We focus on the natural history of a slice of the Andes from Arica through the 4 altiplano wilderness areas of northern Chile. Naturalist-led tours provide the opportunity to observe puna birds and wildlife of the saline lakes, cushion bogs, tola grassland, and Polylepis woodlands of the Chilean altiplano. Although all 3 high Andes flamingo species can usually be found in Lauca National Park, the nearby Ramsar site and Natural Monument Salar de Surire has thousands of birds with the shallow water feeding James' flamingo being particularly evident. Some of the Surire area mammals include vicu as, llamas, alpacas, cuy, armadillo, fox, vizcachas, puma, and the extremely rare Andean cat Oreailurus jacobita . Specialized tours with naturalist guide for birding or natural history .
Tours can focus on the highland parks or the lowland desert and coastal areas in northern Chile.
Naturalist guide service in the client's vehicle 3. Altiplano wildlife and culture tours with professional Chilean guide. With 3 volcanoes reaching above 6,000m, Lauca National Park provides an astonishing backdrop for its wildlife. At 18 15' S latitude, the life zones in this section of the tropics change dramatically as one climbs from sea level at Arica to the Bolivian border in sight of Mount Sajama at 6,530m.