Wildlife Watching on Martín García Island

Information

Martín García Island is an excellent place for wildlife watching, as it is a natural reserve with different environments that maintain a good biodiversity.

To get to know its fauna, I recommend starting with the trail that leads to the lagunas (bodies of water). To get there, as soon as you leave the port, take the first path on the right (when I was there, there were signposts). You arrive at a laguna where there are usually a large number of herons and in hot weather there are Hilaire's side-necked turtle (Phrynops hilarii). There are also several species of frogs. Afterwards you can follow this path to the shore, where you can often see the coypu (Myocastor coypus, a typical rodent of the region).

Another recommended place to visit is the trail that leaves from the vicinity of the inn and leads to the monument to the Dos Banderas. It is a long path through a natural area where you can see many birds.

There are species that are typical throughout the island. For example, in the warmer seasons (November to March) you can see the black-and-white tegu (Salvator merianae) everywhere. Among the birds, the grey-cowled wood-rail (Aramides cajaneus) always hangs around the inhabited area and the Southern screamer (Chauna torquata) in the flooded areas of the coast. Other birds of interest include the variable oriole (Icterus pyrrhopterus), rufous-browed peppershrike (Cyclarhis gujanensis), grey-breasted warbling-finch (Microspingus cabanisi) and great Horned owl (Bubo virginianus).