aboveusonlyskies.com Web excerpt · 2020
“Whilst it has its fair share of visitors, especially during the summer, Pan de Azucar still feels like a genuinely off-the-beaten-path destination.”
Pan de Azúcar National Park
🇨🇱 Chile
South America, Chile 229 spp. recorded
Pan de Azúcar National Park is a national park of Chile. The park straddles the border between the Antofagasta Region and the Atacama Region. Its name, Parque Nacional Pan de Azúcar, means "sugar loaf national park". The park is located 30 km north of Chañaral and 180 km north of Copiapó. It was founded in 1985 and has an extension of 437.54 km². It is importance derives from the relative diversity of species.
Isla Pan de Azúcar is located 24 km farther. Humboldt penguins breed on this island. The island can be reached by boat from the mainland but passengers are not allowed to leave the boat. Caleta Pan de Azúcar is a small fishing settlement which now caters to tourism. Formerly, copper was worked here and freighted by boat. Divers can still explore parts of the wharf and the loading crane below the water. From here the look-out point of Mirador 8 km farther can be reached. On the mountain slopes nearby, fauna can be observed which stay alive thanks to the coastal mist.
-26.160° S 70.583° W
🦜 Nature
64 Species sighted
513 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Dec Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
Recent sightings in Pan de Azúcar National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a dayavg 6.1 year-round
12
No data
Jan4.6
No data
Feb5.1
No data
Mar—
No data
Apr1
No data
May—
No data
Jun—
No data
Jul1
No data
Aug3.4
No data
Sep4.6
No data
Oct—
No data
Nov13
No data
DecSighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Paid
Tourism
Low
Typical stay
1–2
daysTrails
Moderate
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
-20°
0° 0
20° 300
40° 600 mm
Jan0Feb0Mar4Apr3May3Jun1Jul2Aug2Sep0Oct1Nov0Dec0
0.0 Moderate
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
2.6
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 146
🐒 Mammals 63
🦎 Reptiles 19
🐸 Amphibians 1
229 Total Species
810 Global average across 340 parks
23 Threatened 15 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
2.6
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
60% 📊
Coverage (48 species at ≥5% of 229 in the inventory)
21% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 2 mammal, 2 reptile)
67% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
35 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
7 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
17 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.6
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism Low High
Trails Moderate Medium
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
Your review
Before you go
What animals can you see in Pan de Azúcar National Park?
229 species
Pan de Azúcar National Park has 229 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Guanaco (about 80%), Black-spotted Smooth-throated Lizard (about 70%), Turkey Vulture (about 70%), Atacamen Pacific Iguana (about 70%) and Dominican Gull (about 60%).
Can you see a Humboldt Penguin in Pan de Azúcar National Park?
Yes
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Humboldt Penguin sighting in Pan de Azúcar National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026.
Can you see a Guanaco in Pan de Azúcar National Park?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Guanaco sighting in Pan de Azúcar National Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January (about 90%).
Can you see an Atacamen Pacific Iguana in Pan de Azúcar National Park?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report an Atacamen Pacific Iguana sighting in Pan de Azúcar National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February and December (about 80%).
Is Pan de Azúcar National Park good for wildlife watching?
2.7 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Pan de Azúcar National Park rates 2.7/5: 329th of 340 parks worldwide and 42nd in South America. 15 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
