What's new with Alto Andino from Arica to Lauca Park: wildflowers, mammals, birds, and culture

Chile's Atacama Desert: What's New

Andean Gull chicks at the colony at Lago Chungara, Parque Nacional Lauca, Chile. Located at an elevation of 4,512 masl (higher than the summit of Mt. Rainier in the western US) the nightly temperature dips well below zero every night of the year. Not the highest lake in the world, but probably the highest lake of its size.

Customized tours for birders and naturalists since 1994

What's new in Chile from Arica and Iquique up through the Atacama Desert to the altiplano national parks.......birding, botanizing, mammals, Andean culture

Botanizing Report

Semi-independent birding: How to save some money

Moon Guide to Chile "Wayne Bernhardson first traveled to Chile in 1979, during the Pinochet dictatorship, wrote his MA thesis on llama and alpaca herding in the Norte Grande’s Parque Nacional Lauca, and has returned repeatedly ever since to broaden and deepen his knowledge and appreciation of the country. He’s driven well over 100,000 kilometers through every Chilean region and Pacific island possession and has also visited Chile’s Antarctic bases in the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic peninsula." Check out Wayne Bernhardson's travel blog for updates on travel in Argentina, Chile, and Patagonia.

Chile's north, in depth
For those interested in visiting the most diverse habitats and learning about the present and past cultures of northern Chile, we've developed a 5-7 day private tour guided by Alto Andino owner B. Knapton, sometimes with additional professional Chilean guides.

Focus on habitats, birds, plants, ecology, geography, watersheds, history and culture.

We visit a hummingbird refuge, archeological sites, sea-lion and fur seal colonies, historic nitrate processing stations, geoglifs, pintados, petroglifs, hotsprings, seabird colonies, locally-famous wine-producing oasis, alpine plant site on the slope of an old volcano, Atacama Desert wildflower and cactus areas, and cushion bogs. This itinerary is variable, please inquire for "Chile's north, in depth"

Salar de Surire, minimally protected Ramsar Site. Nesting site of 3 species of flamingos.

Ramsar Site and Natural Monument Salar de Surire in Chile's extreme north.

Stenomesson chilense, Amaryllidaceae, near Putre

Stenomesson chilense, near Putre, Chile In late December, fields of these tiny gems emerge from bulbs nearly overnight, stay a few weeks and disappear. (Stenomesson chilense, family Amaryllidaceae, near Putre). For an idea of what is in bloom during different parts of the year, please refer to wildflower samplers Alpine plants in Lauca, above 4,000masl, Atacama Desert arroyo wildflowers, 2,200masl, and Atacama Desert flora at 3,000 masl, genera in bloom in November

Since there is very little published information on the flora of this part of the Andes, Barb is preparing a photographic catalog of the wildflowers of Chile's 2 northernmost regions, for use in plant trips.

Best to plan for at least 4 days to view the vegetation from Arica to Parque Nacional Lauca's alpines. Either full package tours or daily guide service is available.

About Tours

Nature Pages

Atacama culture, Altiplano wildlife, Coastal marine mammals: 5 days, 4 nights
Slice of the Andes for the Birds: 5 days for the birds