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Best birdwatching destinations in South America

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Iquitos
Amazon’s gateway to jungle adventures
8.4
Founded as a Jesuit mission in the 1750s, this city boomed during the rubber trade of the late 1800s. It has no road to the outside world so travellers arrive by plane or river boat. Boat trips into the Pacaya Samiria Reserve pass herons, kingfishers and macaws along flooded forest.
Highlights:
  • 🍴 Stroll through San Pedro Market, taste quinoa empanadas
  • 🗿 Explore Sacsayhuamán ruins, trace Inca stonework
  • 🏔️ Climb Machu Picchu sunrise, capture the misty peaks
Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve
Amazon wilderness teeming with life
8.1
Flooded forest and black water lagoons make this reserve feel more like a quiet water world than a jungle. Visitors paddle canoes at dawn past herons, kingfishers and hoatzins, a shaggy bird with a spiky crest. Lodges sit on the lagoon shores in Ecuador's Amazon so no long walks are needed.
Highlights:
  • 🐬 Spot pink dolphins swimming in the lagoons
  • 🛶 Take a canoe ride on serene waterways
  • 🌳 Explore dense jungle trails with expert guides
Manú National Park
Pristine Amazon biodiversity wonderland
7.3
Wild and remote, this park drops from Andean peaks to lowland rainforest, so its bird list is huge. Males of the bright orange Andean cock of the rock dance at display grounds called leks. Macaws and parrots gather at clay licks near the Manu River at dawn.
Highlights:
  • 🚤 Cruise down the Madre de Dios River at sunrise
  • 🦜 Spot macaws and toucans at a clay lick hide
  • 🌿 Take a guided jungle trek through the Amazon rainforest
Pantanal Matogrossense National Park
World's largest tropical wetland paradise
7.6
The dry season from June to September shrinks the wetlands, so birds and other wildlife gather around the remaining pools. Hyacinth macaws, roseate spoonbills and herons are easy to spot from boats and open trails. The jabiru, a stork over a meter tall, is the symbol of the Pantanal.
Highlights:
  • 🐎 Experience horseback riding across flooded plains and trails
  • 🛶 Take a boat tour through the Pantanal’s winding waterways
  • 🐆 Join a guided wildlife safari to spot elusive jaguars
Iguazú National Park and Reserve
Epic Waterfalls and Wild Rainforest
7.9
Covering about 67,000 hectares of subtropical forest, this Argentine national park protects a big piece of the Atlantic forest. More than 400 bird species live here, including trogons, tanagers and the rare harpy eagle. The Macuco Trail winds through shaded forest to a quiet waterfall with a small pool.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Walk the Upper Circuit trail to view multiple cascading waterfalls
  • 🛶 Take a jungle boat ride through the mist of the falls
  • 🌊 Stand before the breathtaking Iguazú Falls at Devil’s Throat
Mindo
Lush cloud forests and vibrant hummingbird haven
8.1
A small cloud forest town about two hours from Quito, this is a favourite stop for birders. More than 500 bird species have been recorded nearby including toucan barbets and plate billed mountain toucans. Hummingbird feeders at local lodges attract many kinds of hummingbirds within arm's reach all day.
Highlights:
  • 🚁 Take a canopy zipline tour above rainforest canopy
  • 🦜 Spot colorful hummingbirds perched on blossoms
  • 🌲 Hike misty cloud forest trails near Mindo
Falkland Islands
Untouched wilderness with abundant wildlife
8.6
A remote group of about 750 islands in the South Atlantic, this territory has more penguins than people. Gentoo, rockhopper, king and Magellanic penguins nest here along with black browed albatrosses. Volunteer Point near Stanley has a large king penguin colony reached by a rough drive across open country.
Highlights:
  • ⚓ Stroll along Stanley Harbour and visit the museum
  • 🎖️ Take a battlefield tour of the 1982 conflict sites
  • 🐧 Watch king penguins at Volunteer Point
Galapagos Islands
The Wildlife Paradise of Ecuador
8.5
Unlike most birding spots where birds flee from people, these islands have wildlife that shows almost no fear of humans. Blue footed boobies dance on bare volcanic rock and Galapagos penguins swim near the equator. Darwin's finches helped shape his ideas about evolution and still hop around visitors' feet.
Highlights:
  • 🦩 Walk among blue-footed boobies on North Seymour Island
  • 🐢 Spot giant tortoises roaming freely in the highlands
  • 🐢 Snorkel with sea lions and turtles at Isla Lobos
Puerto Iguazú
Gateway to Iguazú’s Thundering Falls
8.3
Guides and drivers here share mate, a bitter herbal tea, at early morning stops before the trails open. The town sits where the Iguazu and Parana rivers meet, close to forest with toucans and parrots. The Hito Tres Fronteras viewpoint looks over the point where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay touch.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Walk the Upper and Lower Trails through tropical forest paths
  • 🚤 Take a jungle boat ride under the waterfalls’ spray
  • 🌊 Stand before the roaring Iguazú Falls at Devil’s Throat viewpoint
Canaima National Park
Tepui Peaks and Angel Falls Wonder
7.7
Flat topped sandstone mountains called tepuis rise sharply out of the rainforest in Venezuela's far southeast. Boat trips cross lagoons near Canaima village where parrots and macaws often cross the sky. Angel Falls drops 979 metres from Auyan Tepui and is reached by a long river trip.
