Biodiversity and Birdwatching on the Valparaíso Coast

Tricao Park Giverny Wetland Photo: Hannah Cooper
Posted October 17, 2024
Hear “Valparaíso” and you’ll think of street art, seafaring, and sore legs – those 45 hills aren’t to be trifled with. Beyond the city of Valparaíso, the natural beauty of Chile’s Fifth region has inspired such creatives as Violeta Parra and Pablo Neruda while captivating explorers.
Nature sanctuaries and humedales (wetlands) dot the Coast of Poets from Tunquen to Mirasol and Punta de Tralca to the southernmost province. Just nine miles apart, Tricao Park and the Maipo River Wetland stand out as bastions of sustainable tourism in the Valparaíso region.

Tricao Aviary Forest Photo: Hannah Cooper
Birding, Boating, and Biking in Tricao Park
Tricao Park (Parque Tricao) is a utopia of 350 flora species and 40,000 native tree species. The ecological park is compartmentalized into the Botanical Garden, the Aviary, Giverny Wetland, and the lake area, where mammals such as gray foxes (zorro chilla) and güiña cats dwell. Feline and canine sightings are slim, but avifauna encounters, perhaps even with the namesake bird, are a guarantee.
Adapted from the Mapuche word cacao, meaning “mountain bird,” the red-breasted trio resides in central Chile. Superstitious travelers take note: hearing the song of the trio to your right symbolizes good luck, whereas the left indicates otherwise.
A relatively young park, Tricao Park’s reservoir and wetland system were created in 2007 as a protected wildlife reserve. Trails and facilities followed suit, with the completion of the aviary two years before the park opened to the public in 2019. Besides the hiking paths, Tricao Park’s mountain biking system circuits the preserve and coastal plains.
Admission tickets also permit free use of a fleet of kayaks docked at Playa Negro and complimentary raft crossings to Playa Blanca. Inspired by Monet’s gardens, the Humedal Giverny at the southwest of Tricao Park is a wonderland of floating bridges, stepping stones, waterfalls, and countless shades of green.

Tortola de Collar Dove Photo: Hannah Cooper
South America’s Largest Free-flying Aviary
Whereas the lakeside reserve habitats endemic avifauna, the Tricao Park Aviary provides a sanctuary for 50 exotic species rescued from captivity. These 800 birds now live as close to a natural life as possible. Insects and bees pass through the meshed canopy, resulting in pollination.
The two-hectare aviary is built around Chilean mattoral and sclerophyllous forest. Trails scoot through the peumo, quillay, bollén, and molle trees where birds are free to nest and bathe in the creek. These gradually accumulate height and meet a 52-meter-long suspension bridge granting a “bird’s eye” view of South America’s largest open-sky aviary.
We observed Java sparrows plucking twigs, Australian cockatiels chewing on stumps, and Brazilian cardinals foraging for worms. Sapphire-colored starlings from northeastern Africa and sub-Saharan turacos pecked at fruit keeping one eye trained on passersby. Parrots peered down from their cliffside burrows 20 meters above the valley.
Handling and hand-feeding the birds is prohibited. However, many birds are comfortable to perch within arm’s length. In particular, the doves (tortola de collares) seemed as curious about us as we were them. Photography without flash is allowed.
All functional and decorative elements of the aviary reflect the natural environment. Water pump fixtures are in the shape of leaves and wrought-iron bridges are ornamented with vines where birds can rest. Bronzes of woodland animals, mythological creatures, and nymphs carved by local sculptor Carolina Ramos fleck the lower valley.
Spending no longer than one week at a time, small colonies rotate through enclosures for health checks and monitoring. For the most part, the birds are free to spread their wings.

Tricao Aviary sky bridge Photo: Hannah Cooper
Sustainable Tourism in the Maipo River Wetland
One of central Chile’s major waterways, the Maipo River’s name comes from the volcano it spouts from in the Cordillera de los Andes. Its journey continues through the Cajón del Maipo, an adventure sports hub for Santiaguinos, before flowing into the Pacific.
Bisecting the beach resort of Santo Domingo and the port of San Antonio, these estuarine wetlands were once settled by the Indigenous people of Chile. Port expansion threatened this habitat in recent years. However, the establishment of the protected Maipo River Wetland (Parque Humedal Río Maípo), conserves these vital coastal lagoons, grasslands, dunes, and swamps.
Over 180 marine, freshwater, and migratory shorebirds rely on the ecosystem where environmental conservation sits at the top of the agenda. Education, community, and sustainable infrastructure are the three other missions behind the foundation.

Maipo River Wetland dunes Photo: Hannah Cooper
An Immersive Nature Experience in Valparaíso
An interactive route starts with birdsong identifiers at the visitor center. Three boardwalk paths include lookouts modeled on honeycombs, while the fourth skims the Pacific shoreline. The route then weaves through the grasses, taking care not to disturb the dunes and their inhabitants.
Refreshingly free from techy gizmos and QR codes, the nature trails in the Maipo River Wetland feature magnifying lenses and microphones. These let you zoom in on plants. You can tune your ear to the sound of the ocean and immerse yourself in Chile’s biodiversity.

Maipo River Wetland boardwalk Photo: Hannah Cooper
Days Out for Everyone
Coastal Valparaíso is a place to catch your breath between the oxygen-parched Atacama Desert and Torres del Paine’s grueling hikes. Planned as community spaces, parts of Tricao Park and the Maipo River Wetland cater to wheelchair users and parents with strollers.
Admission for Tricao Park (open daily) can only be purchased online and numbers are capped to maintain balance in the ecosystem. A “Full Pass” (13,000 CLP/$14 USD) covers all areas including a timed slot at the aviary. Tip: Book tickets at least one week in advance during the peak summer season (December to February) and on weekends.
Maipo River Wetland (open Tuesday through Sunday) is free to visit and booking isn’t required.
Getting to Santo Domingo
Tricao Park and the Maipo River Wetland are part of the San Antonio province. Chile’s largest port city is 60 miles south of Valparaíso and 70 miles southwest of Santiago. With its sandy beach, Santo Domingo provides a lovely spot to spend a night or two. Consider rounding off a Coast of Poets road trip or Casablanca wine trail here.
FlixBus services go as far as San Antonio from where taxis or pre-arranged transfers can take you to the parks. Service is patchy in Tricao Park so non-drivers should make return arrangements before visiting. Shared and private tours from Santiago to Tricao Park usually include a stop at the pottery workshops of Pomaire or a winery.