It was a 2.5 hour drive to Wanaka, where we stopped to buy a replacement camera battery. After the minor water scare near Fox Glacier, I wasn’t taking any chances. We were about to head into much more remote territory. From Wanaka, it was another hour to Queenstown. Before checking into our hotel, we stopped at the airport rental car office to report a chip in the windshield. This resulted in an impressive amount of paperwork. To this day, we’ve never heard from them about it. Perhaps honesty really is the best policy.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn and were upgraded to a lake and mountain view room. It was beautiful, although slightly less peaceful than advertised thanks to the nearby road. Still, it was just one night.
From Queenstown, we flew to Auckland and then onward to Chile. The long-haul flight to Santiago was about 11 hours and, thankfully, entirely manageable. We had pre-arranged transport through our hotel in Santiago. It cost more than an Uber would have, but after a long day of flights and time zones, walking out to find someone holding a sign with your name on it feels worth every dollar. We stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton. It wasn’t the fanciest, but the price was right, the neighbourhood had plenty of restaurants, and it was walking distance to the Costanera Mall.
Birding Tour with Far South in Santiago, Chile
For our free day in Santiago, we booked a private day trip with Far South Expeditions. We met one of their guides while we were tracking puma in Torre del Paine a few years back, and knew if there were penguins to be seen, their guides would find them.
Jorge picked us up at 7am, and we headed north. Our first stop, La Campana National Park. We had the place completely to ourselves, except for the odd passing gaucho. The landscape reminded me of Arizona.
Highlights from our first stop include a Turco caught mid-hop, Chilean mockingbirds (including one harassing an Austral pygmy owl), a Tufted Tit-tyrant, and colorful lizards. We’re more photographers than birders, but there’s something satisfying about walking and listening first, then letting the subjects reveal themselves.
Next, we visited a marsh in the small seaside village of Zappalar before stopping for lunch.
Where to See Humboldt Penguin Chile
After the massive lunch, we drove about 15 minutes north to the locality of Cachagua for the Humboldt Penguin National Monument. In Chile, the term “monument” is used kind of like “sanctuary” or “reserve.” The nearby neighbourhood looked surprisingly upscale, as in, “let’s look on AirBNB to see what these places go for.”
If you’re looking to see a Humboldt penguin in Chile, this is one of the closest and most accessible places from Santiago, though sightings are often at a distance. I had deliberately managed my expectations. I knew the penguins nest on an island offshore, and I had read that sightings can be distant. I didn’t need a portfolio image. I just needed one decent proof-of-sighting photograph.
We parked and walked down to the beach, and I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. Did you know this is what Chile’s coastal region looked like?
The penguins live on Isla Cachagua, just 100 metres (roughly 330 feet) offshore. We walked down the beach and out onto the rocks to get a closer look. They were out there somewhere.
Jorge spotted them right away. I zoomed in with my camera and still couldn’t see them.
To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure where to look until Jorge set up his spotting scope.
Penguin number fourteen. The Humboldt penguin. Check.
If I’m being completely honest, they look similar to Magellanic penguins, just with pink skin at the base of the bill. Maybe I would love them more if they were closer? Still, it didn’t diminish the moment. One more species added to the quest and another step closer to all 18 (or 19, depending on who you ask).
The Best Place to See Inca Tern near Santiago
At lunch, I had asked Jorge whether it might be possible to see Inca terns. He said yes, if we had time. So on the way back to Santiago, we made a detour south to Viña del Mar. If you’re hoping to see an Inca tern near Santiago, this is one of the easiest places to find them along the coast. We parked the car, and there they were.
Inca terns are extraordinary looking birds, with elegant white moustache-like feathers curling from their faces. And they were close. And the light was excellent.
While we came for the penguins, we fell in love with the Inca terns.
We could easily have spent another hour photographing them, and we will definitely return one day. But even a short stop felt like an unexpected bonus. We headed back to Santiago because it was time to pack again because we had a flight tomorrowi
We’re Andy and Jennifer—two former corporate executives who chose long ago to prioritise experiences over stuff while pursuing our passions for travel and photography. From the Arctic to Antarctica, and most places in between, we’ve captured the world through our lenses and love sharing those stories. Our careers gave us the means, but our purpose is inspiring others to explore and helping people create images they’re proud of.