Highlights:
  • 🗻 Explore the unique tabletop mountains called tepuis
  • ⛰️ Hike the summit of Auyantepuy tepui for breathtaking views
  • 🌊 See Angel Falls, the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall
Tayrona National Park
Where Jungle Meets Turquoise Caribbean
7.5
Where the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta meets the Caribbean, this park runs from dry coastal forest to sandy coves. Birders look for keel billed toucans, motmots and parrots along forest paths. Minca, a hill town about an hour away, is a base for Santa Marta birds found nowhere else.
Highlights:
  • 🦜 Spot howler monkeys and exotic birds along forest paths
  • 🌴 Swim in crystal-clear Caribbean waters surrounded by palm trees
  • 🏝️ Hike through jungle trails to the stunning Cabo San Juan beach
Kaieteur National Park
World's Most Powerful Single-Drop Waterfall
7.7
Protected since 1929, this park is a patch of rainforest on a high plateau above the Potaro River. Orange Guianan cock of the rock gather in the forest near the falls, which drop 226 metres in one leap. Swifts dart in and out of the spray and roost behind the water at dusk.
Highlights:
  • 🐦 Spot rare Guianan cock-of-the-rock bird nearby
  • 🥾 Hike rainforest trails to panoramic waterfall viewpoints
  • 🌊 Witness the majestic Kaieteur Falls, tallest single-drop
Guyana
South America's pristine rainforest gem
6.9
Most of this country is covered in rainforest and savanna, with few roads and many wild rivers. Birders look for the harpy eagle, the Guianan cock of the rock and the hoatzin. The Atta canopy walkway in the Iwokrama forest reaches treetop birds at eye level.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Explore the lush Iwokrama Rainforest, home to diverse wildlife
  • ⛰️ Hike Mount Roraima, the ancient tabletop mountain
  • 🌊 Visit Kaieteur Falls, one of the world's most powerful waterfalls
Punta Arenas
Patagonia’s windswept gateway to adventure
6.9
Closer to Antarctica than to Santiago, this windy port sits on the Strait of Magellan. Magellanic penguins nest on Isla Magdalena, which is reached by a boat trip across the choppy strait. Seno Otway has another penguin colony and nearby wetlands hold black necked swans and flamingos.
Highlights:
  • 🚶🏻 Walk along Costanera del Estrecho and see historic statues
  • 🌆 Take panoramic city views from Cerro de la Cruz
  • 🏛️ Visit Plaza Muñoz Gamero and see the Magellan Monument
Chapada Diamantina National Park
Waterfalls, Caves and Diamond History
7.7
Diamond miners opened this highland in the 1800s and left old trails that now cross canyons and waterfalls. The rocky highland fields hold the hooded visorbearer, a small hummingbird of Bahia's mountains. Trails to Pai Inacio hill give wide views over the same open country at sunrise.
Highlights:
  • 🕳️ Explore the vast Lapa Doce Cave with guided tours
  • 💧 Swim in the crystal-clear waters of Poço Azul
  • ⛰️ Hike to the top of Morro do Pai Inácio for panoramic views
Fernando de Noronha
World's Best Beaches and Dolphins
8.5
Dry months from August to January bring clear water and calm seas around this small volcanic island. The archipelago is a national marine park where red billed tropicbirds, brown boobies and noddies nest on cliffs. The Noronha vireo is a small songbird that lives nowhere else in the world.
Highlights:
  • 🛥️ Take a boat tour to spot dolphins and sea turtles
  • ⛰️ Hike to the Morro Dois Irmãos viewpoint for stunning vistas
  • 🤿 Snorkel vibrant reefs at Baía do Sancho, world’s top beach
Foz do Iguaçu
Where three nations meet waterfalls
7.7
Locals head out early to beat the heat and birders follow the same habit on the forest trails. The Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls sits in Atlantic forest where toco toucans and great dusky swifts live. Parque das Aves nearby is a bird park with big walk in aviaries and rescued toucans.
Highlights:
  • 🚤 Take a thrilling Macuco Safari boat ride near the falls
  • 🦜 Explore Parque das Aves, Latin America’s largest bird park
  • 🌊 Visit the breathtaking Iguazu Falls and Devil’s Throat
Puerto Pirámides
Whale Watching on Wild Patagonian Shores
7.2
Quiet and windswept, this tiny seaside village sits on the Valdes Peninsula beside a wide bay. Nearby coastal cliffs and beaches have colonies of cormorants, gulls and giant petrels. From June to December southern right whales also swim in the bay, which adds to a day of birding.
Highlights:
  • 🐾 Visit the Punta Piramides sea lion colony viewpoint
  • 🛶 Kayak around Golfo Nuevo and spot sea lions
  • 🐋 Go whale watching to see southern right whales
Peninsula Valdes
Wild dolphins glide over turquoise cliffs
9.3
Spring from September to November is nesting season on this windy peninsula, when penguins and seabirds crowd the coast. Caleta Valdes has a large Magellanic penguin colony beside a long gravel spit and elephant seals. Open scrub inland hosts the lesser rhea, a flightless bird that runs in small groups.
Highlights:
  • 🍖 Savor local lamb barbecue on a seaside terrace
  • 🧊 Hike to the Perito Moreno glacier’s ice caves
  • 🐋 Spot southern right whales at Punta Tombo beach
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