Humbolt Penguin Reserve {Chile} {Practical Mondays # 55}

A week before we embarked on this road trip (2 families, 6 of us) I bought  a book about Pingüinos de Humbolt to read it to my 5 year old. My over confidence about reading a children’s book in Spanish was quickly shattered when I realised I was never going to finish it! 

Although the book is still unfinished, we *did* take the fabulous trip. In case you’re here because a nice search engine showed you the way, I am obliged to give you my recommendations. First of all, all links point to ‘tours’ for almost anything in Chile, which is extremely ridiculous. We are grown ups with a car and all (Went through all the tests to get our Chilean Licences too!) and need not be chauffered for a ridiculous amount of money. If you're a tourist, please hire a car! Cuz the best parts were in the trip itself! 

We halted as soon as we spotted cool foxes (Zoro Chillas): Imagine our excitement of being surrounded by 10-15 foxes just strolling about on the road side and rolling down little desert sand dunes in the middle of nowhere! We spotted Guanocos too, or as we like to call them: Llama look alikes, after spotting Llamas on our way from Santiago!

Punta Choros is the point on the Chilean coast where you can find a boat to take you to the islands of Isla Choros and Isla Damas - i.e. the Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humbolt. But the last 70 odd kms of road leading upto it, is a gravel road. Drivable though, we cruised though at 60 kmph wondering what the speed limit signs for 80 kmph were all about!

We hired a whole boat for 90,000 chilean pesos that leisurely took us to the island. A warm sunny day in April, was the perfect weather to scream hola! to the cute little penguins, giant sea lions, pelicans, sea gulls and some pretty orange beaked birds that we forgot the name of! Some lucky people spot bottlenose dolfins and humpback whales too.

Practical Mondays Feature

Overnight adventures – Sandboarding and Flying Foxes, Port Stephens

  

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