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Wildlife

The Altiplano: This ecosystem is characterised by its extreme elevation and floral anomalies such as queñoa, the world’s highest growing tree, and llareta, a dense lime-green colonial organism. The fauna includes the llamas, vicuñas, alpacas and guanacos, Andean geese and three species of flamingoes.

The North Coast: Coastal ecosystems, such as the Pan de Azucar National Park, contain over 140 species of endemic cacti, while the Reserva Naconal de Pinguino de Humboldt is home to a variety of birds and marine mammals, including sealions, bottle-nose dolphins, Humboldt penguins and Chilean pelicans.

The Andes & Central Valleys: The flora includes cacti and other drought-resistant species on sunny slopes and trees similar to the California chaparral on river bottoms and shaded slopes. The high Andes protect condors, foxes and pumas.

Araucania: The auracaria tree is a Jurassic conifer, which only grows at a specific latitude and elevation and has been declared a national monument. The copihue is Chile’s national flower.

Patagonia: Northern Patagonia contains huge areas of temperate rainforest, including the world’s largest and oldest remaining stands of alerce. Here is also the last remaining healthy population of huemul, an Andean deer. Sea lions, porpoises and seabirds abound along the coast, which is seasonally visited by migratory whales. The forest and pampas of Torres del Paine are home to guanacos, foxes, pumas, ñandús (a South American ostrich), condors and flamingos. Near Punta Arenas are some colonies of Magellanic penguins.