Where to see birds and wildlife near Santiago

🦌 Wildlife📅 Updated October 8, 2026⏱ 4 min read

Cover: Lagoon of the Batuco Wetland, with hills in the background. Photo: Javiercamposg7, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Less than an hour from Santiago there's a wetland that is home to about a third of Chile's bird species, Andean valleys where you can spot condors, and two zoos that are great with kids. This guide brings together the best places to see wildlife near the city.

Batuco Wetland: the top spot for birds

White egret wading among grasses

Snowy egret at the Batuco Wetland. Photo: Ennio Nasi, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Batuco Wetland, in Lampa, about 40 to 50 minutes north of Santiago, is the most important wetland in the Santiago Metropolitan Region: it is home to more than 140 bird species, about 30% of Chile's birds. The visitor area is a Nature Sanctuary managed by the Fundación San Carlos de Maipo.

It has wooden boardwalks and flat trails suitable for families and people with reduced mobility, plus viewpoints and a birdwatching tower. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00, and entry and parking are free. Pets and drones are not allowed.

Small yellow and black bird perched on a reed

Many-colored rush tyrant at the Batuco Wetland. Photo: Javiercamposg7, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Among the reeds you'll see small birds such as the many-colored rush tyrant (siete colores), and along the shore, herons such as the snowy egret. With luck, a coypu shows up too: a rodent that swims in lagoons and wetlands.

Condors in the Andes

Black-winged ground dove, with grey feathers, perched on a rock

Black-winged ground dove in Yerba Loca. Photo: Gabriel Barrera Maffioletti, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Yerba Loca Nature Sanctuary is one of the best places near Santiago to see condors. On the trail to the Refugio Alemán, 1.8 km from Villa Paulina, is the Mirador del Cóndor, home to a condor feeding station run by the Municipality of Lo Barnechea to feed these birds in times of scarcity. In the valley you'll also see Andean birds such as the black-winged ground dove.

Farther away, in the Cajón del Maipo, the trail to Laguna del Morado is another great spot: according to CONAF, it's common to see condors, white-sided hillstars and, on the lake, the crested duck. And on the summit of Cerro Provincia you can see high-altitude birds such as condors and caracaras.

Closer to the city, in the Las Hualtatas valley in Lo Barnechea, live black-chested buzzard-eagles, culpeo foxes and long-tailed meadowlarks.

National Zoo, on Cerro San Cristóbal

Humboldt penguins on rocks beside a pool

Humboldt penguins at the National Zoo. Photo: Sfs90, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The National Zoo, on the slope of Cerro San Cristóbal, has more than 700 animals of native and exotic species, including condors, penguins, guanacos, giraffes and elephants. It has a large walk-through aviary where you stroll among the birds.

Entry is free, but you must book in advance through the Parquemet reservation system: there's room for 4,000 people a day, up to 7 per group. It's open Tuesday to Sunday and on holidays, 10:00 to 18:00. The entrance is at Pío Nono 450, near Baquedano Metro.

Buin Zoo, south of Santiago

Andean condor perched behind a mesh fence

Andean condor at Buin Zoo. Photo: Lycaon.cl, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

According to its website, Buin Zoo is Chile's largest flora and fauna conservation institution: more than 2,000 animals of 250 species across 14 hectares to explore as a family. It's open Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 to 17:00, and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9:30 to 18:00; closed on Mondays. Tickets are sold online only.

What wildlife have you seen near Santiago? Tell us in the comments below.

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